Editing Touch of Evil (section)

{{Short description|1958 film by Orson Welles}}
{{About|the 1958 film|the Judas Priest song|A Touch of Evil}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Touch of Evil
| image          = Touch of Evil (1958 poster).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Orson Welles]]
| producer       = [[Albert Zugsmith]]
| screenplay     = Orson Welles
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Badge of Evil]]''|[[Whit Masterson]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Charlton Heston]]
* [[Janet Leigh]]
* Orson Welles
* [[Joseph Calleia]]
* [[Akim Tamiroff]]
* [[Marlene Dietrich]]
* [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]]
}}
| music          = [[Henry Mancini]]
| cinematography = [[Russell Metty]]
| editing        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Virgil Vogel]]
* [[Aaron Stell]]
}}
| studio         = [[Universal-International]]
| distributor    = Universal-International
| released       = {{Film date|1958|04|23|}}
| runtime        = 111 minutes (1998 version)<ref name="ToddMcCarthy">{{cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |title=Touch of Evil (re-issue) |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/touch-of-evil-re-issue-1200456175/ |work=Variety |date=December 22, 1998 |access-date=July 2, 2018}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $829,000
| gross          = $2.25 million<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1958/0TCHE.php |title=Box Office Information for ''Touch of Evil'' |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=January 30, 2013}}</ref>
}}

'''''Touch of Evil''''' is a 1958 American [[film noir]] written and directed by [[Orson Welles]], who also stars. The screenplay was loosely based on [[Whit Masterson]]'s novel ''[[Badge of Evil]]'' (1956). The cast included [[Charlton Heston]], [[Janet Leigh]], [[Joseph Calleia]], [[Akim Tamiroff]] and [[Marlene Dietrich]].

[[Universal Pictures|Universal-International]] commissioned the film adaptation of the novel in April 1956. [[Albert Zugsmith]] was selected as producer, who then hired television writer [[Paul Monash]] to write the script. Heston was brought on board to star in January 1957 and suggested that Welles direct the project. Welles was hired to direct and star, as well as re-write the script. Filming started the next month and [[Wrap (filmmaking)|wrapped]] in April. During the film's post-production, creative differences between Welles and Universal executives arose and Welles was forced off the film. Subsequently, Universal-International revised the film's editing style to be more conventional and ordered re-shoots to be made in November 1957. In response to the new version, Welles wrote a 58-page memo in which he elaborately outlined his creative vision for the film and asked that his version be restored.

Initially dismissed by film critics, ''Touch of Evil'' found popularity among European audiences and won top awards at the 1958 Brussels World Film Festival. During the 1970s, its reputation was renewed and it is now widely regarded as one of Welles's<!-- As recorded on the Orson Welles talk page, consensus was reached in 2010 to present the possessive of his surname as "Welles's", not "Welles'". This consistent possessive is used in all articles about Welles and his work. Please use this form when editing the article, and not make changes in the possessive unless this has been further discussed on the Orson Welles talk page. --> best motion pictures and one of the last and best of the classic-era noir films.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dirks |first=Tim |url=https://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html |title=Film Noir – Part 1 |work=[[Filmsite.org]]}}</ref> In 1998, [[Walter Murch]] re-edited ''Touch of Evil'' according to Welles's original vision, as outlined in his memo.

In 1993, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |website=[[National Film Registry]] |publisher=[[National Film Preservation Board]] |access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/frequently-asked-questions/ |title=Frequently Asked Questions |website=National Film Registry |publisher=National Film Preservation Board |access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Librarian Announces National Film Registry Selections (March 7, 1994) – Library of Congress Information Bulletin |url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/94/9405/film.html |work=Library of Congress |access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref>