Editing Touch of Evil

{{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>

== Plot ==

[[File:Touch-of-Evil-Leigh-Heston.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Janet Leigh and Charlton Heston in ''Touch of Evil'']]
[[File:Touch-of-Evil-Orson-Welles-cropped.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Orson Welles as Hank Quinlan]]
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. -->

Along the [[U.S.–Mexico border]], a [[time bomb]] placed inside a vehicle explodes, killing two people. Mexican special prosecutor Miguel Vargas, who is honeymooning in town with his new American wife Susie, takes an interest in the investigation, which is being conducted by veteran police captain Hank Quinlan and his devoted, admiring, fanatically loyal assistant, Pete Menzies. Quinlan is a recovering alcoholic and an anti-Mexican bigot. He injured his leg long ago, and now walks with a prosthetic "game" leg and a cane. He implicates Sanchez, a young Mexican man secretly married to the victim's daughter. During the interrogation at Sanchez's apartment, Menzies finds two sticks of [[dynamite]] in a shoe-box in the bathroom.  Vargas, who had accidentally knocked over the shoe-box a few minutes earlier and found it empty, accuses Quinlan of planting the dynamite, and begins to suspect that many of his previous convictions were similarly tainted. Quinlan angrily dismisses Vargas's allegation.

"Uncle" Joe Grandi, the acting leader of a crime family Vargas has been investigating, makes common cause with Quinlan against Vargas, and plies Quinlan with liquor, causing him to break his sobriety. Grandi orders his family to capture and drug Susie with illegal recreational drugs; while she is unconscious, he and Quinlan lock her in a hotel room. Quinlan then murders Grandi and leaves the body there with Susie; however, drunk and exhausted, he carelessly also leaves his cane in the room with them. When Susie wakes up and sees the body, she screams for help, and gets arrested on suspicion of the murder, which infuriates Vargas. Searching the room, Menzies finds Quinlan's cane, and realizes that Quinlan is the real killer.

Vargas, reviewing Quinlan's past successes, confirms his suspicion that Quinlan has planted evidence in many of the cases. He confronts Menzies, who sadly agrees to work with him to expose Quinlan, by wearing a wire and getting a confession.

Quinlan hears an echo from Vargas' recording device, and realizes that Menzies is betraying him. He shoots and mortally wounds Menzies. He then aims his gun at Vargas, but the dying Menzies shoots Quinlan before he can fire. Susie is exonerated and reunited with Vargas. As Quinlan dies, it is revealed that Sanchez has confessed to the original bombing.

== Cast ==
{{castlist|* [[Charlton Heston]] as Ramon Miguel "Mike"  Vargas
* [[Janet Leigh]] as Susan Vargas
* [[Orson Welles]] as Police Captain Hank Quinlan
* [[Joseph Calleia]] as Sgt. Pete Menzies
* [[Akim Tamiroff]] as Uncle Joe Grandi
* [[Joanna Moore]] as Marcia Linnekar
* [[Ray Collins (actor)|Ray Collins]] as District Attorney Adair
* [[Dennis Weaver]] as the Night Manager at the desolate motel
* [[Valentin de Vargas]] as Pancho
* [[Mort Mills]] as Al Schwartz
* [[Victor Millan]] as Manolo Sanchez
* [[Lalo Rios]] as Risto
* Michael Sargent as Pretty Boy
* Phil Harvey as Blaine
* [[Joi Lansing]] as Zita
* [[Harry Shannon (actor)|Harry Shannon]] as Police Chief Pete Gould
* [[Marlene Dietrich]] as Tana
* [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]] as the Strip-club owner
* [[Rusty Wescoatt]] as Casey
* Wayne Taylor as a gang member
* Ken Miller as a gang member
* Raymond Rodriguez as a gang member
* [[Arlene McQuade]] as Ginnie
* [[Dan White (actor)|Dan White]] as the Border Guard
* [[Mercedes McCambridge]] as a gang leader
* [[William Tannen (actor)|William Tannen]] as Howard Frantz
* [[Joseph Cotten]] (uncredited) as a coroner<ref>p.208 Grajeda, Tony ''Lowering the Boom:: Critical Studies in Film Sound ''   UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PRESS; 1st edition 15 August 2008</ref><ref>p.48  Nericcio, ''William Anthony Tex[t]-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the Mexican in America'' University of Texas Press; First Edition 15 January 2007</ref>
}}

== Production ==
=== Development ===
In March 1956, the mystery novel ''[[Badge of Evil]]'' was released to generally favorable reviews and its sales were brisk, with two printings in hardcover. [[Edward Muhl]], the head of production of [[Universal Pictures|Universal-International]], believed the novel had cinematic possibilities and arranged to purchase the film rights through the literary agency [[Curtis Brown (agency)|Curtis Brown]].{{sfn|Brady|1989|page=496}} By April 1956, the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reported that the film rights had been acquired and that [[Albert Zugsmith]] (known as the "King of the [[B movie|Bs]]") had been tapped as producer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schallert |first=Edwin |date=April 17, 1956 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381268064/ |title=Two Novels Purchased; 'Rock Hunter' to Open New Season at Carthay |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |at=Part III, p. 7 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Zugsmith then assigned television writer [[Paul Monash]] to write the script adaptation within four weeks. Zugsmith then read Monash's script, but did not care for it and temporarily halted any further development on the project. By December 1956, Zugsmith had received a memo from Universal executive Mel Tucker inquiring about the development of ''Badge of Evil'' and suggested the possibility of casting [[Charlton Heston]] as the lead.{{sfn|Brady|1989|pages=496–497}}

By January 1957, having just finished promoting ''[[The Ten Commandments (1956 film)|The Ten Commandments]]'' (1956), Heston had received the script and considered it good enough. The actor contacted Universal to ask who they had considered to direct. They told him that they did not know, but [[Orson Welles]] was lined up as Hank Quinlan. Heston then replied, "Why not him direct, too. He's pretty good" to which the studio responded "We'll get back to you."{{sfn|Heston|1979|page=[https://archive.org/details/actorslifejourna00hest/page/39/ 18]}}{{sfn|Thomson|1996|page=335}} Universal studio head executives Ernest Nims and Jim Pratt—both of whom had worked with Welles on ''[[The Stranger (1946 film)|The Stranger]]'' (1946)—lobbied for Welles to direct again. Based on Pratt's suggestion, Universal-International offered Welles $125,000 for the job to act, direct, and based on his choosing, to rewrite the script.{{sfn|Leaming|1985|page=418}} On January 11, it was officially announced that Welles had signed with Muhl to star in and direct ''Badge of Evil''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |author-link=Hedda Hopper |date=January 11, 1957 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/371318518/ |title=Orson Welles Will Star in and Direct 'Badge of Evil' |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |at=Section 2, p. 6 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Welles had previously starred in ''[[Man in the Shadow (1957 American film)|Man in the Shadow]]'' (1957), which Zugsmith produced. According to Zugsmith, on the last day of shooting, Welles, who was impressed with Zugsmith's writing abilities, expressed that he was interested in directing a picture for him. Zugsmith offered Welles a pile of scripts, of which he requested the worst one. Welles was then handed Monash's script for ''Badge of Evil'' to which he asked, "Can I have two weeks to write it?" Zugsmith replied, "You can have it."<ref name="Zurgsmith">{{cite book |last1=McCarthy |first1=Todd |last2=Flynn |first2=Charles |title=Kings of the Bs: Working within the Hollywood System: An Anthology of Film History and Criticism |chapter-url=https://www.wellesnet.com/albert-zugsmith-on-producing-orson-welless-touch-of-evil/ |chapter=Producer Albert Zugsmith on making TOUCH OF EVIL with Orson Welles |pages=418–421 |year=1975 |location=New York |publisher=[[E.P. Dutton]] |isbn=978-0-525-14090-0 |via=Wellesnet.com}}</ref>{{sfn|Leaming|1985|page=413}}{{sfn|Deming|2020|pages=13–14}}

=== Writing ===
{{Quote box|width=33% | quote=It started with rehearsals. We rehearsed two weeks prior to shooting, which was unusual. We rewrote most of the dialogue, all of us, which was also unusual, and Mr. Welles always wanted our input. It was a collective effort, and there was such a surge of participation, of creativity, of energy. You could feel the pulse growing as we rehearsed. You felt you were inventing something as you went along. Mr. Welles wanted to seize every moment. He didn't want one bland moment. He made you feel you were involved in a wonderful event that was happening before your eyes.|source=—Janet Leigh, recalling how Welles asked for input from the actors in the cast<ref>{{cite news |last=Weintraub |first=Bernard |title=Dark Secrets Of Suburbia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/18/movies/at-the-movies-dark-secrets-of-suburbia.html |work=The New York Times |date=September 18, 1998 |access-date=May 22, 2008}}</ref>|quoted=1}}

For his screenplay draft, Welles made numerous changes along with smaller changes to better tighten the script. His two main contributions dealt with his thematic element of American racism and his decision to shift narrative points of view.{{sfn|Stubbs|1985|p=27}} He shifted the location setting from [[San Diego]] to the [[Mexico–United States border]]. Welles renamed the protagonist from Mitch Holt to Miguel Vargas,{{sfn|Thomson|1996|p=337}} stating he made the character a Mexican "for political reasons. I wanted to show how Tijuana and the border towns are corrupted by all sorts of mish-mash, publicity more or less about American relations".<ref>{{cite book |editor=Mark W. Estrin |title=Orson Welles: Interviews |chapter=A Trip to Don Quixoteland: Conversations with Orson Welles |year=2002 |location=[[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]] |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |page=121 |isbn=978-1-578-06209-6}}</ref> Welles's [[shooting script]] was finished by February 5, 1957. Heston stated that Welles re-wrote the script in ten days.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heston |first=Charlton |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-09-ca-17092-story.html |title='Touch of Evil' Needed Final Touch of Welles |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 9, 1998 |access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref>

=== Casting ===
Welles selected [[Janet Leigh]] for the role of Susan Vargas. Before her agent had notified her of the casting, Welles contacted Leigh via telegram stating how delighted he was to work with her on ''Badge of Evil''. She contacted her agent, and accepted the part.{{sfn|Leigh|1984|page=215}}{{sfn|Leaming|1985|page=419}} [[Dennis Weaver]] was asked to audition as the night manager after Welles had watched him as Chester Goode on ''[[Gunsmoke]]''. He was instructed to improvise.{{sfn|Brady|1989|page=500}} Meanwhile, Zugsmith had met [[Joanna Cook Moore]] at a party, and was determined that she was right for the role as Marcia Linnekar.<ref>Schallert, Edwin (February 9, 1955). [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381041587/ "Newcomers Win Capital Film Breaks; Robinson to Enact Mad Bomber"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. Part III, p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.</ref> Welles rounded out the supporting cast with [[Akim Tamiroff]], whom he previously cast in ''[[Mr. Arkadin]]'' (1955),{{sfn|Callow|2015|pages=253–254}} while [[Joseph Cotten]], [[Ray Collins (actor)|Ray Collins]], [[Marlene Dietrich]], and [[Keenan Wynn]] agreed to appear in the film for union pay scale and without screen credit. Zugsmith also insisted that his friend [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]] be given a cameo in the film. Ultimately, all actors were paid over union scale and given screen credit.{{sfn|Brady|1989|pages=499–500}}

Having known [[Mercedes McCambridge]] since her time at Mercury Theatre, Welles called her and requested she arrive at the set. Leigh and the actors dressed as "greasy-looking hoodlums" stood around waiting for Welles to start filming. Welles had McCambridge's hair cut and applied black shoe polish over her newly trim hair and eyebrows. According to her memoir: "They brought a black leather jacket from somewhere, and I was 'ready.' Orson said he wanted a heavy, coarse Mexican accent. I said, 'You've got it!'"{{sfn|McCambridge|1981|pages=403–404}}
[[File:Touch-of-Evil-1851-26.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Orson Welles]] (Quinlan), [[Victor Millan]] (Sanchez), [[Joseph Calleia]] (Menzies), and [[Charlton Heston]] (Vargas)]]
[[Joseph Calleia]] was cast as Quinlan's longtime partner Pete Menzies, giving Welles an opportunity to work with an actor he had long admired. "What an actor—Joseph Calleia", said Welles:

<blockquote>I fell in love with him as a ten-year-old boy. I saw him in [[Small Miracle|a play in New York]] ... a very well-staged melodrama which was an enormous hit for about a year—it was made as a [[Four Hours to Kill!|movie]] later with somebody else. He had the leading role, and I never forgot him. And through the years I'd seen him in movies—little things. And I could never forget that performance of his. He's always played very stereotyped parts in pictures but is one of the best actors I've ever known. I have such respect for him. You play next to him and you just feel the thing that you do with a big actor—this dynamo going on.<ref name="TIOW">[[Orson Welles|Welles, Orson]], and [[Peter Bogdanovich]], edited by [[Jonathan Rosenbaum]], ''[[This Is Orson Welles]]''. New York: HarperCollin Publishers 1992 {{ISBN|0-06-016616-9}}.</ref>{{Rp|298}}</blockquote>

"Even among these performers, one man's sincerity stands out," wrote George E. Turner, film historian and editor of ''[[American Cinematographer|The American Cinematographer]]''. "Joseph Calleia, a veteran actor from Malta, makes Menzies the most realistic and touching character in the film. ... His agony is the true touchstone of the film."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Turner |first=George E. |date=September 1998 |title=A Cop Gone Wrong: Touch of Evil |url=https://theasc.com/articles/cop-gone-wrong-touch-of-evil |magazine=[[American Cinematographer]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=April 30, 2024}}</ref>

=== Filming ===
The film was shot in [[Venice, California]] from February 18, 1957, to April 2, 1957.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/variety205-1957-02/page/n249/mode/2up |title=Hollywood Production Pulse |magazine=Variety |page=18 |date=February 27, 1957 |access-date=November 10, 2020 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Rollins |first=Brooke |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/195930/summary |title=Some Kind of a Man": Orson Welles as Touch of Evil's Masculine Auteur |journal=The Velvet Light Trap |date=Spring 2006 |volume=57 |issue=57 |pages=32–41 |doi=10.1353/vlt.2006.0021 |s2cid=193226352 |via=[[Project MUSE]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The location had been suggested by [[Aldous Huxley]] to Welles, who informed him the town had decayed significantly. Welles, cinematographer [[Russell Metty]], and the art directors drove there, and upon viewing the city's Bridge of Sighs, Welles decided to revise the ending to incorporate it.{{sfn|Brady|1989|p=501}} Sometime during the early months of filming, Zugsmith retitled the film to ''Touch of Evil'', which Welles later criticized calling it "silly."{{sfn|Brady|1989|p=510}}

As when he worked with cinematographer [[Gregg Toland]], Welles and Metty devised a distinctive visual style for ''Touch of Evil''{{--}}incorporating [[deep focus]], off-kilter and [[low-angle shot]]s (to emphasize the girth of Quinlan), and other stylistic touches that furthered the visual style of film noir. Most notable among the stylistic flourishes in the film is an opening [[crane shot]] that runs almost three-and-a-half minutes, which has frequently been commented on by film scholars.<ref name="Slash">{{Cite web |last=Shutt |first=Mike |date=2022-03-23 |title=How Orson Welles Filmed The Impossible For Touch Of Evil |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/808793/how-orson-welles-filmed-the-impossible-for-touch-of-evil/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hagopian |first=Kevin Jack |title=Film Notes -Touch of Evil |url=https://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/filmnotes/fnf00n3.html |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=www.albany.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peter |date=2013-09-24 |title=TOUCH OF EVIL Opening Tracking Shot |url=https://www.furiouscinema.com/furious-scenes-touch-evil-opening-tracking-shot/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=FuriousCinema |language=en-US}}</ref>

Heston's autobiography{{sfn|Heston|1995|page=157}} states that the scene with Vargas and Schwartz in the convertible marks the first time that a scene with dialogue was shot in a moving car, rather than a stationary one in front of a projection screen. However, there is an earlier example of such a scene in ''[[Gun Crazy]]'' (1950).<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Sterritt |editor1-first=David |editor2-last=Anderson |editor2-first=John |title=The B List: The National Society of Film Critics on the Low-Budget Beauties, Genre-Bending Mavericks, and Cult Classics We Love |location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=Da Capo Press |date=2008 |pages=7–10 |isbn=978-0-306-81566-9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZW8vf47Owg |title=The Getaway {{!}} Gun Crazy {{!}} Warner Archive |date=2017-07-15 |last=Warner Bros. Classics |access-date=2024-07-16 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

=== Post-production ===
As was typical, Welles himself worked on the film's editing, paired initially with [[Edward Curtiss]]. According to Zugsmith, the two had creative differences,<ref name="Zurgsmith" /> and Curtiss was replaced with [[Virgil Vogel]].{{sfn|Brady|1989|page=503}} During June 1957, Welles flew out to New York to appear on ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]''. In his absence, studio executives had scheduled a screening of the rough cut. Informed of this by Vogel, Welles was angered, resulting in Universal post-production head Ernest Nims cancelling the screening. At this point, Vogel agreed to step down, and Nims appointed [[Aaron Stell]], another Universal staff editor, to finish the film. When Welles returned to Hollywood, Nims instructed him to stay out of the editing room and let Stell work alone.{{sfn|Leaming|1985|pages=426–427}} Having been locked out, Welles went to [[Mexico City]] in late June 1957 to begin shooting his next film, ''[[Don Quixote (unfinished film)|Don Quixote]]''.{{sfn|Bogdanovich|Welles|1998|page=422}}

On his own, Stell constantly changed the editing sequence, providing different interpretations of multiple scenes in which he altered the continuity. Throughout the editing process, Stell was never satisfied, and at the end of his tenure, he stated he had grown "ill, depressed and unhappy with the studio's impatience."{{sfn|Garis|2004|pages=150–151}} In July 1957, Stell's cut was screened to the executives, most of whom were left unimpressed.{{sfn|Callow|2015|page=261}} According to Nims, Welles "had really messed up those first five reels...He was making those quick cuts—in the middle of a scene you cut to another scene, and then come back and finish the scene, and then cut to the last half of the other scene."{{sfn|Leaming|1985|page=428}}

Hoping to make the continuity editing more conventional, Muhl appointed Nims to re-edit the film. A month later, Nims's cut was shown to Welles, who remained diplomatic but was astonished at the newly altered cut. Welles wrote a memorandum as a critique of Nim's revisions, and shortly after, he left for [[Louisiana]] to appear in [[Martin Ritt]]'s ''[[The Long, Hot Summer]]'' (1958).{{sfn|Leaming|1985|pages=428–429}} By November 1957, Universal removed about fifteen minutes from the film, and hired [[Harry Keller]] to film some expository scenes intended to make the plot easier to follow.{{sfn|Thomson|1996|page=346}}

Out of loyalty to Welles, Heston and Leigh initially refused to film the re-shoots.{{sfn|Leaming|1985|page=430}}{{sfn|Leigh|1984|page=218}} A week later, Heston's agents informed him that he was contractually obligated to film re-shoots if necessary.{{sfn|Heston|1979|pages=[https://archive.org/details/actorslifecharlt00alpe/page/34/mode/2up 34–35]}} For the re-shoots, [[Clifford Stine]] had replaced Metty as the film's cinematographer while new dialogue had been written by Franklin Coen, a staff scriptwriter for Universal. Several new scenes were filmed including four scenes between Vargas and his wife, a love scene in the car, and a scene where Menzies explains about Quinlan's leg. Another scene was shot in which Quinlan's car meets Vargas's en route to the motel, in which an uncredited actor doubles for Welles.{{sfn|Brady|1989|pages=507–508}} On November 19, re-shoots under Keller were completed. Heston further reflected in his journal: "I have done worse work in the movies than this day's retakes, but I don't remember feeling worse...I was able to talk them out of one change I felt was a mistake."{{sfn|Heston|1979|pages=[https://archive.org/details/actorslifecharlt00alpe/page/34/mode/2up 34–35]}}

On December 5, 1957, having been screened a new cut, Welles presented a 58-page memorandum addressed to Muhl, detailing what he thought needed to be done to make the film work.{{sfn|Callow|2015|page=270}} In response, Muhl stated his changes would be implemented, but also requested that Welles attend a dubbing session. Welles refused.{{sfn|Callow|2015|page=274}}

==Release==
===Initial release and reception===
''Touch of Evil'' was given a [[Film screening#sneak preview|sneak preview]] at a theater in [[Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles]] on January 31, 1958. This version of the film ran 108 minutes, and was not well-received.{{sfn|Callow|2015|page=275}} Heston wrote in his journal that "I'm afraid it's simply not a good picture. It has the brilliance that made each day's rushes look so exciting, of course. Indeed, there's hardly a dull shot in the film. But it doesn't hold together as a story."{{sfn|Heston|1979|page=[https://archive.org/details/actorslifecharlt00alpe/page/42/mode/2up 42]}} In February 1958, ''Touch of Evil'' was attached in a [[double bill]] with ''[[The Female Animal]]'', starring [[Hedy Lamarr]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Murch |first=Walter |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/06/arts/film-restoring-the-touch-of-genius-to-a-classic.html |title=Restoring the Touch Of Genius to a Classic |work=The New York Times |date=September 6, 1998}}</ref> which was also produced by Albert Zugsmith and directed by Harry Keller. The two films even had the same cameraman, Russell Metty. This general version ran only 94 minutes.{{sfn|Callow|2015|page=275}}

====Contemporary reviews====
[[Howard Thompson (film critic)|Howard Thompson]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote "...while good versus evil remains the text, the lasting impression of this film is effect rather than substance, hence its real worth." He complimented the film's direction noting that "Mr. Welles' is an obvious but brilliant bag of tricks. Using a superlative camera (manned by Russell Metty) like a black-snake whip, he lashes the action right into the spectator's eye."<ref>{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=Howard |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/05/22/archives/screen-touch-of-evil-orson-welles-is-triple-threat-in-thriller.html |title=Screen: 'Touch of Evil' |work=The New York Times |page=25 |date=May 22, 1958 |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref> Philip K. Scheuer of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote "As usual, Welles has placed mood above content. But what mood! ''Touch of Evil'' is underkeyed, underlighted and undermonitored (for sound), but with the assistance of Russell Metty's marvelous mobile camera it charges ahead like the pure cinema it so often succeeds in being, complete with built-in stocks."<ref>Scheuer, Philip K. (June 10, 1958). [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61466599/philip-k-scheuers-review-of-touch-of/ "Welles Paradox as Film Director"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. Part III, p. 7. Retrieved October 20, 2020 – via [[Newspapers.com]]. {{Open access}}</ref> ''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' felt that Welles "has peopled the story with odd characterizations and, in an apparent effort to get away from routine picture-making, has made dramatic use of unusual photographic angles, shadows and lighting. This makes for an arty approach but it seems to lessen the dramatic impact of the story. The acting is very good, and a number of the individual scenes are tense and exciting."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://archive.org/details/harrisonsreports40harr/page/n53/mode/2up |title='Touch of Evil' with Orson Welles, Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh |work=Harrison's Reports |page=47 |date=March 22, 1958 |access-date=November 13, 2020 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' felt that "Welles establishes his creative talent with pomp, but unfortunately the circumstances of the story suffer. There is insufficient orientation and far too little exposition, with the result that much of the action is confusing and difficult to relate to the plot...Welles' script contains some hard-hitting dialogue; his use of low-key lighting with Russell is effective, and Russell Metty's photography is fluid and impressive; and Henry Mancini's music is poignant. But ''Touch of Evil'' proves it takes more than good scenes to make a good picture."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/variety210-1958-03/page/n173/mode/2up |title=Film Reviews: Touch of Evil |magazine=Variety |page=16 |date=March 19, 1958 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Dorothy Masters, reviewing for the ''[[New York Daily News]]'', gave the film three stars out of four noting that the "Welles touch is manifest in a taut screen play, suspenseful presentation, stark backgrounds, off-beat camera angles and a weird assortment of characters. The production is advantage and are ably supported by the rest of the cast."<ref>{{cite news |last=Masters |first=Dorothy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/456732355/ |title=Evil on a Rampage in Murder Mystery |work=New York Daily News |page=75 |url-access=subscription |date=May 8, 1958 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

====Accolades====
Although Universal Pictures did its best to prevent ''Touch of Evil'' from being selected for the 1958 Brussels World Film Festival—part of the [[Expo 58]] [[world's fair]]—the film received its European premiere and Welles was invited to attend. To his astonishment, Welles collected the two top awards.{{sfn|Callow|2015|page=277}} ''Touch of Evil'' would also receive the [[International Federation of Film Critics|International Critics Prize]], and Welles was recognized for his body of work.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fipresci.org/festival-reports/1958/brussels-world-film-festival |title=1958 Brussels World Film Festival |publisher=[[International Federation of Film Critics]] (FIPRESCI) |access-date=May 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lyons |first=Leonard |date=July 10, 1958 |title=The Lyons Den |work=The Salt Lake Tribune}}</ref>

====Critical re-evaluation====
In 1998, [[Roger Ebert]] added ''Touch of Evil'' to his Great Movies list. He praised the lead and supporting actors and argued that the cinematography was "not simply showing off" but rather was used to add depth to the complex plot by showing interpersonal connections and "trapping [the characters] in the same shots". Ebert also speculated Welles's role was semi-autobiographical, describing his Quinlan character as nursing old feuds and demonstrating an obsessive desire for control that arguably parallels Welles's life and career.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-touch-of-evil-1958 |title=Touch of Evil Movie Review |work=Chicago Sun-Times |via=[[RogerEbert.com]] |date=September 23, 1998 |access-date=August 26, 2017}}</ref> Todd McCarthy of ''Variety'' stated that although the restored film was virtually the same, he noted the film's plot is more coherent and that "due to the pristine new print, Welles' technical virtuosity and ingenious use of locations have never been more evident, and the entire picture plays more smoothly."<ref name="ToddMcCarthy" /> Peter Stack of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' wrote "''Touch of Evil'' is a savvy starter because Welles' astonishing cinematic invention and his persuasive presence as star are prime noir attractions. The look, a deftly arranged climate of odd shadows and angles, neon lighting and flawlessly choreographed action scenes, keeps interest piqued through a contrived plot and mannered acting."<ref>{{cite news |last=Stack |first=Peter |url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Welles-Shown-Off-to-Be-His-Evil-Best-Revival-2800160.php |title=Welles Shown Off to Be His 'Evil' Best / Revival of 1958 noir classic opens at Castro |work=San Francisco Gate |date=October 24, 1997 |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>

Michael Wilmington of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' positively wrote the film was "close to the pinnacle of film noir" thanks to "[w]izardly moving camera shots, nightmarish angles and incredibly florid, amusing performances".<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilmington |first=Michael |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-12-30-0512300207-story.html |title=Welles' touch is evident in restored 'Touch of Evil' |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref> [[Kenneth Turan]], reviewing for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', summarized the 1998 re-cut: "Photographed by Russell Metty, ''Touch of Evil'' is one of the standard-bearers for the kind of eye-catching, bravura camera work Welles favored. Expressionistic in the extreme, filled with shadows, angles and cinematic flourishes, the film raises the usual brooding nightmare ambience of film noir to a level few other pictures have attempted."<ref>{{cite news |last=Turan |first=Kenneth |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-06-ca-19865-story.html |title=The Authentic Touch of Welles |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 6, 1998 |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref> In 2012, critic [[Manohla Dargis]] listed ''Touch of Evil'' as one of her ten favourite films of all time on [[The Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2012|2012 ''Sight & Sound'' critics' poll]] list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/372|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310130747/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people//sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/372|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2016|title=Manohla Dargis &#124; BFI}}</ref>

On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film received an approval rating of 95% based on 79 reviews, with an average rating of 8.80/10. The critical consensus reads, "Artistically innovative and emotionally gripping, Orson Welles' classic noir is a visual treat, as well as a dark, sinister thriller."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1021749-touch_of_evil |title=Touch of Evil (1958) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=September 9, 2021}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 99 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/touch-of-evil |title=Touch of Evil Reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>

In 1998, ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' magazine conducted a poll and the film was voted 57th greatest film of all time.<ref>{{cite web |work=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC Filmsite.org]] |url=http://www.filmsite.org/timeout2.html |title=Top 100 Films (Readers) |publisher=American Movie Classics Company |access-date=August 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718213202/http://www.filmsite.org/timeout2.html |archive-date=July 18, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2000, the film was ranked at No. 55 in ''[[The Village Voice]]''{{'}}s 100 Greatest Films list.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hoberman |first=J. |title=100 Best Films of the 20th Century |publisher=Village Voice Media, Inc. |location=New York |url=http://www.filmsite.org/villvoice.html |date=January 4, 2000 |access-date=December 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331174817/http://www.filmsite.org/villvoice.html |archive-date=March 31, 2014}}</ref> ''Touch of Evil'' was placed No. 64 on [[American Film Institute]]'s "[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills|100 Years, 100 Thrills]]" list in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/100years/thrills.aspx |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=2015-11-12}}</ref>

In [[The Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2012|the ''Sight & Sound'' Greatest Films of All Time 2012]] poll, the film was placed No. 26 and No. 57 by the directors and the critics respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b8bc241/sightandsoundpoll2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302002726/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b8bc241/sightandsoundpoll2012 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |title=Votes for Touch of Evil (1958) |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref> In 2015, the film ranked 51st on [[BBC]]'s "100 Greatest American Films" list, voted on by film critics from around the world.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 20, 2015|title=100 Greatest American Films|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-100-greatest-american-films|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916105535/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-100-greatest-american-films|archive-date=September 16, 2016|access-date=July 21, 2015|work=BBC}}</ref>

Henry Mancini's soundtrack album, released by [[Challenge Records (1950s-60s label)|Challenge Records]] in 1958, was ranked at number 405 in ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''{{'}}s 2025 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1950s"; contributor Peter Watts noted how Mancini's "opulent and evocative" music "introduced a theme of pulsating [[Afro-Cuban music|Afro-Cuban]] percussion, swinging [[Mexican music|Mexican]] rhythms and [[jump blues]] alongside Mancini's trademark strut."<ref name="Uncut500">{{cite journal |editor1-last=Robinson |editor1-first=John |title=The Ultimate Record Collection: The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1950s |journal=Uncut: The Archive Collection |date=April 2025 |issue=8 |page=16}}</ref>

===Restorations===
====1976 release====
Robert Epstein, a [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] film studies professor, had requested a film print for a screening in his class in the early 1970s. Inside the Universal archives, he discovered a 108-minute print of ''Touch of Evil''.{{sfn|Brady|1989|page=507}} It was publicly screened at the [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] as part of "The 50 Great American Films" on December 15, 1973.<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Kevin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381821627 |title=Marathon To Conclude Film Series |date=December 12, 1973 |work=Los Angeles Times |at=Part IV, p. 24 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The [[American Film Institute]], recognizing the historical value of the discovery, had submitted a duplicated [[Negative (photography)|negative]] to the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in June 1975. A 16&nbsp;mm re-release provided through United World Films, Universal Pictures' non-theatrical distribution arm, was also discussed.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Orson Welles 'Evil' Now Has 'Cult' Aura |magazine=Variety |date=June 25, 1975 |pages=2, 71}}</ref> Subsequently, it was screened at the [[Paris Film Festival]], which was followed with a wide theatrical re-release by Universal Pictures that recognized an increased interest among film fans in Welles's works.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Buffs Show Interest in Enlarged Vault Version of 'Evil' of '58 |magazine=Variety |date=August 27, 1975 |page=4}}</ref>

[[Jonathan Rosenbaum]] published an article in the film magazine ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' in 1975, claiming that, except for a few minor details, the version was "apparently identical to Welles' final cut," and described it as the "definitive version".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rosenbaum |first=Jonathan |title=Prime Cut |url=https://archive.org/details/Sight_and_Sound_1975_10_BFI_GB/page/n25/mode/2up |magazine=Sight & Sound |date=Autumn 1975 |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=217–218 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> [[Joseph McBride (writer)|Joseph McBride]], in a letter to ''Sight & Sound'', issued a correction, identifying the cut as the "preview" version.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McBride |first=Joseph |title=Letters |url=https://archive.org/details/Sight_and_Sound_1976_04_BFI_GB/page/n69/mode/2up |magazine=Sight & Sound |volume=45 |issue=2 |date=Spring 1976 |pages=128, 130 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

====1998 release====
In 1998, [[Walter Murch]], working from all available material, re-edited the film based on the Welles memo, with [[Rick Schmidlin]] who produced the re-edit and with the help of Bob O'Neil, Universal's director of film restoration and [[Bill Varney]], Universal's Vice President of Sound Operations, participating in the restoration.<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |first=Valerie J. |last=Nelson |title=Bill Varney dies at 77; Oscar-winning sound mixer |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-bill-varney-20110407-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=April 7, 2011 |access-date=April 10, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Charles |last=Taylor |title=Ballad of a fat man |url=http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/1998/09/10/review/ |work=Salon.com |date=10 September 1998 |access-date=May 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204222315/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/1998/09/10/review/ |archive-date=December 4, 2007}}</ref> As Welles's rough cut no longer exists, no true "director's cut" is possible but Murch was able to assemble a version incorporating most of the existing material, omitting some of the Keller scenes (though some were retained, either because they had replaced Welles's lost scenes and were necessary to the plot or because Welles had approved of their inclusion). Some of Welles's complaints concerned subtle sound and editing choices and Murch re-edited the material accordingly.<ref>{{cite news |first=Walter |last=Murch |title=Restoring the Touch Of Genius to a Classic |url=http://www.reelclassics.com/Articles/Films/touchofevil-article.htm |work=New York Times |date=September 6, 1998 |access-date=May 22, 2008}}</ref> Notable changes include the removal of the credits and [[Henry Mancini]]'s music from the opening sequence, cross-cutting between the main story and Janet Leigh's subplot and the removal of Harry Keller's hotel lobby scene. [[Rick Schmidlin]] produced the 1998 edit, which had a limited but successful theatrical release (again by Universal) and was subsequently made available on [[DVD]]. The DVD includes an on-screen reproduction of the 58-page memo.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

Originally scheduled to be premiered at the 1998 [[Cannes Film Festival]] with Janet Leigh, Walter Murch and Rick Schmidlin attending, the screening was canceled at the eleventh hour after threats of [[litigation]] from Welles's daughter, [[Beatrice Welles]]. Her suit against Universal, for not consulting her or obtaining her consent prior to the reworking of ''Touch of Evil'', was settled out of court.<ref>{{cite news |first=Geoffrey |last=Macnab |title=One of our classics is missing |url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1031039,00.html |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=29 August 2003 |access-date=19 August 2006}}</ref> Welles later said she had only asked Universal to inform her on what was being done and when she was ignored, she told the Cannes Festival that the restoration was not sanctioned by the Welles Estate,

<blockquote>I saw it later and it was wonderful...I thought they did an amazing job, and it was very well done. It was what he wanted and it made much more sense than that chopped up nightmare there was before. It was fine and it was his. If they had told me that from the very beginning, none of that would have happened.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wellesnet.com/beatrice-welles-interview-part-1-treasures-to-be-auctioned-life-with-orson-welles-and-public-misconceptions/ |title=Beatrice Welles interview |last1=Kelly |first1=Ray |date=April 1, 2014 |publisher=Wellesnet |access-date=November 13, 2015}}</ref></blockquote>

The 1998 re-edit received awards from the [[1998 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle]], the [[1998 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards|Los Angeles Film Critics Association]] and [[1998 National Society of Film Critics Awards|National Society of Film Critics]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Awards |url=https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |website=National Society of Film Critics |date=December 19, 2009 |access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref>

===Home media===
The home media release history of ''Touch of Evil'' is summarized in the following table. The film was shot in the [[Fullscreen (aspect ratio)|fullscreen]] [[Academy ratio]] with Welles reportedly composing his shots primarily with the newer 1.85:1 [[widescreen]] aspect ratio in mind, which Universal applied to all its new films using a [[hard matte]].<ref name="hollywood-elsewhere.com">{{Cite web |date=2023-10-15 |title=Buy Boxy "Touch of Evil" While You Can – Hollywood Elsewhere |url=https://hollywood-elsewhere.com/buy-boxy-touch-of-evil-while-you-can/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |language=en-US}}</ref> Universal preserved Academy ratio prints of the film for later broadcast on television.<ref name="hollywood-elsewhere.com"/> Both [[Aspect ratio (image)|formats]] of the film have been released to home media.

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Released
!Publisher
!Aspect Ratio
!Cut
!Runtime
!Commentaries
!Resolution
!Master
!Medium
|-
| rowspan="3" |September 25, 2023<ref name="eurekavideo.co.uk">{{Cite web |title=Touch Of Evil [Limited Edition Box Set] 4K Ultra HD {{!}} Eureka |url=https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/touch-of-evil-limited-edition-box-set-4k-ultra-hd/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |[[Eureka! Video Publishers|Eureka!]]<ref name="eurekavideo.co.uk"/>
| rowspan="3" |[[Widescreen#Types|1.85:1]]
|Theatrical
|1h 36m
|[[F. X. Feeney|F.X. Feeney]] (2008 Universal track)<ref name="eurekavideo.co.uk"/>
| rowspan="3" |[[4K resolution|2160p]]<ref name="eurekavideo.co.uk"/>
| rowspan="3" |[[8K resolution|8K]]
| rowspan="9" |[[Blu-ray]]
|-
|Preview
|1h 49m
|[[James Naremore]] with [[Jonathan Rosenbaum]] (2008)<ref name="eurekavideo.co.uk"/>
|-
|Reconstruction
|1h 51m
|[[Rick Schmidlin]] (1998), [[Charlton Heston]] with [[Janet Leigh]] and Rick Schmidlin (1998)<ref name="eurekavideo.co.uk"/>
|-
| rowspan="3" |March 8, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cook |first=Carson |date=2022-03-27 |title=Home Video Review: Touch of Evil on 4K UHD |url=https://www.roughcutcinema.com/post/home-video-review-touch-of-evil-on-4k-uhd |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Rough Cut |language=en}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |[[Kino Lorber]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Theater Forum |date=April 3, 2022 |url=https://www.hometheaterforum.com/touch-of-evil-uhd-blu-ray-review/}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |1.85:1
|Theatrical
|1h 36m
|[[Tim Lucas]], F.X. Feeney (2008 Universal track)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Theater Forum | date=April 3, 2022 |url=https://www.hometheaterforum.com/touch-of-evil-uhd-blu-ray-review/#:~:text=Disc%201%20%E2%80%93%20Theatrical,some%20production%20tidbits.}}</ref> 
| rowspan="3" |2160p<ref>{{Citation |title=Touch of Evil 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Touch-of-Evil-4K-Blu-ray/285890/ |access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |4K
|-
|Preview
|1h 49m
|James Naremore with Jonathan Rosenbaum (2008)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Theater Forum | date=April 3, 2022 |url=https://www.hometheaterforum.com/touch-of-evil-uhd-blu-ray-review/#:~:text=Commentary%20by%20Orson%20Welles%20historians%20James%20Naremore%20%26%20Jonathan%20Rosenbaum%20%E2%80%93%20Carried%20over%20from%20the%20previous%202008%20DVD}}</ref>
|-
|Reconstruction
|1h 51m
|[[Imogen Sara Smith]], Charlton Heston with Janet Leigh and Rick Schmidlin (1998)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Theater Forum | date=April 3, 2022 |url=https://www.hometheaterforum.com/touch-of-evil-uhd-blu-ray-review/#:~:text=Disc%202%20%E2%80%93%20Reconstructed,the%20reconstructed%20cut.}}</ref> 
|-
| rowspan="3" |April 15, 2014<ref>{{Cite web |title=DVD Savant Blu-ray + Digital HD Review: Touch of Evil |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s4467evil.html#:~:text=min.%20/%20Street%20Date-,April%2015,%202014,-/%2029.98 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.dvdtalk.com}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |[[Universal Home Entertainment|Universal]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=DVD Savant Blu-ray + Digital HD Review: Touch of Evil |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s4467evil.html#:~:text=Universal%20Home%20Video |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.dvdtalk.com}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Touch of Evil Blu-ray |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Touch-of-Evil-Blu-ray/70420/ |access-date=June 23, 2019}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |1.85:1
|Theatrical
|1h 36m
|F.X. Feeney (2008 Universal track)<ref>{{Cite web |title=DVD Savant Blu-ray + Digital HD Review: Touch of Evil |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s4467evil.html#:~:text=The%20standard%20theatrical%20cut%20honors%20a%20few%20of%20the%20suggestions%20in%20Welles'%20famous%20memo,%20but%20slashes%20the%20film%20by%20twelve%20minutes,%20obscuring%20a%20number%20of%20important%20story%20points.%20F.X.%20Feeney's%20commentary%20for%20this%20cut |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.dvdtalk.com}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |[[1080p]]<ref>{{Citation |title=Touch of Evil Blu-ray (Limited Edition) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Touch-of-Evil-Blu-ray/70420/ |access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |[[2K resolution|2K]]
|-
|Preview
|1h 49m
|James Naremore with Jonathan Rosenbaum (2008)<ref>{{Cite web |title=DVD Savant Blu-ray + Digital HD Review: Touch of Evil |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s4467evil.html#:~:text=It%20carries%20a%20commentary%20by%20critics%20Jonathan%20Rosenbaum%20and%20James%20Naremore. |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.dvdtalk.com}}</ref>
|-
|Reconstruction
|1h 51m
|Charlton Heston with Janet Leigh and Rick Schmidlin (1998)<ref>{{Cite web |title=DVD Savant Blu-ray + Digital HD Review: Touch of Evil |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s4467evil.html#:~:text=The%201998%20restored%20version%20carries%20two%20commentaries.%20Restoration%20producer%20Rick%20Schmidlin%20shares%20a%20commentary%20with%20the%20late%20stars%20Charlton%20Heston%20and%20Janet%20Leigh,%20and%20returns%20on%20a%20solo%20track%20to%20tell%20the%20story%20of%20his%20years-long%20effort%20to%20re-cut%20Touch%20of%20Evil. |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.dvdtalk.com}}</ref>
|-
|January 10, 2012<ref name="blu-ray.com">{{Citation |title=Touch of Evil DVD (Universal 100th Anniversary) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Touch-of-Evil-DVD/102009/ |access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref>
|Universal<ref name="blu-ray.com"/>
|1.85:1
|Reconstruction
|1h 51m
|none
|[[480i]]<ref name="blu-ray.com"/>
|[[NTSC]]<ref name="blu-ray.com"/>
|[[DVD-Video|DVD]]
|-
| rowspan="5" |November 14, 2011<ref name="Touch of Evil {{!}} Eureka">{{Cite web |title=Touch of Evil {{!}} Eureka |url=https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/touch-of-evil/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
| rowspan="5" |Eureka!<ref name="Touch of Evil {{!}} Eureka"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Touch of Evil Blu-ray |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Touch-of-Evil-Blu-ray/26694/ |access-date=June 23, 2019}}</ref>
|[[Academy ratio|1.37:1]]
| rowspan="2" |Theatrical
| rowspan="2" |1h 36m
| rowspan="2" |F.X. Feeney (2008 Universal track)
| rowspan="5" |1080p<ref>{{Citation |title=Touch of Evil Blu-ray (Masters of Cinema) (United Kingdom) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Touch-of-Evil-Blu-ray/26694/ |access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref>
| rowspan="5" |2K
| rowspan="5" |Blu-ray
|-
|1.85:1
|-
|1.85.1
|Preview
|1h 49m
|James Naremore with Jonathan Rosenbaum (2008)
|-
|1.37:1
| rowspan="2" |Reconstruction
| rowspan="2" |1h 51m
| rowspan="2" |Rick Schmidlin (1998), Charlton Heston with Janet Leigh and Rick Schmidlin (1998)
|-
|1.85:1
|-
| rowspan="3" |October 7, 2008<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Citation |title=Touch of Evil DVD (50th Anniversary Edition) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Touch-of-Evil-DVD/17002/ |access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |Universal<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| rowspan="3" |1.85:1<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
|Theatrical
|1h 36m
|F.X. Feeney
| rowspan="3" |480i<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| rowspan="3" |NTSC<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| rowspan="4" |DVD
|-
|Preview
|1h 49m
|James Naremore with Jonathan Rosenbaum
|-
|Reconstruction
|1h 51m<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
|Rick Schmidlin (1998)
|-
|October 31, 2000
|Universal<ref>{{Cite web |title=The DVD Journal: Touch of Evil: Collector's Edition |url=http://www.dvdjournal.com/reviews/t/touchofevilrestored.shtml#:~:text=Universal%20has%20done%20a%20lot, |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.dvdjournal.com}}</ref>
|1.85:1
|Reconstruction
|1h 51m
|Rick Schmidlin, Charlton Heston with Janet Leigh and Rick Schmidlin
|480i
| rowspan="4" |NTSC
|-
|October 31, 2000
| rowspan="2" |Universal
| rowspan="2" |1.37:1
|Reconstruction
|1h 51m
| rowspan="3" |none
| rowspan="2" |240 lines
| rowspan="2" |[[VHS]]
|-
|April 28, 1998
|Theatrical
|1h 35m
|-
|March 1987<ref>{{Cite web |title=LaserDisc Database - Touch of Evil [21010] |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/01939/21010/Touch-of-Evil#:~:text=Released%C2%A0,%C2%A003/1987 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.lddb.com}}</ref>
|[[MCA Inc.|MCA Home Video]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=LaserDisc Database - Touch of Evil [21010] |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/01939/21010/Touch-of-Evil#:~:text=Publisher-,MCA%20Home%20Video,-Price |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.lddb.com}}</ref>
|[[Aspect ratio (image)#4:3 standard|1.33:1]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=LaserDisc Database - Touch of Evil [21010] |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/01939/21010/Touch-of-Evil#:~:text=Ratio%C2%A0,%C2%A01.33:1 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.lddb.com}}</ref>
|Preview<ref>{{Cite web |title=LaserDisc Database - Touch of Evil [21010] |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/01939/21010/Touch-of-Evil#:~:text=studio%20in%201958.-,An,-attempt%20to%20reconstruct |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.lddb.com}}</ref>
|1h 48m<ref>{{Cite web |title=LaserDisc Database - Touch of Evil [21010] |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/01939/21010/Touch-of-Evil#:~:text=Length%C2%A0,%C2%A0108%20min. |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.lddb.com}}</ref>
|[[405-line television system|425 lines]]
|[[LaserDisc]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=LaserDisc Database - Touch of Evil [21010] |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/01939/21010/Touch-of-Evil |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.lddb.com}}</ref>
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of American films of 1958]]
* [[List of cult films]]

== References ==
;Citations
{{Reflist|2}}

;Works cited
{{Refbegin|40em}}
* {{cite book |last=Brady |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Brady (writer) |title=Citizen Welles: A Biography of Orson Welles |url=https://archive.org/details/citizen-welles-a-biography-of-orson-welles/ |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]] |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-340-54407-5  }}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Rosenbaum |editor1-first=Jonathan |last1=Bogdanovich |first1=Peter |last2=Welles |first2=Orson |title=[[This is Orson Welles]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Da Capo Press]] |orig-year=1992 |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-306-80834-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Callow |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Callow |title=Orson Welles, Volume 3: One-Man Band |location=New York |publisher=Viking |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-670-02491-9 }}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Comito |editor1-first=Terry |title=Touch of Evil. Orson Welles, director |location=New Brunswick, NJ |publisher=Rutgers University Press |date=1985 |isbn=978-0-813-51097-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Deming |first=Brian |title=Touch of Evil (BFI Film Classics) |location=London |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-84457-949-5 }}
* {{cite book |last=Heston |first=Charlton |url=https://archive.org/details/actorslifecharlt00alpe |title=The Actor's Life: Journals, 1956–1976 |url-access=registration |year=1979 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=978-0-671-83016-8 }}
* {{cite book |last=Heston |first=Charlton |title=In the Arena |url=https://archive.org/details/inarenaautobiogr0000hest |url-access=registration |year=1995 |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-002-15997-5 }}
* {{cite book |last=Garis |first=Robert |title=The Films of Orson Welles |chapter=Touch of Evil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xAtZkLq5clYC |year=2004 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-521-64014-5 }}
* {{cite book |last=Leaming |first=Barbara |author-link=Barbara Leaming |url=https://archive.org/details/orsonwellesbiogr00leam |title=Orson Welles: A Biography |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=[[Viking Press]] |year=1985 |isbn=978-0-140-09620-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Leigh |first=Janet |year=1984 |title=There Really Was a Hollywood |location=New York |publisher=Doubleday |isbn=978-0-385-19035-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=McBride |first=Joseph |author-link=Joseph McBride (writer) |url=https://archive.org/details/orsonwelles0000mcbr/mode/2up |url-access=registration |title=Orson Welles |publisher=[[Harcourt (publisher)|Harcourt Brace]] |year=1972 |isbn=978-0-670-01937-3 }}
* {{cite book |last=McCambridge |first=Mercedes |title=The Quality of Mercy: An Autobiography |publisher=Times Books |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-812-90945-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Nericcio |first=William Anthony |author-link=William Nericcio |title=Tex(t)-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America |chapter=Hallucinations of Miscegenation and Murder: Dancing along the Mestiza/o Borders of Proto-Chicana/o Cinema with Orson Welles's ''Touch of Evil'' |date=2007 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=978-0-292-71457-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/trent_0116405692983}}
* {{cite journal |last=Stubbs |first=John C. |title=The Evolution of Orson Welles's "Touch of Evil" from Novel to Film |journal=Cinema Journal |date=Winter 1985 |volume=24 |number=2 |pages=19–39 |doi=10.2307/1225360 |publisher=[[University of Texas Press]] |jstor=1225360 }}
* {{cite book |last=Thomson |first=David |author-link=David Thomson (film critic) |title=Rosebud: The Story of Orson Welles |location=New York |publisher=Alfred P. Knoft |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-679-41834-4 }}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category|Touch of Evil (1958 film)}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0052311|title=Touch of Evil}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=93695}}
* {{AFI film|id=53683|title=Touch of Evil}}
* {{mojo title|touchofevil|Touch of Evil}}
* {{Rotten-tomatoes|id=1021749-touch_of_evil|title=Touch of Evil}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{cite web |last=Sragow |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Sragow |title=''Touch of Evil'' |url=https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/touch_evil.pdf |publisher=[[National Film Registry]] |year=2002}}
* {{cite book |last=Egan |first=Daniel |chapter=Touch of Evil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deq3xI8OmCkC |title=America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry]&nbsp; America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry |publisher=A&C Black |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-8264-2977-3 |pages=544–546}}
* [http://wellesnet.com/touch_memo1.htm Text of Welles's 58-page memo to Universal Studios]
* [http://www.eskimo.com/~noir/ftitles/touch/heston.shtml Behind the Scenes with Charlton Heston], Charlton Heston's account of the production of ''Touch of Evil''.
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/film.php?filmid=2054 Literature on ''Touch of Evil'']

{{Orson Welles}}
{{Albert Zugsmith}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1958 crime films]]
[[Category:1950s mystery films]]
[[Category:1950s psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:1958 films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American mystery films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:Film noir]]
[[Category:Films about kidnapping]]
[[Category:Films about murderers]]
[[Category:Films about police misconduct]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Orson Welles]]
[[Category:Films scored by Henry Mancini]]
[[Category:Films set in Mexico]]
[[Category:Films set in the United States]]
[[Category:Films set in Tijuana]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Orson Welles]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about honeymoons]]
[[Category:1950s American films]]
[[Category:Whitewashing in film]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]
[[Category:English-language mystery films]]
[[Category:English-language thriller films]]