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Variety,
April 14, 1948
The Lady
from Shanghai (1948)
(Song)
Hollywood, April
10
Columbia release
of Orson Welles production, direction and screenplay by Welles.
Stars Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles; features Everett Sloane, Glenn
Anders. Based on novel by Sherwood King; camera, Charles Lawton,
Jr.; song, Allan Roberts, Doris Fisher; score, Heinz Roemheld; editor,
Viola Lawrence. Previewed April 8, ’48. Running time, 86 mins.
| Elsa
Bannister |
Rita Hayworth |
 |
| Michael
O’Hara |
Orson Welles |
| Arthur
Bannister |
Everett
Sloane |
| George
Grisby |
Glenn Anders |
| Sidney
Broome |
Ted De
Corsin |
| Judge |
Eskine
Sanford |
| Goldie |
Gus Schilling |
| District
Attorney |
Carl Frank |
| Jake |
Louis Merritt |
| Bessie |
Evelyn
Ellis |
| Cab
Driver |
Harry Shannon |
| Li |
Wong Show
Cong |
| Yacht
Captain |
Sam Nelson |
"The Lady
From Shanghai" is okay boxoffice. It’s exploitable and
has Rita Hayworth’s name for the marquees. Entertainment value
suffered from the striving for effect that features Orson Welles’
production, direction and scripting.
 Script
is wordy and full of holes which need the plug of taut story telling
and more forthright action. Rambling style used by Welles has occasional
flashes of imagination, particularly in the tricky backgrounds he
uses to unfold the yarn, but effects, while good on their own, are
distracting to the murder plot. Contributing to the stylized effect
stressed by Welles is the photography, which features artful compositions
entirely in keeping with the production mood.
Story tees off
in New York where Welles, as a philosophical Irish seaman, joins
the crew of a rich man’s luxury yacht. Schooner’s cruise
and stops along the Mexican coast en route to San Francisco, furnish
varied and interesting backdrops. Welles’ tries for effect
reach their peak with the staging of climatic (sic) chase sequences
in a Chinese theatre where performers are going through an Oriental
drama, and in the mirror room of an amusement park’s crazy
house. He has satirized human foibles in the courtroom scenes of
the murder trial, getting a sting into depicting justice and the
people who gather to watch human drama unfolded on the witness stand.
There’s
a complicated murder pattern involving Welles, Miss Hayworth, latter’s
husband, Everettt Sloane, and Glenn Anders, crazy law partner of
Sloane’s. Plot is often foggy of purpose and confusing to follow,
but apparently deals with Welles’ yen for Miss Hayworth. That
leads to his acceptance of scheme to stage a phony murder of Anders
which turns into a real killing, a trial and final, poetic justice
for the evildoers.
Welles has called
on players for stylized performances. He used an Irish brogue and
others depict erratic characters with little reality. Miss Hayworth
isn’t called on to do much more than look beautiful. Best break
for players goes to Sloane, and he gives a credible interpretation
of the crippled criminal attorney.
The excellent
lensing is by Charles Lawton, Jr., in the mood of Heinz Roemheld’s
music score. There’s also one song, "Please Don’t
Kiss Me", used in shipboard scene.
copyright
© 1948 Variety
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Rita
Hayworth was definitely wicked in this movie! The poster
shows yet another provocative pose by Hayworth, showing
why she was one of the favorite pin-up girls of the
time. Hayworth shocked moviegoers with this picture
by chopping off her long, lustrous locks and dying them
blonde. A year before this movie was filmed, Hayworth
divorced her co-star and director, Orson Welles.