Rent The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
3.8 of 5 from 126 ratings
1h 24min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Hired to work on a yacht belonging to the disabled husband of femme fatale Rita Hayworth, Welles plays an innocent man drawn into a dangerous web of intrigue and murder.
- Actors:
- Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders, Ted de Corsia, Erskine Sanford, Gus Schilling, Carl Frank, Louis Merrill, Evelyn Ellis, Harry Shannon, William Alland, Jessie Arnold, Wong Artarne, Jack Baxley, Steve Benton, Vernon Cansino, Doris Chan, George Chirello, Wong Chung
- Directors:
- Orson Welles
- Producers:
- Orson Welles
- Writers:
- Sherwood King, Orson Welles, William Castle, Charles Lederer, Fletcher Markle
- Studio:
- Columbia Tristar
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- A Brief History of Cinema Afloat: Part 3, Getting to Know: Marilyn Monroe, The Biggest Oscar Snubs: Part 1, The Cinema Paradiso Kissing Montage
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 24/04/2017
- Run Time:
- 87 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles:
- None
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.37:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- Audio commentary with filmmaker and Welles expert Peter Bogdanovich
- Simon Callow on 'The Lady from Shanghai' (2017, 22 mins): anew filmed appreciation by the acclaimed actor and Welles scholar
- An Interview with Rita Hayworth (1970, 4 mins): an archival interview filmed for the French TV programme Pour le cinema
- Image Gallery
- A Discussion with Peter Bogdanovich (2000, 21 mins): the renowned filmmaker and author talks about Welles and The Lady from Shanghai
- Joe Dante trailer commentary (2013, 3 mins): a short critical appreciation Image gallery: extensive on-set and promotional photography
- Original Theatrical Trailer
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Reviews (2) of The Lady from Shanghai
Killing you is like killing myself... - The Lady from Shanghai review by Steve
Another film by Welles that ran into production problems because the studio didn't know what the hell he was up to. And yet again it's hard to understand what was their problem. Welles transformed unremarkable pulp fiction with his wit and sensational visual imagination. And he also added a massively enjoyable contribution as the loquacious fall guy, calamitously beguiled by Rita Hayworth's luminous femme fatale. The only real lull is the period when the film runs through the incidents of its source novel.
Hayworth who had her trademark red hair cut and bleached for this film (to the studio's dismay), is breathtaking in close up, particularly in singing Please Don't Kiss Me, and is subdued and enigmatic to great effect.
The dizzy, disorientating expressionist finale in an amusement park including the shoot out in the Hall of Mirrors is cinema legend, peaking with its brilliant, sardonic final line: 'Killing you is like killing myself. It's the same thing. But, you know, I'm pretty tired of both of us'.
The script is darkly poetic, full of contrary philosophy: 'I never make my mind up about anything until it's over and done with'; and often hilarious. The curiously distorted support performances are fascinating. Its location shooting (rare at the time) in Acapulco, New York and San Francisco is piquant. And the divorcing Welles and Hayworth share great chemistry together.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
A spider's web for all - The Lady from Shanghai review by MM
Brilliant performances from all the lead actors. Rita Hayworth is a true natural as the femme fatale. A clever and captivating film from a bygone era.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.