"Touch of Evil" classic film

Description

The 1958 film noir, “Touch of Evil,” starring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and Orson Welles, screens at the Soper Reese Theatre on Tuesday, July 11, at 1:00 and 6:00 pm. Entry to the film is by donation. Directed by Orson Welles, this dark and mysterious film is an artistically innovative and emotionally gripping portrayal of corruption and morally compromised obsessions, and is considered to be one of Welles best efforts. The story centers on a crooked police chief who frames a Mexican youth and a Mexican narcotics officer’s new American bride as part of an intricate criminal plot. The film is full of superb cameo performances by Dennis Weaver, Mercedes McCambridge, Marlene Dietrich, Akim Tamiroff and more. Russell Metty’s cinematography is classic film noir, with shadowy shots of foreboding alley ways and an audacious, uninterrupted crane tracking shot slowly covering four blocks of a seedy border town. The film’s backstory is just as interesting as the movie itself. “Touch of Evil” has undergone several cuts, beginning with the 95 minute version made in 1958, Welles’ original. However, the studios barred Welles from the cutting room and released a theatrical version of the film at 108 minutes without Welles approval. Based on a 58-page memo written by Welles after he was barred from post-production, a reconstructed version was released in 1998 at 111 minutes. The movie is sponsored by Sarah Jansen. Rated PG-13, in black and white, with run time of 1 hour 51 minutes (the reconstructed version). The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, 707-263-0577, soperreesetheatre.com.