Touch of Evil on Sunday Oct. 15 8 p.m. TCM

[Lincsong]

I've never seen this. It's on this coming Sunday. Starring Orson Welles and Charlton Heston. Who knows it? Who likes it?[huh]

 

[carebear]

I liked it. The initial long shot is amazing. Charleton Heston as a Mexican cop is yet another wonder of early Hollywood casting.

Orson Welles is creepy.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I know it. Ilike it. I've seen both versions of it. It's atmospheric and cynical. Dennis Weaver has a small role as a thin, jumpy clerk at the motel Janet Leigh unfortunately stays at (sounds like Norman Bates doesn't it? ) It is worth watching.

 

[carebear]

That's why I like to arm and train my womenfolk. I don't have to worry about that kind of thing so much.

 

[Feraud]

I like it. Story, cinematography, and casting (Yes casting!) are all top notch. I never paid mind to the complaints about Charlton Heston being cast as a Mexican. Charlton Heston was cast in the role, nuff said.
They call it the last Film Noir..

 

[carebear]

Oh, he does a great job, don't get me wrong.

 

[Feraud]

Oh, he does a great job, don't get me wrong.

Oh I was not commenting on your comment! I was just pointing out a frequent complaint about the film. I enjoy the film enough to overlook the makeup job they did on him.

 

[Lincsong]

Just a reminder; 8 p.m. eastern 5 p.m. pacific

 

[TM]

And filmed mostly in Venice, California.

Tony

 

[Tomasso]

Great Flick!

And, Janet Leigh is scrumptious. :essen:

 

[Roger]

I was watching Manchurian Candidate last night on the San Francisco PBS station. Janet Leigh was indeed quite a classy woman. Is she still alive? I remember seeing her a while back and even plus or minus 80 years she still was classy looking.

 

[Maxwell DeMille]

I worked with Orson Welles many years ago, and I remember one of the more interesting stories he told me at dinner one evening:

"I was invited to a dinner party during the shooting of Touch of Evil, and I was running late and did not have time to remove my makeup..."

"I was also wearing padding that made me look even heavier than I already was. When I arrived, my host told me in a most sincere, flattering tone 'My Orson, you're looking good'"

Orson shared quite a few stories about this and other movies, but this one came to mind.

Great movie and I'm glad the new DVD version is the one Orson wanted to make based on his notes. Universal's origianl theatrical release was an inferior version that caused Orson to the leave the USA and work in Europe.

Here's how Orson actually looked at the time:

 

[Feraud]

Maxwell DeMille, that is a great story!

Who watched Touch of Evil and what did you think?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I caught this as well and I liked it, not as much as "The Third Man" or "Citizen Kane," but I liked it. It is very atmospheric, especially with the jazz soundtrack, as many films of the age had. "Anatomy of a Murder" comes to mind.

Charleton Heston was very good at his role, deciding not to even affect a Mexican accent, but the film was so atmospheric, it all worked. Welles, of course, was amazing, playing a version of his future self!

I just hope that Robert Rodriquez doesn't buy the rights and decide to remake it.

 

[Feraud]

I just hope that Robert Rodriquez doesn't buy the rights and decide to remake it.

Oh no! You are scaring me with that talk! Do you know something we do not? I can imagine Rodriguez remaking Touch of Evil in his basement on a computer. The actors are working against green screens and never meet each other!
That would truly be the "touch of evil".

 

[DancingSweetie]

Many things weird about this movie: Charlton Heston with way too much brown make-up and no Mexican accent, leaving Janet Leigh in a creepy motel alone with that Dennis Weaver - no man would do that.

 

[Lincsong]

This was a good film.:eusa_doh: The version on TCM was the 1998 re-editing that had the single shot opening. I liked it. The casting was great. Akim Tamaroff with that awful looking rug on his head perfectly fit his character as a sleezeball.lol Charlton Heston looked like Vicente Fox.lol So that was Dennis Weaver as the night clerk? Who did Zsa Zsa Gabor play? and Marlene Dietrich? Was she the gypsy nut?

 

[DancingSweetie]

Zsa Zsa played the strip club owner.

 

[Lincsong]

OH I see now. There must have been other distractions in that scene.

 

[Lincsong]

Another part of the movie is that there were no opening credits. The movie started from the first clip. This is how Orson Welles wanted the movie to begin. A nice and unique format.