The Lady from Shanghai, a film noir starring Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth, arrived on 4K Ultra HD for the first time at the end of July 2024. The film is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio with side mattes and a DTS-MA HD soundtrack. The 4K UHD release includes a digital copy. However, the bonus features, including a 20-minute conversation with Peter Bogdanovich, are limited to the physical disc.

Irish sailor Michael O’Hara (Orson Welles) rescues Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth) from a mugging in Central Park and learns she and her husband, disabled attorney Arthur Bannister (Everett Sloane), have recently arrived from Shanghai. Michael, drawn to Elsa despite his misgivings, signs on as a seaman aboard Bannister’s yacht for their voyage to San Francisco, setting the stage for a tense mix of attraction and deception.

Onboard, Bannister’s partner George Grisby (Glenn Anders) hatches a scheme to fake his own death and frames Michael as the murderer. Michael, hoping to run away with Elsa, unwittingly becomes entangled in Grisby’s plot. The plan begins to unravel when private investigator Sydney Broome (Ted de Corsia) uncovers Grisby’s intentions, resulting in a violent confrontation.

As Grisby’s betrayal comes to light, Michael is arrested, and Bannister—acting as his attorney—attempts to secure his acquittal. Meanwhile, Michael and Elsa hide in a Chinatown theater, revealing that Elsa herself killed Grisby to protect her scheme. Michael begins to see the full extent of the intricate web of manipulation surrounding him.

The climax of The Lady from Shanghai unfolds in a hall of mirrors, where Elsa is mortally wounded and Bannister killed. Michael survives, cleared of any crimes, but devastated by Elsa’s death. Left haunted by love and betrayal, he contemplates whether he will live long enough to forget her—or die trying.

Welles adapted his script from Sherwood King’s novel If I Die Before I Wake. At a brisk 88 minutes, The Lady from Shanghai still lingers in memory thanks to its climactic shootout in the Magic Mirror Maze. Say what you will about the rest of the film—filmed in Welles’ typical style—the lensing and framing in that sequence are just unbelievable. One cinematographer is credited, but two others went uncredited; if I knew who to shout out for those final moments, believe me, I’d drop their name here. Shootouts in halls of mirrors have since become a cinematic trope, but this remains one of the earliest—and most dazzling—examples.

The Lady from Shanghai blends on-location shooting and soundstage work, with most location footage captured in San Francisco. The yacht featured in the film happened to belong to actor Errol Flynn. The film was one of the first Hollywood productions shot almost entirely on location—an approach that On the Waterfront would follow a few years later, much to Columbia president Harry Cohn’s dismay. Here, on-location filming adds a palpable authenticity; it simply wouldn’t have the same impact with rear projection.

Film noirs rarely have happy endings, but the Production Code ensured that wrongdoers received their comeuppance. Michael survives, alone, without the girl—contrary to my expectations when I pressed play. Welles and Hayworth were married at the time, though Columbia president Harry Cohn reportedly disliked Welles’ decision to cut and bleach Hayworth’s iconic red hair. The couple divorced shortly after The Lady from Shanghai’s release.

The Lady from Shanghai isn’t a typical film noir; it’s weirder and more bizarre than most, even with all the murders, plot twists, and remarkable camerawork. For everything it attempts, however, the gold standard of the genre remains Double Indemnity.

Bonus Features

• Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich
• A Conversation with Peter Bogdanovich
• Theatrical Trailer

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Orson Welles
CAST: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, with Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders, Ted de Corsia, Erskine Sanford, Gus Schilling, Carl Frank, Louis Merrill, Evelyn Ellis, Harry Shannon

Columbia Pictures released The Lady from Shanghai in theaters on April 14, 1948. Grade: 3.5/5

Please subscribe to Solzy on Buttondown and visit Dugout Dirt.