The Lady from Shanghai

"I told you... you know nothing about wickedness"

Apr 14 1948 Approved 1h 27m
Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

A romantic drifter gets caught between a corrupt tycoon and his voluptuous wife.

Plot

Michael O'Hara, against his better judgement, hires on as a crew member of Arthur Bannister's yacht, sailing to San Francisco. They pick up Grisby, Bannister's law partner, en route. Bannister has a wife, Elsa, who seems to like Michael much better than she likes her husband. After they dock in Sausalito, Michael goes along with Grisby's weird plan to fake his (Grisby's) murder so he can disappear untailed. He wants the $5000 Grisby has offered, so he can run off with Elsa. But Grisby turns up actually murdered, and Michael gets blamed for it. Somebody set him up, but it is not clear who or how. Bannister (the actual murderer?) defends Michael in court.

Written by

Sherwood King, Orson Welles, Jean Arbuleau

Directed by

Orson Welles

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures, Mercury Productions

Languages

English

Awards

1 win

Scores
# of Votes
34,998
Average Rating
7.5 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA