Movies at Mechanics' Presents: The Lady From Shanghai (1947)

An Irish sailor and an attorney's wife become enmeshed in the web of intrigue, in Orson Welles’s breathtaking The Lady From Shanghai. This steamy noir thriller is hypnotic and visually stimulating, a prime example of what Welles could do with a camera. It is shot partially in San Francisco, featuring one of the most memorable scenes Welles ever created (the “Hall of Mirrors” sequence at Playland at the Beach), as well as location shots in Chinatown and at the Steinhart Aquarium.

By the time The Lady From Shanghai began production, Welles was in a poor financial state. A string of failures had left him in serious debt, and without the resources to pay it off. He also struggled in his private life, as his marriage to Rita Hayworth was falling apart. In dire straits, he called Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia Pictures, and asked to make an adaptation of If I Die Before I Wake, a novella by Sherwood King, in exchange for immediate payment upfront. Cohn agreed, and the project became The Lady From Shanghai.

Rita Hayworth was the biggest star on the Columbia lot, but given Welles’s relationship with his wife, he had no intention of casting her in The Lady From Shanghai. Harry Cohn, however, suggested her as the female lead. Hayworth was at the peak of her career and an enormous asset to Columbia. Welles continued to demur, but upon learning of the opportunity, Hayworth herself specifically requested to be involved. She believed she could do it, and thought it could save her beleaguered marriage. Welles finally cast Hayworth, and the two enjoyed an excellent professional relationship on the set.

The Lady From Shanghai took six weeks to film. Welles asked Hayworth to cut her long, signature red hair into a bob, and dye it platinum blonde to better conform to the spirit of her character. Back in the studio office, this change infuriated Harry Cohn. Perhaps in an act of revenge, Cohn mutilated the final cut of The Lady From Shanghai. A full hour of footage was left on the cutting room floor. In spite of Cohn’s destruction, The Lady From Shanghai remains a masterpiece of noir cinema, frequently cited as among the best in both the Hayworth and Welles filmographies. Though Hayworth and Welles divorced before the film’s release, the experience filming The Lady From Shanghai softened their relationship, and they remained friends for the rest of their lives.

We look forward to welcoming you at Movies at Mechanics’ for The Lady From Shanghai, as we pay tribute to San Francisco in the movies all month long. Join us early for popcorn and snacks, and enjoy vintage newsreels, commercials and clips during our pre-show entertainment!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Movies at Mechanics' has welcomed film enthusiasts for classic cinema screenings and salons on Friday evenings for over 20 years. Join us for fresh popcorn, lively discourse, and your favorite films the first three Fridays of the month. Hosted by Lara Gabrielle, film writer and author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies.

“Author Gabrielle has given us a gift: an honest biography of a woman whose life and career have long been misunderstood. . . .  In short, this is the book Marion Davies has always deserved.”-Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian

Members: $5

Non-Members: $10