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The Lady from Shanghai ()

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Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.
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185 photos

Cast verified as complete

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Elsa Bannister
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Michael O'Hara
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Arthur Bannister
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George Grisby
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Sidney Broome (as Ted De Corsia)
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Judge
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Goldie
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District Attorney Galloway
Louis Merrill ...
Jake Bjornsen
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Bessie
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Cab Driver
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Reporter (uncredited)
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Schoolteacher at Aquarium / Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Wong Artarne ...
Ticket Taker (uncredited)
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Townswoman (uncredited)
Jack Baxley ...
Guard (uncredited)
Steve Benton ...
Policeman (uncredited)
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Sailor (uncredited)
Vernon Cansino ...
Man (uncredited)
Doris Chan ...
Chinese Girl (uncredited)
George Chirello ...
Man (uncredited)
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Li (uncredited)
Eddie Coke ...
Policeman (uncredited)
Tom Coleman ...
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Peter Cusanelli ...
Bartender (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
Edythe Elliott ...
Old Lady (uncredited)
Heenan Elliott ...
Guard (uncredited)
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Court Clerk (uncredited)
Charles Ferguson ...
Man in Courthouse (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman ...
Bailiff (uncredited)
Joseph Granby ...
Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Robert Gray ...
Reporter (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
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Spectator in Courtroom (uncredited)
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Truck Driver (uncredited)
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Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
Preston Lee ...
Chinese Man (uncredited)
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Chinese Woman (uncredited)
Billy Louie ...
Chinese Girl (uncredited)
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Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Mike Morelli ...
Sailor (uncredited)
Philip Morris ...
Port Steward / Officer Peters (uncredited)
Sam Nelson ...
Captain of Yacht Circe (uncredited)
Mary Newton ...
Reporter (uncredited)
Joe Palma ...
Cab Driver (uncredited)
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Guard (uncredited)
Gerald Pierce ...
Waiter (uncredited)
Joe Recht ...
Garage Attendant (uncredited)
Mabel Smaney ...
Woman (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
Theresa Testa ...
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey ...
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Policeman / Thug (uncredited)
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Old Woman (uncredited)
Eleanore Vogel ...
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Glen Walters ...
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Big Coke Drinker with Vest (uncredited)
Chalky Williams ...
Sailor (uncredited)
Richard Wilson ...
Assistant District Attorney (uncredited)
Jean Wong ...
Ticket Seller (uncredited)
Katherine Yorke ...
Pretty woman (uncredited)

Directed by

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Orson Welles ... (uncredited)

Written by

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Sherwood King ... (story based on a novel by)
 
Orson Welles ... (screenplay)
 
William Castle ... () (uncredited)
 
Charles Lederer ... () (uncredited)
 
Fletcher Markle ... () (uncredited)

Produced by

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William Castle ... associate producer
Harry Cohn ... executive producer (uncredited)
Orson Welles ... producer
Richard Wilson ... associate producer

Music by

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Heinz Roemheld ... (musical score)

Cinematography by

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Charles Lawton Jr. ... director of photography
Rudolph Maté ... (uncredited)
Joseph Walker ... (uncredited)

Editing by

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Viola Lawrence

Art Direction by

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Sturges Carne
Stephen Goosson ... (as Stephen Goossón)

Set Decoration by

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Wilbur Menefee ... (set decorations)
Herman N. Schoenbrun ... (set decorations) (as Herman Schoenbrun)

Costume Design by

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Jean Louis ... (gowns)

Makeup Department

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Clay Campbell ... makeup artist (uncredited)
Helen Hunt ... hair stylist (uncredited)
Robert J. Schiffer ... makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Sam Nelson ... assistant director
William Castle ... second unit director (uncredited)
Arthur Marks ... assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Lodge Cunningham ... sound recordist

Special Effects by

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Lawrence W. Butler ... special effects (uncredited)

Stunts

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Paul Baxley ... stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim ... stunts (uncredited)
Terry Wilson ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Donald Ray Cory ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Edward Cronenweth ... still photographer (uncredited)
Irving Klein ... camera operator (uncredited)
Richard H. Kline ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Don Murphy ... grip (uncredited)
Ned Scott ... still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Morris Stoloff ... musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Herschel Burke Gilbert ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Arthur Morton ... orchestrator (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Dorothy B. Cormack ... script supervisor (uncredited)
Virginia Van Upp ... story continuity (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Errol Flynn ... technical advisor: yacht scenes (uncredited)
Mary D. Mascari ... cast section (uncredited)
Nancy Saunders ... double: Rita Hayworth (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

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 John Oswalt

Plot Keywords
Taglines One who keeps his nature keeps his original nature in the end. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • If I Die Before I Wake (United States)
  • Take This Woman (United States)
  • Black Irish (United States)
  • The Girl from Shanghai (United States)
  • La dame de Shanghai (France)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 87 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $2,300,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United States $7,927, 30 Aug 1998

Did You Know?

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Trivia According to Orson Welles, this film grew out of an act of pure desperation. Welles, whose Mercury Theatre company produced a musical version of "Around the World in 80 Days," was in desperate need of money just before the Boston preview. Mere hours before the show was due to open, the costumes had been impounded and unless Welles could come up with $55,000 to pay outstanding debts, the performance would have to be canceled. Stumbling upon a copy of "If I Die Before I Wake," the novel upon which this film is based, Welles phoned Harry Cohn, instructing him to buy the rights to the novel and offering to write, direct and star in the film so long as Cohn would send $55,000 to Boston within two hours. The money arrived, and the production went on as planned. See more »
Goofs The narrator mentions they arrive back in San Francisco in early October, but in the document (prepared by Grisby) that Michael signs verifying his killing of Grisby, it is dated August 9th, supposedly the next day. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Une histoire seule (1989). See more »
Soundtracks Please Don't Kiss Me See more »
Crazy Credits There is no director credit. Welles' main credit reads "Screen Play and Production Orson Welles." See more »
Quotes Michael O'Hara: Maybe I'll live so long that I'll forget her. Maybe I'll die trying.
See more »
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