Touch of Evil
“The strangest vengeance ever planned!”
Synopsis
A border-town bombing draws Mexican investigator Miguel Vargas into a corruption-ridden police investigation led by crooked captain Hank Quinlan, setting off a deadly struggle over power, justice, and truth.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Original 1958 TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-07-19
Top Cast
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Charlton Heston
Ramon Miguel Vargas
Janet Leigh
Susan 'Susie' Vargas
Orson Welles
Police Captain Hank Quinlan
Joseph Calleia
Police Sergeant Pete Menzies
Akim Tamiroff
'Uncle' Joe Grandi
Joanna Moore
Marcia Linnekar
Ray Collins
District Attorney Adair
Dennis Weaver
Mirador Motel Night Manager
Valentin de Vargas
Pancho
Mort Mills
Al Schwartz - District Attorney's Assistant
Victor Millan
Manelo Sanchez
Lalo Rios
Risto - Grandi's Nephew
Michael Sargent
Pretty Boy
Phil Harvey
Blaine
Joi Lansing
Zita
Harry Shannon
Chief Gould
Marlene Dietrich
Tana
Joseph Cotten
Coroner (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 30, 1958
Wide Cinema Exhibition
October 1, 2013
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$829K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
2.71x
+$1.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Profitable
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Orson Welles
- Screenplay & Story
- Orson Welles
- Original Score
- Henry Mancini
- Original Title
- Touch of Evil
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Spanish
- Runtime
- 1h 51m
- Production Budget
- $829K
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.2M
- Production Studios
- Universal International Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Orson Welles
Orson Welles, Whit Masterson
Henry Mancini
Russell Metty
Aaron Stell, Virgil W. Vogel
Albert Zugsmith
Department Leadership Roster
Albert Zugsmith
Producer
Henry Mancini
Original Music Composer
Orson Welles
Screenplay
Aaron Stell
Editor
Russell Metty
Director of Photography
Virgil W. Vogel
Editor
Orson Welles
Director
Bill Thomas
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Touch of Evil.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Touch of Evil.
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Flickbase Watchlist
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
S&S Critics - Greatest Films
Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2022 (Critics' Poll). Every decade the Sight and Sound team asks critics to name the greatest films of all time. Here are the results of the 2022 poll – the largest ever, with 1,639 critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics each submitting their top ten ballot - and now updated with the complete list. 《视与听》2022年影评人评选影史百大电影（含并列完整版）： 由 1639 位影评人、策展人及学者共同票选的影史最伟大电影。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#152] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#171] Out 1 (1971) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:37:09 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Touch of Evil
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Touch of Evil about?
A border-town bombing draws Mexican investigator Miguel Vargas into a corruption-ridden police investigation led by crooked captain Hank Quinlan, setting off a deadly struggle over power, justice, and truth.
Who directed Touch of Evil?
Touch of Evil was directed by Orson Welles.
Who stars in Touch of Evil?
The principal cast of Touch of Evil includes Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff.
When was Touch of Evil released and how long is it?
Touch of Evil was released in 1958 with a total runtime of 1h 51m.
What was the box office and production budget of Touch of Evil?
Touch of Evil had a reported production budget of $829K and grossed $2.2M at the worldwide box office (2.71 return on budget, classified as a commercial hit).
Who composed the musical score for Touch of Evil?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Touch of Evil was composed by Henry Mancini.
Is Touch of Evil based on a book or true story?
Touch of Evil is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Whit Masterson".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Touch of Evil?
Touch of Evil holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 12A (12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.).