Touch of Evil (1958)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
The story
Along the U.S.–Mexico border, a time bomb placed inside a vehicle explodes, killing two people. Mexican special prosecutor Miguel Vargas, who is honeymooning in town with his new American wife Susie, takes an interest in the investigation. The case is being conducted by veteran police captain Hank Quinlan, a recovering alcoholic and anti-Mexican bigot, and his devoted assistant, Pete Menzies. Quinlan implicates a young Mexican man named Sanchez. However, when Vargas finds evidence suggesting Quinlan may have planted the dynamite, he begins to suspect that many of Quinlan's previous convictions were similarly tainted.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Along the U.S.–Mexico border, a time bomb kills two people, prompting Mexican prosecutor Miguel Vargas to investigate. The case is led by Captain Hank Quinlan, a bigoted recovering alcoholic with a prosthetic leg, and his loyal assistant Pete Menzies. Quinlan implicates a local man, Sanchez, but Vargas discovers evidence that Quinlan may have planted the dynamite himself. The situation escalates when a crime family leader, "Uncle" Joe Grandi, conspires with Quinlan to silence Vargas. Grandi's men inject Susie with heroin and lock her in a hotel room; Quinlan murders Grandi but leaves his cane behind. Susie is arrested for the murder, but Menzies finds the cane and realizes Quinlan's guilt. Vargas confronts Menzies, who agrees to wear a wire to expose Quinlan. Quinlan discovers the wire, shoots and mortally wounds Menzies, and attempts to kill Vargas, but is shot by the dying Menzies. Susie is exonerated, and it is revealed that Sanchez had actually confessed to the original bombing.
- First release year
- 1958
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Orson Welles
- Writers
- Orson Welles · screenplay; Paul Monash · script adaptation
- Cast and characters
- Charlton Heston · Miguel Vargas; Janet Leigh · Susie Vargas; Orson Welles · Hank Quinlan; Joseph Calleia · Pete Menzies; Akim Tamiroff · Manolo Sanchez; Marlene Dietrich · Marcia Linnekar; Zsa Zsa Gabor · Marcia Linnekar; Mercedes McCambridge · unspecified
- Genres
- film noir; crime; mystery; psychological thriller
- Themes
- racism; police corruption; addiction
- Tone and mood
- noir; expressionistic; atmospheric
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; mystery; thriller; border; police misconduct
- Source material / true-story basis
- Badge of Evil (1956) by Whit Masterson
- Content notes
- murder
- Reception
- Initially dismissed by critics, the film gained popularity in Europe and was later rehabilitated in the 1970s as a masterpiece of noir. It is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 99 · scale: 100 · review count: 22
- Awards and nominations
- top awards · Brussels World Film Festival · 1958 · win; International Critics Prize · Brussels World Film Festival · 1958 · win; awards · New York Film Critics Circle · 1998 · win; awards · Los Angeles Film Critics Association · 1998 · win; awards · National Society of Film Critics · 1998 · win
- Production trivia
- Orson Welles was forced off the film during post-production due to creative differences.; The film features a famous opening crane shot that runs almost three-and-a-half minutes.; The 1998 re-edit was based on a 58-page memo Welles wrote to outline his creative vision.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…