Blu-ray Review - The Lady from Shanghai - Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

The Lady from Shanghai
Director: Orson Welles
Starring: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: March 17, 2015
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00S1VR62K
Running Time: 88 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time from Mill Creek Entertainment this coming Tuesday is the 1947 classic film noir The Lady from Shanghai. Orson Welles wrote, directed and stars in the film. Rita Hayworth, Everett Salone, Glenn Anders and Ted De Corsia co-starred. There are no extras of special features on the single-disc.

Based on the 1938 novel, If I Die Before I Wake, by Sherwood king, The Lady from Shanghai centers on an Irish sailor Michael O'Hara (played by Orson Welles), who becomes fascinated with a married woman, Elsa "Rosalie" Bannister (played by Rita Hayworth). Elsa's husband, Arthur Bannister (played by Everett Sloane), is a disabled criminal defense attorney. After meeting the blonde bombshell, he agrees to work on her husband’s yacht as a seaman.

While on the boat, Michael is approached by Bannister's partner, George Grisby (played by Glenn Anders), whom offers Michael $5,000 to murder him! George wants Michael to help fake his death. Since there will be no body, there is no way Michael can be convicted of the crime.

Michael agrees to help George as he wants to use the money to runaway with Elsa. On the night of the proposed "murder," Michael finds the real corpse of George. Somebody has already murdered him and Michael is the prime suspect.

After a quick conviction by a jury trial, Michael is on a race against time to find the real killer and clear his name of the crime.

Despite the fact that I consider myself a movie buff, I have never seen the classic Citizen Kane or any movie starring Orson Welles until I watched The Lady from Shanghai a few days ago. Surprisingly upon its original release, the film received mixed-reviews from critics, mostly attacking Rita Hayworth for cutting her famous red-flaming hair and bleaching it blonde; though over time the film has received a better reception and is now considered a classic by many. From the opening narration from Orson Welles to the final scene in the Magic Mirror Maze, I was sucked into this roller-coaster ride with twists & turns around every corner. While the plot is slightly thin, Orson Welles' amazing camera shots and great acting from the cast makes up for it. Overall, The Lady from Shanghai is a clever film noir that represents a time when Hollywood actually made original movies.