The Lady from Shanghai

Culver City, CA: Columbia Pictures, 1947. Vintage reference photograph from the 1947 film, showing a blonde Rita Hayworth perched on the railing of Errol Flynn's yacht "Zaca," during filming on location in Mexico. Stamp of Columbia Pictures on the verso.

Director Orson Welles promised to write, produce, and direct a film for Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn in exchange for an emergency $55,000 to help finance costuming for his 1946 Broadway musical "Around the World." The resultant film, based on Raymond Sherwood King's 1938 novel "If I Die Before I Wake," courted controversy, not least due to Welles' decision to have Hayes cut and bleach her iconic red hair for her performance. Although the film was a commercial failure in the US upon release, it is now considered a touchstone of the noir genre.

Shot on location in Mexico.

8 x 10 inches. Very Good, lightly toned overall, with brief wear at the corners.

National Film Registry. Rosenbaum 1000. Selby US. Selby US Canon. Selby US Masterwork. Silver and Ward Classic Noir. Spicer US.

[Book #156253]