If you happen to be someone who enjoys watching classic crime drama films, then we suggest you watch Touch of Evil by Orson Welles. Follow this article to learn more about this amazing film and also find out where was Touch of Evil filmed.
Touch of Evil is an American crime drama that was released in the fourth week of April 1958. This riveting crime thriller was directed by Orson Welles, while Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh featured in the lead roles.
You’d be amazed to know that, apart from directing this crime-noir film, Orson also pitched in as a screenwriter and appeared briefly in a cameo role. The story of Touch of Evil is about a gruesome murder that takes place near the Mexico border. The plot thickens when the corrupt officials try to save the perpetrators instead of bringing them to justice.
The makers were satisfied with the overall commercial performance of Touch of Evil. This unconventional movie won 8 major awards and collected several nominations over the years.
Are you intrigued to find out more about this award-winning crime drama? Then without waiting any more, let’s discuss where was Touch of Evil films.
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Where Was Touch Of Evil Filmed? Let’s Know This Crime Drama Film Closely!
Before Orson selected the filming locations for this film, he invested most of his time in making the storyline much more intriguing for the audience.
The story was actually adapted from Whit Matterson’s crime novel, Badge of Evil, which was published 2 years prior to Touch of Evil. So after Orson successfully secured the shooting rights from Matterson, he began working on the script.
However, after Franklin Coen joined this project as a co-screenwriter, Orson also convinced Whit Matterson to join this project as a screenplay writer as well. As soon as the script was adjusted, he started looking for actors, according to Orson.
After several rounds of auditioning, Orson was able to select Charlton and Janet for the lead roles. However, he couldn’t find any suitable actor who could play a vital supporting character in this film.
Thus after conferring with other creative heads of his team, Orson finally decided to play the role and surprise the audience.
While the auditioning process was on, the production members were scouting for ideal filming locations in and around the state of New Mexico. But since they couldn’t find the perfect filming locations in New Mexico, which matched the director’s description, they decided to return to California.
Orson then instructed his team to scout for shooting locations in and around the state of California instead. Thankfully, within a couple of weeks, the filming crew was able to locate a number of ideal shooting spots in and around the same state.
Orson checked the list and then asked his crew to commence shooting. The principal photography of Touch of Evil began in the third week of February 1957 and continued till the month of April.
Even though the story of Touch of Evil is set in the border state of New Mexico, none of the sequences of the movie were actually filmed there. The entire shooting of Touch of Evil took place in and around the state of California.
The majority of the outdoor scenes were shot in Los Angeles County, whereas some minor sequences of the movie were also filmed in Universal City and Palmdale.
The entire filming process of Touch of Evil lasted one and a half months. Since the production members only had to film in and around the state of California, they were able to save a lot of time.
Plus, the fact that they managed to arrange the logistics in advance also contributed to keeping the shooting schedule unchanged.
Okay, so let us take a closer look at where Touch of Evil was filmed.
California | USA
The movie’s opening sequence, where we see the female lead for the first time, was filmed in California. The production members used a medium-sized house located on the outskirts of Venice, Los Angeles, to capture this interior scene.
Other pivotal scenes appearing in the movie’s first half were captured near 10-23 Windward Avenue, Venice, Los Angeles.
After these scenes were shot, the production members moved to a beautiful filming site located near Ocean Front Walk, Venice. The exterior shots of the border shown in the movie were actually filmed around this area.
After filming the movie’s ending scene near Pacific Avenue and Lighthouse Street, Venice, the production members moved to Universal City. The remaining interior shots were then captured inside Universal Studios, located at 100 Universal City Plaza.
Ok, so these were the main filming locations that were used in the making of Touch of Evil. Now that we’ve covered all of them let me give you an overview of Touch of Evil. Meanwhile, you can also read District 9, How to get Netflix on Sky Q, and Edens Zero Anime.
Plot Of Touch Of Evil | What’s It About
The story of Touch of Evil is about a gruesome murder that takes place near the US-Mexico border. At the very beginning of the film, the character of Miguel Vargas starts investigating a homicide case.
As the story progresses, the lead actor finds some shocking links, which are closely connected to the case, and begins to pursue them. Soon enough, Miguel ends up finding the main culprit, however, he is surprised to see other high-ranking officials in the same gang.
Watch Touch of Evil and find out how a diligent Mexican detective is finally able to solve a complex homicide case.
Final Words
Alright, so we’ve reached the end of this article. But if you still have any questions regarding where was Touch of Evil filmed, let us know in the comments section below. We’d be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.
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