Baffling murders, fascinating plot twists and remarkable camera work all contribute to this spellbinding, time-honored film noir written, directed by and starring Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil). Hired to work on a yacht belonging to the disabled husband of femme fatale Rita Hayworth (Gilda, Separate Tables), Welles plays an innocent man drawn into a dangerous web of intrigue and murder. The subject of great controversy and scandal upon its initial release, The Lady from Shanghai shocked 1948 audiences by presenting Hayworth with her flaming red hair cut short and dyed champagne blonde. Decades later, The Lady from Shanghai is considered vintage Welles, his famous hall of mirrors climax hailed as one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history.

For thoughts on The Lady From Shanghai, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

Video Quality

The Lady From Shanghai comes to Blu-Ray thanks to Kino Classics with a 1080p transfer that looks really great. This film has previously been released on Blu-Ray through TCM and Mill Creek Entertainment, but both of those reportedly had issues with poor compression issues. Apparently, there was a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative some years back that served as the basis of these transfers, which is almost assuredly what is being used here. Even if these all stem from the same source, we can say with some degree of certainty that this new disc maximizes the potential of the source. The new transfer shows off a fabulous amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition.

Contrast is capably defined with almost no instances of flicker or density fluctuation in the print. Black levels are pretty deep with no obvious occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. There is an admirable amount of texture on the clothing and within the production design. Nicks and scratches have almost been eradicated completely, but you may still spot a few spots of slight intrusion. The natural film grain remains intact within the gorgeous black-and-white photography. Kino Classics has offered up their best for an old school stalwart.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a rock solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that delivers an admirable listening experience. This track shows almost no signs of age related wear and tear. The track can sound the slightest bit thin when it comes to its musical heights, but even this is not as prominent as some older feature films. The music does not overwhelm the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are balanced well with all competing elements so that everything has a chance to shine. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Kino Classics has delivered their typically excellent work.

Special Features

Audio Commentary #1: Film Historian Imogen Sara Smith provides the first new commentary track in which she discusses the odd nature of this movie due to studio interference, the off-kilter assemblage of the film, how this fits into the film noir genre, the battle between Orson Welles and Columbia, the conflicting lore over the idea behind the film, the freedom and budget Welles was afforded during production, the cinematography of the film and more.

Audio Commentary #2: Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas provides the second new commentary track which covers some of the same material with some unique insights that are well worth a listen. Lucas discusses details about the reshoots, Welles and his relationship with Rita Hayworth, how this compares to other works from Welles, the background of the creative figures, the original source material, and much more.

Audio Commentary #3: The late filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich provides the lone archival commentary track which is an embarrassment of riches as the filmmaker shares a different take on the film as someone who was very close to Orson Welles.

A Conversation with Peter Bogdanovich: A 21-minute conversation with Bogdanovich from 2000 in which he discusses the career of Orson Welles leading up to The Lady From Shanghai, his relationship with Rita Hayworth, the casting of the ensemble, the cursed nature of the production, the butchered nature of the film and more.

Comments by Eddie Muller: A three-part conversation with film noir expert Eddie Muller in which he offers background on how best to enjoy the film, the lore behind how the film came into existence, and how Orson Welles made the film succeed in spite of itself.

- Epic Noir Poem (2:34)

- Back Story (12:59)

- It’s Film Noir Distilled (4:52)

Trailers: The two-minute trailer for The Lady From Shanghai is provided here. There are trailers for The Stranger, Touch of Evil, Man In The Shadow and Separate Tables.

Final Thoughts

The Lady From Shanghai is a flawed but intriguing film which succeeds even in spite of the studio interference. The film has some mismatched styles and intentions as a piece of art, but there is a core value to the film which makes it very rewarding. Welles is strong both in front of and behind the camera, but Hayworth is the knockout here alongside some of the more talented ensemble members. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that shows off a great A/V presentation and a dazzling collection of special features. If you are a fan of anyone involved, be sure to snag this one. Recommended

The Lady From Shanghai will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on January 31, 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.