The Lady from Shanghai (1947) Directed by
Orson Welles. Screenplay by
Orson Welles. Based on the novel by author
Sherwood King. Uncredited writers:
William Castle, Charles Lederer and
Fletcher Markle. Starring
Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Ted de Corsica, Erskine Sanford, Glenn Anders, Gus Schilling and
Carl Frank. With Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.Synopsis: Against his better judgment, Michael O’Hara signs on as a crew member of Arthur Bannister’s yacht which is sailing to San Francisco. En route, they pick up a man named Grisby; Bannister’s law partner. Bannister also has a wife, Rosalie, and who appears to like Michael more than her husband.After they dock in Sausalito, a strange plan is proposed by the law partner: namely; Grisby wants to fake his own murder so he can disappear without anyone trying to find him. Michael agrees to the scheme because he wants the $5000 Grisby has offered him – so he can run off with Rosalie. But when Grisby actually turns up murdered, Michael gets blamed for it. Somebody set him up, but it is not clear who or how…
Note: The yacht
Zaca (used in the film) was owned by actor
Errol Flynn, who skippered the yacht in between takes, and who can be glimpsed in the background during a scene filmed at a cantina in Acapulco.Twelve years later, in need of money,
Errol Flynn (accompanied by 17-year-old starlet
Beverly Aadland) flew to Canada in order to sell his yacht to a millionaire friend; stock promoter George Caldough.
Flynn suffered a heart attack and died in a West End apartment on October 9, 1959 in Vancouver. He was 50 years old.
