Two of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane cronies pop up in Touch of Evil. Local district attorney Ray Collins and cigar-smoking detective Joseph Cotten both appear in the opening moments of the film before Welles makes his grand entrance.

Look closely at Janet Leigh's left arm and you'll notice it seems to be frozen at a 135-degree angle. Shortly before reporting to the Touch of Evil set, she broke her arm in a fall. Orson Welles shot around her arm cast with very little effort. Welles also suffered from an injury he sustained on the set. He fell into one of Venice, California's canals one night, spraining his hand and foot.

Dennis Weaver originally turned down Orson Welles' offer to play the weird hotel manager. It was Charlton Heston's visit to the set of Gunsmoke, the immensely popular TV show that Weaver co-starred in, that convinced him to reconsider his hasty decision.

So delighted with his grotesque appearance, Orson Welles shocked his friends by arriving at dinner parties made up as Quinlan still.

One of Orson Welles' most famous influences, director John Ford, visited the Touch of Evil set to offer Orson a part in his new picture, The Last Hurrah (1958). However, the part ultimately went to Spencer Tracy.

The casting of Touch of Evil suggests some strange form of cultural schizophrenia: Anglo-American Charlton Heston and Russian-born Akim Tamiroff played Mexicans, while Maltese-born actor Joseph Calleia portrays an Anglo. Moreover, Hungarian Zsa Zsa Gabor is featured as the owner of an American strip joint, while German Marlene Dietrich portrays a dark gypsy who runs a brothel.

The famous opening shot of Touch of Evil was actually the last take of the film and one that required an entire night of rehearsal and filming. If you look closely, you can see dawn's early light barely visible in the background of the shot.

The bit player portraying the customs officer in the opening sequence kept blowing his two lines. Finally, Orson Welles said to him, "Let's do one more take, and this time don't worry about the lines. Just move your lips. But for God's sake don't say, 'I'm sorry Mr. Welles.'"

Touch of Evil was the fifth and last movie Welles directed in Hollywood.

Memorable Quotes from Touch of Evil

Vargas: This could be very bad for us.
Susan: For us?
Vargas: For Mexico, I mean.

Quinlan: Come on, read my future for me.
Tanya: You haven't got any.
Quinlan: What do you mean?
Tanya: Your future is all used up.

Vargas: This isn't the real Mexico. You know that. All border towns bring out the worst in a country. I can just imagine your mother's face if she could see our honeymoon hotel.

Vargas: Captain, you won't have any trouble with me.
Quinlan: You bet your sweet life I won't.

Vargas: How could you arrest me here? This is my country.
Quinlan: This is where you're gonna die.

Vargas: Listen, I'm no cop now. I'm a husband! What did you do with her? Where's my wife?

Menzies: You're a killer.
Quinlan: Partly. I'm a cop.
Menzies: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Drunk and crazy as you must have been when you strangled him. I guess you were somehow thinking of your wife, the way she was strangled.
Quinlan: I'm always thinking of her, drunk or sober. What else is there to think about, except my job, my dirty job?
Menzies: You didn't have to make it dirty.
Quinlan: I don't call it dirty. Look at the record, our record, partner. Huh?
Menzies: Sure, sure, sure.
Quinlan: Well? All those convictions.

Quinlan: I don't speak Mexican. Let's keep it in English, Vargas.
Vargas: That's alright with me. I'm sure he's just as unpleasant in any language.
Sanchez: Unpleasant? Strange. I've been told I have a very winning personality. The very best shoe clerk the store ever had.

Tanya: We're closed.
Quinlan: You've been cookin' at this hour?
Tanya: Just cleanin' up.
Quinlan: Have you forgotten your old friend, hmm?
Tanya: I told you we were closed.
Quinlan: I'm Hank Quinlan.
Tanya: I didn't recognize you. You should lay off those candy bars.
Quinlan: It's either the candy or the hooch. I must say, I wish it was your chili I was gettin' fat on. Anyway, you're sure lookin' good.
Tanya: You're a mess, honey.
Quinlan: Yeah. That pianola sure brings back memories.
Tanya: The customers go for it - it's so old, it's new. We got the television too. We run movies. What can I offer you?

Tanya: Isn't somebody gonna come and take him away?
Schwartz: Yeah, in just a few minutes. You really liked him didn't you?
Tanya: The cop did... the one who killed him... he loved him.
Schwartz: Well, Hank was a great detective alright.
Tanya: And a lousy cop.
Schwartz: Is that all you have to say for him?
Tanya: He was some kind of a man... What does it matter what you say about people?
Schwartz: Goodbye Tanya.
Tanya: Adios.

Vargas: A policeman's job is only easy in a police state.