Amazon.co.uk Review: The finest of all "B" pictures, Orson Welles's Touch Of Evil (1958) is the story of a narcotics officer (Charlton Heston) who battles a corrupt police captain (Welles) during a murder investigation in a sordid Mexican border town. Responding to the director's request for colour, Henry Mancini wrote an eclectic, propulsive score combining traditional Mexican music and Latin rock. In evoking Welles's baroque, morally bankrupt world, the composer also employed instrumental rock-and-roll and Afro-Cuban rhythms ("Background To Murder") as part of his diverse palette. Though much of the score emanates from radios and jukeboxes, Mancini always ensures that the music is dramatically pointed. For example, an old Mexican waltz and a blues selection convey the end of the captain's innocence and his recollection of a simpler past. At other times, the composer is able to indulge his melodic gifts, the nostalgic theme for Tanya (Marlene Dietrich) being a case in point. A triumph of style, Mancini's score was also an important stepping stone in his career. His popular arrangements attracted the attention of Blake Edwards, who immediately hired Mancini to work on Peter Gunn, thereby launching one of the most prolific director/composer associations in film history. --Kevin Mulhall
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - "Orson, your future's all used up..."
Touch Of Evil is the greatest B-Movie of all time, made for a pitiful $895,000. The score however, is worth much more than that, providing more atmosphere than any of Orson Welles' quirky camera angles. 'Main Title' sets the scene perfectly, with a melody that sounds dangerous, seedy, and corrupt, encapsulating the film as a whole. Playing this with Russel Metty's treasured three-minute tracking shot complemented and enhanced the film, and made way for more musical (and visual) treats. Another favourite ... Read More
