The_Film_That_Changed_My_Life

Touch of Evil
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Oz: Yeah, but you know the story behind that. Heston really was the one
who wanted Welles. And they wouldn’t do it without Heston, so he said,
“OK, I’ll do it, but Welles has to direct.” That was a good thing he did.
Oh yeah, but still . . .
Oz: It’s lousy that he’s a Mexican, lousy that a Mexican can’t play a Mexican,
but if they didn’t do it, there wouldn’t be a Touch of Evil, either.
How does he do?
Oz: Well, I don’t believe in him as Mexican for one second. I see some dark
makeup and that’s it. And some lousy Spanish. No, I don’t see him at all. I
think he is Charlton Heston and that’s what he is. I think he was courageous
at that time to push for Welles. As far as a Mexican, no, I didn’t believe him
for a second.
There are two different stories about Heston coming on to the project.
Universal wanted him for it, and they had told him that they had
cast Welles, but I interviewed Charlton a couple of years ago, and he
told me that he misunderstood. He thought that they had cast him as
the director.
Oz: The director, huh?
Playing on that ignorance they hurried up and called Orson right away
and offered him the job. It’s been recapped in a couple of different places.
Oz: Isn’t that something? You never know.
It turned out to be Orson’s last Hollywood film.
Oz: Yeah, and it’s certainly a B-movie, but it’s more than a B-movie to me.
It’s almost like an ode to B-movies. It’s just so extraordinary. I’m just amazed
by it every time I see it.
Heston said his favorite quote about the film is, “Touch of Evil is not a
great film. It is beyond question the best B-movie ever made.”
Oz: It was like a valentine to a B-movie, it was like an ode to the B-movie. It
was a very self-aware B-movie.