it very hard to say just what be go on with the lady from shanghai and what the film could have be without studio interference . orson welles prime interest in film at this point be to raise money for his theater while indeed and fund his own project be what drive him to seek out act job . he make lady from shanghai for his soon to be ex wife and rita hayworth . harry cohn be fearful for rita image and hold back the release of this movie for one year . the plot concern an irish sailor and michael ohara and who fall in love with else ( hayworth and stun with short blond hair ) . her husband be a well know criminal attorney arthur bannister ( everett sloane ) who be as cripple on the inside a he be out . he hire ohara to work on his yacht and and there ohara be draw deep and deep into a web of murder and deceit . the lady from shanghai move at a snail pace and though i agree with one of the poster that film today be criticize for take time to build a plot . still and this movie drag . the scene in the fun house be fantastic welles want it without music and though and and i believe the studio cut it down . it a shame . the photography throughout be stun and atmospheric and bold and and very stylish . welles be an excellent actor and handsome in his youth and charismatic and possess a magnificent voice and technique and but in many film and it almost a if he doesn not trust himself or doesn not take the time to develop a character . instead he rely on external such a accent and fake nose . one of the only time he do not do this be tomorrow be forever and where the director get an excellent and deeply felt performance out of him . contrast that with compulsion where he show he be a master of pure technical acting a he phone in his performance . here well be do quadruple duty a director and star and co writer and narrator . sport a completely unnecessary accent and look intense be a fast way to a characterization . nevertheless and he be always compel . the supporting player be excellent and include sloan and glenn anders . hayworth and gorgeous and soft voiced ( her singing be again dub by anita elli ) be as usual a complete goddess and one of the great screen presence . what a sad life for such a vibrant beauty . any film that orson welles direct be worth see and and the lady from shanghai be no exception . but this one leave the viewer frustrate and a do the magnificent ambersons a do any work that well do within the studio system . he be a great artist who should have be give a freer reign while he wasn not . he be a strange dichotomy he need more freedom and but a be evidence by some of his late work and he need the structure of the studio . ala and he couldn not have both .