Mexican special prosecutor Miguel Vargas, who is honeymooning in town with his new American wife Susie, takes an interest in the investigation, which is being conducted by veteran police captain Hank Quinlan and his devoted, admiring, fanatically loyal assistant, Pete Menzies.

Vargas, who had accidentally knocked over the shoe-box a few minutes earlier and found it empty, accuses Quinlan of planting the dynamite, and begins to suspect that many of his previous convictions were similarly tainted.

In March 1956, the mystery novel Badge of Evil was released to generally favorable reviews and its sales were brisk, with two printings in hardcover.

Edward Muhl, the head of production of Universal-International, believed the novel had cinematic possibilities and arranged to purchase the film rights through the literary agency Curtis Brown.

[9] By April 1956, the Los Angeles Times reported that the film rights had been acquired and that Albert Zugsmith (known as the "King of the Bs") had been tapped as producer.

By December 1956, Zugsmith had received a memo from Universal executive Mel Tucker inquiring about the development of Badge of Evil and suggested the possibility of casting Charlton Heston as the lead.

His two main contributions dealt with his thematic element of American racism and his decision to shift narrative points of view.

Welles renamed the protagonist from Mitch Holt to Miguel Vargas,[21] stating he made the character a Mexican "for political reasons.

Before her agent had notified her of the casting, Welles contacted Leigh via telegram stating how delighted he was to work with her on Badge of Evil.

'"[30] Joseph Calleia was cast as Quinlan's longtime partner Pete Menzies, giving Welles an opportunity to work with an actor he had long admired.

[31]: 298 "Even among these performers, one man's sincerity stands out," wrote George E. Turner, film historian and editor of The American Cinematographer.

Informed of this by Vogel, Welles was angered, resulting in Universal post-production head Ernest Nims cancelling the screening.

At this point, Vogel agreed to step down, and Nims appointed Aaron Stell, another Universal staff editor, to finish the film.

[45] On his own, Stell constantly changed the editing sequence, providing different interpretations of multiple scenes in which he altered the continuity.

Throughout the editing process, Stell was never satisfied, and at the end of his tenure, he stated he had grown "ill, depressed and unhappy with the studio's impatience.

Welles wrote a memorandum as a critique of Nim's revisions, and shortly after, he left for Louisiana to appear in Martin Ritt's The Long, Hot Summer (1958).

[53] For the re-shoots, Clifford Stine had replaced Metty as the film's cinematographer while new dialogue had been written by Franklin Coen, a staff scriptwriter for Universal.

Another scene was shot in which Quinlan's car meets Vargas's en route to the motel, in which an uncredited actor doubles for Welles.

"[53] On December 5, 1957, having been screened a new cut, Welles presented a 58-page memorandum addressed to Muhl, detailing what he thought needed to be done to make the film work.

"[58] In February 1958, Touch of Evil was attached in a double bill with The Female Animal, starring Hedy Lamarr,[59] which was also produced by Albert Zugsmith and directed by Harry Keller.

[57] Howard Thompson of The New York Times wrote "...while good versus evil remains the text, the lasting impression of this film is effect rather than substance, hence its real worth."

Using a superlative camera (manned by Russell Metty) like a black-snake whip, he lashes the action right into the spectator's eye.

Touch of Evil is underkeyed, underlighted and undermonitored (for sound), but with the assistance of Russell Metty's marvelous mobile camera it charges ahead like the pure cinema it so often succeeds in being, complete with built-in stocks.

"[61] Harrison's Reports felt that Welles "has peopled the story with odd characterizations and, in an apparent effort to get away from routine picture-making, has made dramatic use of unusual photographic angles, shadows and lighting.

"[63] Dorothy Masters, reviewing for the New York Daily News, gave the film three stars out of four noting that the "Welles touch is manifest in a taut screen play, suspenseful presentation, stark backgrounds, off-beat camera angles and a weird assortment of characters.

"[1] Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "Touch of Evil is a savvy starter because Welles' astonishing cinematic invention and his persuasive presence as star are prime noir attractions.

The look, a deftly arranged climate of odd shadows and angles, neon lighting and flawlessly choreographed action scenes, keeps interest piqued through a contrived plot and mannered acting.

[70] Kenneth Turan, reviewing for the Los Angeles Times, summarized the 1998 re-cut: "Photographed by Russell Metty, Touch of Evil is one of the standard-bearers for the kind of eye-catching, bravura camera work Welles favored.

[81] In June 1975, the American Film Institute, recognizing the historical value of the discovery, had submitted a duplicated negative to the Library of Congress for preservation.

Rick Schmidlin produced the 1998 edit, which had a limited but successful theatrical release (again by Universal) and was subsequently made available on DVD.