替電影公司拍攝《上海小姐》的同期，威爾斯以極低成本，獨立地開拍《金殿逃龍》，展開他的莎劇三部曲。威爾斯施展渾身解數，親自主演馬克白，又邀請昔日舞台劇、廣播界的兄弟姊妹參演這齣發生在11世紀蘇格蘭的宮庭悲劇。結果？結果超現實布景如同展現出蠻荒世界，刻意調教演員的演繹方式又超出常規，威爾斯再一次走在當時美國觀眾的能力範圍之前，令英美觀眾無所適從。但法國觀眾和影評成了他唯一的伯樂，對影片營造的原始氣氛感到力量滿注，再對威爾斯像夢遊上身的風格演出悲劇人物馬克白，紛紛擊掌以示佩服。
While shooting The Lady from Shanghai, Welles independently made the low-budget Macbeth with friends from his Mercury Theatre Company. This almost surrealist and unorthodox interpretation of the Shakespearean tragedy set in 11th Century Scotland had baffled the US and British audience at its initial release, but was a delight to the French crowd, who were mesmerised by its primal dramatic tension and Welles’ dreamlike performance.