The Spider Woman (1944)

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Bertram Millhauser (screenplay)
Arthur Conan Doyle (story)

Release Date:

21 January 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Here is crawling death sent to Sherlock Holmes by the most fiendish killer of all...

Plot:

Sherlock Holmes investigates a series of so-called "pajama suicides". He knows the female villain behind them is as cunning as Moriarty and as venomous as a spider.

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Pajamas | Sherlock Holmes | Spider | Casino

Cast

Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Doctor Watson
Gale Sondergaard	...	Adrea Spedding
Dennis Hoey	...	Inspector Lestrade
Vernon Downing	...	Norman Locke
Alec Craig	...	Henchman Radlik
Arthur Hohl	...	Adam Gilflower
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Hudson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sylvia Andrew	...	Charwoman (scenes deleted)
Marie De Becker	...	Charwoman (scenes deleted)
Jimmy Aubrey	...	News Vendor (uncredited)
Frank Benson	...	Toy Doll Attendant (uncredited)
Lydia Bilbrook	...	Susan (uncredited)
John Burton	...	Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Fred Garvin - Henchman on Roof (uncredited)
Teddy Infuhr	...	Larry (uncredited)
George Kirby	...	News Vendor (uncredited)
Stanley Logan	...	Robert (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Casino Patron (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Fortune Teller (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Casinl Patron (uncredited)
John Roche	...	Casino Croupier (uncredited)
Angelo Rossitto	...	Obongo - Pygmy (uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	Henchman Taylor (uncredited)
Arthur Stenning	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Donald Stuart	...	Artie - Shooting Gallery Attendant (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Casino Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy William Neill

Writing credits
Bertram Millhauser		(screenplay)
Arthur Conan Doyle		(story) (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Produced by
Roy William Neill	....	producer

Original Music by
Hans J. Salter		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles Van Enger		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William Austin

Art Direction by
John B. Goodman
Martin Obzina

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)
Edward R. Robinson		(as Edward Ray Robinson)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
Paul Neal	....	sound technician

Music Department
Hans J. Salter	....	musical director (as H.J. Salter)
Frank Skinner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• Associated Artists Productions (AAP) (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MPI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MPI Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman" - USA (review title)
"Sherlock Holmes in the Spider Woman" - USA (DVD title)

Runtime:

63 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #9470)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

At one point Holmes says to Watson, "If you ever see me getting too sure again, fancying myself more clever then Adrea Spedding, just whisper one word to me: pygmy." This line was inspired by the short story "The Adventure of the Yellow Face," in which Holmes tells Watson, "If it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper 'Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you."

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the impostor posing as Matthew Ordway knocks a terrarium of black widow spiders onto the floor and Watson reaches for the gun among them, Holmes shouts "Stop it, Watson! Those insects are deadly!" Spiders are not insects, and Holmes, having just revealed Ordway to be an impostor on the basis of the man's lack of knowledge about spiders, should know this.

Quotes:

Sherlock Holmes:[on the pyjama suicides] Directing them is one of the most fiendishly clever minds in all Europe today. I suspect a woman.
Dr. John H. Watson:You amaze me, Holmes. Why a woman?
Sherlock Holmes:Because the method, whatever it is, is particularly subtle and cruel. Feline, not canine.
Inspector Lestrade:Popycock. When a bloke does himself in, that's suicide.
Sherlock Holmes:Unless a bloke is driven to suicide; in that case it's murder.
Dr. John H. Watson:Driven? That *sounds* like a woman, doesn't it?
Sherlock Holmes:Definitley - a female Moriarty. Clever. Ruthless. And above all, cautious.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fade to Black (1980)

Very decent Holmes mystery

I'm becoming a huge fan of Universal's classic Sherlock Holmes series. The more of them I see, the more I enjoy the series and the more I am impressed by Basil Rathbone's excellent portrayal of the great literary detective. This mystery follows a mysterious series of suicides and it sees Holmes and his good friend Dr Watson at their best once again. While I wouldn't consider this entry in the series as one of the very best, it's certainly very good and anyone who likes this sort of thing will no doubt enjoy themselves. Really, though, Holmes could be investigating what makes steam come out of the kettle and it would be invigorating and exciting just thanks to the way that Basil Rathbone plays the man. The mannerisms, the voice and the screen presence of the great actor combine to create a fantastic representation of the eloquent detective and you really can't imagine anyone but Basil Rathbone playing Sherlock Holmes in these films. One problem with this entry in the series, however, is that it's very short at just an hour long and this ensures that the film can never really get it's teeth into the central mystery plot line, and it feels somewhat underdone because of this. However, this is made up for with some great sequences, most notably the one in which Doctor Watson meets an entomologist that Holmes has hired, which I say is the best scene in any Sherlock Holmes movie, ever. These sorts of films work because they're a lot of fun to watch, and this instalment is no different. If you like Sherlock Holmes mysteries; this isn't as good as the likes of Hound of the Baskervilles, The Scarlet Claw and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; but it stands up as an admirable entry into the series in it's own right!