The Black Widow (1947)

The Daily Clarion hires detective story writer Steve Colt to investigate the deaths of a group of scientists working on an atomic rocket development project. Behind the killings is fortune ... See full summary »

Directors:

Spencer Gordon Bennet, Fred C. Brannon

Writers:

Franklin Adreon (original screenplay), Basil Dickey (original screenplay),

Stars:

Bruce Edwards, Virginia Lee, Carol Forman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Edwards	...	Steve Colt
Virginia Lee	...	Joyce Winters (as Virginia Lindley)
Carol Forman	...	Sombra, The Black Widow
Anthony Warde	...	Nick Ward
Ramsay Ames	...	Ruth Dayton
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Dr. Z.V. Jaffa
Brother Theodore	...	Hitomu (as Theodore Gottlieb)
Virginia Carroll	...	Dr. Ann Curry [Chs. 6-7]
Gene Roth	...	John M. Walker - Newspaper Editor (as Gene Stutenroth)
Sam Flint	...	Prof. Henry Weston
Tom Steele	...	Bard [Ch. 1] / Jack [Ch. 8] / Blair [Ch. 12]
Dale Van Sickel	...	Bill [Ch. 4] / Hodges [Ch. 7] / Smith [Ch. 10] / Bass [Ch. 12-13]
LeRoy Mason	...	Dr. Godfrey [Ch. 5]
Forrest Taylor	...	Bradley (Gang Lawyer) [Ch. 10]
Ernie Adams	...	Blinky

Storyline

The Daily Clarion hires detective story writer Steve Colt to investigate the deaths of a group of scientists working on an atomic rocket development project. Behind the killings is fortune teller Sombra, a spy from an Asian country intent on world domination, who is determined to pilfer the atomic rocket by luring workers from the project to her parlor and killing them with black widow spider venom when they refuse to cooperate.

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Plot Keywords:

rocket | killing | detective | spy | fortune teller | 

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Taglines:

ATOMIC ENERGY SECRETS STOLEN! (original poster)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Musta hämähäkki, I osa

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$168,995 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 180 min (13 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapter Titles: 1. Deadly Prophecy 2. The Stolen Formula 3. Hidden Death 4. Peril in the Sky 5. The Spider's Lair 6. Glass Guillotine 7. Wheels of Death 8. False Information 9. The Spider's Venom 10.The Stolen Corpse 11.Death Dials a Number 12.The Talking Mirror 13.A Life for a Life

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Quotes

Steve Colt: When Ward destroyed the fingerprints and got away with Dr. Currie's handbag, he left us with no further clue to the Black Widow Gang. All we know is that the leader is definitely a foreigner, probably an Asiatic, certainly a woman.
Prof. Henry Weston: And an ingenuous woman - as deadly as the name implies.

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Connections

Edited into Sombra, the Spider Woman (1966)

User Reviews

Seemingly forgotten serial is better than it should be thanks to neat gadgets and a go for it attitude

Someone is killing off industrialists with a poison that is similar to the poison of a black widow. The person behind it is the evil Sombra, a woman who is using her fortune telling business as a front for blackmail and espionage. The Clarion Newspaper assigns one of its reporters to follow a well known mystery writer,Steve Colt, that they have hired to solve the crimes. Almost instantly the intrepid pair unknowingly stumbles upon the villainess and her band and 12 chapters of action follow as the bad guys try to stay away from the good guys. Mostly unknown serial is an enjoyable romp thanks to Republic caring enough not to completely do things by the book. Instead of the usual tricks and traps that Republic's serial makers would lapse into in the name of saving a few pennies you have things like the chair of death where a spider like device comes out of the back to stink you to death, or cars that change color with the flip of a dial. It's the equivalent to a really good B-movie that you stumble upon late at night that is completely gripping even though its something you've never heard of.(Regrettably this serial is also as forgettable in the same way its good but it doesn't linger in the brain as anything other than a vague memory- a "yea I saw that" until you put it on again and you realize how good it was). Recommended.