The Scarlet Web (1954) User Reviews

The Women Take Charge

[boblipton · 5/10 · 3 December 2019]

Griffith Jones is released from prison. Waiting in a convertible is snazzy blonde Zena Marshall, who's looking for a man like him. Her husband is being blackmailed and she wants someone to break into the blackmailer's apartment and steal the incriminating letter. Here's fifty pounds and show up at our apartment later to discuss the details. Jones agrees, and then goes to the insurance agency he works for. He reports to his new boss, Hazel Court, where the loot he went into prison undercover to locate is, tells her to get his fingerprints and record erased before it becomes annoying, and kisses her.

When he gets to the meeting, Miss Marshall gives him a drink. He falls asleep and wakes to discover a dead brunette. He flees, investigates, and reports occasionally to Miss Court, mostly to flirt and inform the audience what is going on.

It's not a particularly deep B movie, but it moves at a good pace, with efficient direction by Charles Saunders and workmanlike black&white camerawork by Hone Glendinning -- I'm more used to his Technicolor work for James Fitzpatrick's TRAVELTALK series for MGM. There's little in this movie that will astonish anyone. It is simply another unassuming second feature that gets its story told in an hour. Good enough.

Truly bizarre.... But good

[swalbj86 · 7/10 · 27 December 2021]

Watched this on Talking Pictures. Pretty preposterous story, with some truly bizarre acting performances. It showcases two outstanding British beauties from the 50's British film world, Zena Marshall and Hazel Court.

I would watch this film again just for them alone.

Semi-serious British crime film

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 9 July 2016]

The one thing that separates THE SCARLET WEB from the mass of British B-movie crime films of the 1950s is the comedy. Now, I'm not sure whether it was intentional or not, however, this film is chock full of amusing one-liners and non-sequiters that are guaranteed to have viewers scratching their heads. It's awful, in a way, insofar as being very stilted and dated, and yet in a way, it's also oddly amusing.

The film stars the unremarkable Griffith Jones as an insurance investigator who comes out of prison having been there undercover and immediately falls into the arms of femme fatale Zena Marshall (DR. NO). Although she's very attractive, Marshall's overacting style makes her something of a laughable figure, so it's a relief when the tough Hazel Court shows up as Jones's boss and indulges in plenty of witty and not-so witty repartee with our stolid hero.

The plot is far from realistic and sees Jones framed for murder and subsequently pursued by the cops while he tries to catch those really responsible. There's not much mystery here and not much of anything really apart from some dated romance scenes and incessant shots of Jones climbing in and out of windows. However, Court is as lovely as ever, and you do get the likes of Ronnie Stevens and Michael Balfour in support; plus Molly Raynor steals her scenes as the acidic Miss Riggs.

British b-pic crime noir marred by unconvincing leads.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 7 December 2017]

An insurance investigator called Jake Winter (Griffith Jones) is lured into a trap by seductive blonde Laura Vane (Zena Marshall) who asks him to recover a blackmail letter from financial adviser Charles Dexter (Robert Percival). However, Jake finds himself being framed for the murder of the latter's wife and he teams up with his boss, the outgoing Susan Honeywell (Hazel Court), to clear his name. The pair discover that Laura is Dexter's lover and the pair hatched an elaborate plan to rid him of his wife and collect her life insurance, which is worth £50,000. Another murder follows and Susan nearly falls victim to the ruthless pair and Jake must play cat and mouse with the Yard whilst trying to save her life...

British b-pic crime noir that is marred by unconvincing performances from Jones and Court. Jones, in particular, plays a not particularly likable chap, the insurance investigator Jake Winter, who is arrogant, smug and we can easily see that he is the sort of guy who would fall for a scam like the one being perpetrated by Marshall and Percival and, therefore, it is hard to sympathise with his plight. It is also hard to accept that Hazel Court's character would fall in love with him either, but that is what happens as the plot unravels. The script by Doreen Montgomery is formulaic and the plot turns are quite predictable so don't expect any surprises here. But, director Charles Saunders directs with proficiency and his past experience as an editor appears to have served him well since he keeps the plot moving at a cracking pace and it never tires the audience. He succeeds in creating some film noirish images with his cinematographer Hone Glendining - the shots of the suburban Mews at night as Winter arrives at a witness's flat to stumble upon a murder victim are quite unsettling - and the location shots around London and the home counties are quite pleasant. The director whacks up some suspense at the climax where the killers attempt to murder Hazel Court by putting her head in a gas oven and Jones has to save her life whilst attempting to outrun the police at the same time.

Overall, the lead performances fail to convince and the plot offers no surprises, but it is still efficient (if not particularly inspiring) entertainment that does more than enough to keep an audience interested for the first half of the double bill.

Available on DVD paired with Henry Cass's The Crooked Sky.

Murder for profit

[jimjamjonny39 · 7/10 · 3 December 2022]

I was a bit unsure about watching this because I didn't want it to be just another 50s lamo. I'm glad to see that it was a well made B-movie. An insurance guy is released from prison after serving a short sentence. A hot blonde is looking for a fall guy so that she & (not) her married man can get away with murder and claim on the insurance. It's a good plot and they will only fall short if the man they're going to set up gets caught by the police. There's a lot going on here and it's well worth the investment in the hour it takes to see the conclusion. Griffith Jones Hazel Court & Zena Marshall head the cast in this wonderful short thriller.

Unintentionally funny crime drama

[last-picture-show · 5/10 · 30 December 2006]

This is a curious mix of drama and comedy which fails because the only funny parts are unintentionally so. I caught it on The Performance Channel one night when I was unable to sleep but after watching I was still awake trying to figure out the plot which just doesn't add up. The whole point of drugging Jake Winter (George W. Bush-lookalike Griffith Jones) and leaving him in the flat with the knife was to frame him for the murder of Mrs Dexter. But when Mr Dexter (Robert Percival) arrives home he finds only his dead wife (because Jake has come to and has climbed out of the window -- he does a lot of window hopping in the film!). So when the Police arrive they should surely suspect the husband because he found the body but they don't appear to suspect him at all, and even let him leave without questioning him. There's some terrific ham acting by Zena Marshall as vicious vamp Laura (check out her OTT silent movie-style posing when she's waiting anxiously for Jake to turn up), while Hazel Court as frosty (but soon thawed) insurance clerk Susan Honeywell has some truly appalling lines to deliver: 'Stop shouting at me and kindly take your hat off!' she yells at Griffith Jones. He doesn't fare much better: 'If you had informed the police they wouldn't know my fingerprints from Little Annie Rooney's!'. There are also some ludicrously long newspaper headlines eg: 'Husband returns from Paris to find Mrs Dexter dead in bedroom' and 'Jack Warren wanted for questioning in the murder of Mrs Dexter', the latter alongside not one but TWO photographs of the wanted man. But the (unintenionally) funniest part was when Jake Winter turns up at the mews flat of informant Simpson (Ronnie Stevens) and finds him hanging from the ceiling. We firstly see Simpson's feet dangling in mid air which is how we know he has been hung but check out when Jake cuts him down, he doesn't stand on a chair or table to do this but simply walks across to the rope and cuts it (rather too easily) at chest height suggesting that Simson was only two foot high. Hilarious! So watch this if you have an hour to spare and want a giggle but don't take it too seriously.

Hazel Court saves the day!

[JohnHowardReid · 5/10 · 19 March 2017]

Directed in a thoroughly dull and routine manner, save for a couple of trivial touches like the barkeep shaking the cocktail shaker in front of the camera, and a tiny tracking shot of Hazel Court entering the insurance office, this movie is also burdened with an equally dull and thoroughly uninteresting script that is literally bursting with unnecessary talk including needless explanations and boring recapitulations. Fortunately, this quota quickie is just saved from complete damnation by the charming and delightful presence of Hazel Court. True, even she can't manage her stupid dialog with any degree of credibility, but she is always attractively costumed and her vivacious over-acting is just the shot the picture needs - especially as the rest of the players, with the exception of Zena Marshall, are rather wet.

"Will You Step into My Parlour...?"

[richardchatten · 2/10 · 23 October 2019]

Even by the lax standards of the British 'B' picture of the fifties, this is a peculiarly slapdash affair; and the comical drawing accompanying the main title seems to go some way towards acknowledging the makers' predicament (your guess is as good as mine if the title ever actually meant anything).

Leading actor Griffith Jones seems far too old for such frivolous shenanigans, but the film does boast two glamorous female leads for the price of one: Zena Marshall as the glossy blonde femme fatale, and brunette Hazel Court, initially wearing enormous glasses which she of course soon discards. There's also an amusing cameo as a fierce little secretary by a New Zealand actress called Molly Raynor.

enjoyably bad

[malcolmgsw · 4/10 · 26 December 2006]

I finally caught up with this film a few days ago on Performance satellite channel and i have to say that my wait was worth while.This is screamingly funny and so cheaply made.For example the music used in this film is from the Pathe News library.It is played time and again at appropraite and inappropriate moments.Our hero has gone inside to trap a villain who was trying an insurance fraud.When he comes out,his boss at the insurance firm,Hazel Court,forgets to tell the police this vital piece of information,so that he is as real life crook. In one scene to avoid the police our hero goes out of Hazel Courts office by going out of the window some floors up.Now some directors would think this a good time to create some tension.But no we are told that he managed to get into a conference room.Yet there was no door leading to a conference room. Outside our heros flat a furtive figure is lurking around.When our hero drives off the odd character to give the police details of the car only he cannot remember all of the car number,and so it goes on.Try and watch it yourself and see if it is not worthy of nomination of one of the worst turkeys of all time.