Black Widow (1954)

A young writer insinuates herself into the life of a Broadway producer.

Director:

Nunnally Johnson

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screen play), Hugh Wheeler (story) (as Patrick Quentin)

Stars:

Ginger Rogers, Van Heflin, Gene Tierney

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ginger Rogers	...	Carlotta 'Lottie' Marin
Van Heflin	...	Peter Denver
Gene Tierney	...	Iris Denver
George Raft	...	Detective Lt. C.A. Bruce
Peggy Ann Garner	...	Nancy 'Nanny' Ordway
Reginald Gardiner	...	Brian Mullen
Virginia Leith	...	Claire Amberly
Otto Kruger	...	Gordon Ling
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Lucia Colletti
Skip Homeier	...	John Amberly
Hilda Simms	...	Anne

Storyline

A married Broadway producer is taken with an innocent young woman who wants to be a writer and make it on Broadway. He decides to take her under his wing, but it's not long before the young lady is found dead in his apartment. At first thought to be a suicide, it is later discovered that she has been murdered, and suspicion immediately falls on the producer. He begins his own investigation in order to clear his name, and one of the first things he finds out is that the young woman wasn't quite as naive and innocent as she appeared to be.

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Plot Keywords:

film noir in color | broadway producer | greenwich village manhattan new york city | suspicious wife | stage actress | 

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Taglines:

One of them will kill her tonight! and your guess is as good as ours!

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Maggie McNamara originally announced for the role played by Peggy Ann Garner.

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Goofs

The apartment of Lottie and Brian is frequently mentioned as "above" the apartment of Peter and Iris. At one point they even tell the police that they are "identical" except that Lottie's apartment has a terrace. The apartments do indeed look alike, but it doesn't seem likely that a terrace that large would be cantilevered out over the floors below. It would make sense the other way around.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Peter Denver: I hope you find your mother better, honey.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown over the background of a spider web made by a black widow.

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Connections

References The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

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Soundtracks

I Know Why (and So Do You)
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played when Peter arrives at Lottie's party

User Reviews

glossy '50s mystery

Van Heflin is a theatrical producer who's suspected of murder in "Black Widow," a 1954 20th Century Fox Technicolor film directed by Nunnally Johnson. The film is set in New York among the sophisticated Broadway set, and the cast is full of familiar faces: Ginger Rogers, Gene Tierney, George Raft, Reginald Gardiner, Peggy Ann Garner, Virginia Leith, Otto Kruger, Mabel Albertson, and even Aaron Spelling.

Garner plays a young writer who, new to New York, keeps making increasingly important friends until she winds up an apparent suicide in the apartment of producer Peter Denver and his beautiful actress wife, Lottie. Soon, however, it's revealed that she was murdered, and Heflin is the prime suspect. During his own investigation as he tries to keep George Raft from putting him in prison, he learns that the sweet young thing may have been young, but she wasn't sweet.

Though a little slow at times, this is a highly entertaining film with its shots of New York and panoramic views from luxury apartments. The acting is wonderful. Ginger Rogers is great as the glamorous, acid-tongued Iris, a well-known actress with a ne'er do well husband, played effectively by Gardiner. Gene Tierney looks lovely but has a supporting role in this as Heflin's wife. The film sports two former child actors: Peggy Ann Garner as the murder victim and Skip Homeier as one of her love interests. Newcomer Virginia Leith is Homeier's sister and Garner's confidante. Garner looks appropriately innocent.

The looping in this film is very obvious for some reason - at least on television, some of the sound was fuzzy and then boom! the dubbing would come in. A very minor point. The mystery is intriguing, the glamor high, the dialogue sharp - an engrossing way to spend one's time.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 March 1955 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Black Widow

Filming Locations:

West 24th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,095,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1