The Spider Woman Strikes Back

Spider Woman Strikes Back, The (1946)

** (out of 4)

Rare and forgotten Universal horror film has a nurse going to a creepy house to take care of a blind woman. The blind woman actually has her sight and is poisoning cows so that she can run the farmers off. Sound dumb? It's actually very dumb and the title is quite misleading, although I guess they were trying to cash in on the Sherlock Holmes film. This is the type of film where you keep waiting for something to happen but it never does. The performances are all rather dry as is the direction but it does move at a nice pace making the 57-minutes go by very fast. Jack Pierce is credited as the makeup artist yet there's no makeup in the film!

Despite the title and the fact that Gale Sondegaard stars in both films this is not a sequel to the Sherlock Holmes movie "The Spider Woman". Brenda Joyce plays Jean Kinsley, a young woman who gains employment as a companion to the apparently blind Zenobia Dollard (Sondegaard). However Zenobia is a cunning mad scientist, who with the help of her creepy butler/assistant Mario (Rondo Hatton) is cultivating carnivorous plants in order to drive away the farmers off land that her family once owned. The film is well filmed, fast paced and has an eerie feel to it, helped by the musical score, however the plot is pretty daft and the fiery finale is a bit weak. But the most appealing thing for me is Rondo Hatton, one of the most recognisable classic horror stars. He suffered with a growth defect called acromegaly which resulted in enlargement of the facial bones, hands etc, and unlike Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, and so on he requited no make up to turn him into a "brute". Strikes Back was released after his tragic death.

Having read the other reviews of this movie, I am struck with the idea that people must have been expecting another Dracula or Frankenstein or The Black Cat. This movie is emblematic of dozens of B horror films of the period that were fun to watch but were hardly great art. It adds the distinction of great atmospherics: the "old dark house", the fabulously creepy Rondo Hatton, the deliciously evil Gale Sondegaard and the handsome, wholesome hero, Kirby Grant. Citizen Kane it ain't, but in the context of films like "Fog Island", "The 13th Guest", or "a Shriek in the Night" it was certainly more enjoyable. Plot wise, it incorporates elements of vampire flicks (blood sucking), wolf man flicks (rare plant research), and the good versus evil conflict within Rondo Hatton's character. Oscar material? Hardly, but great fun. Lighten up people!

It's hard to hate anything with Gale Sondergaard in it. This subpar Universal thriller is light on thrills or chills. It's not much fun either. It does move quickly, however. As I realized the film was reaching its climax I was surprised as I thought it had only been on maybe half an hour. Outside of Sondergaard and (visually, at least) Rondo Hatton, the cast is pretty forgettable. The script is riddled with holes, too. When the villain reveals their big master plan I guarantee you'll say "Wait, what? Really? But what about..." It's that kind of movie. Still, it's watchable enough. Fans of Universal's horror classics from this period will enjoy it more than most.

The classy Gale Sondergaard ("The Mark of Zorro") stars as Zenobia Dollard, a blind recluse who lives with a mute, hulking henchman named Mario (Rondo Hatton, "The Brute Man"). She goes through young female assistants quickly; perky, pretty Jean Kingsley (Brenda Joyce, "Pillow of Death") is the latest to offer her services. Zenobia turns out to be up to no good, with her schemes involving a greenhouse full of carnivorous, blood-sucking plants.

Although obviously a very minor genre picture from this era, with a less than stellar script, it still delivers its goods with efficiency, incorporating elements from various horror sub-genres and giving the distinctive Hatton a decent showcase as a "monster" with something of a conscience. The principal value lies with the cast. While some people may cringe seeing Ms. Sondergaard in this sort of fare, she does elevate it with her presence; she's deliciously evil. Joyce, the second actress of the sound era to play Jane in "Tarzan" movies, is appealing, as is Kirby Grant ('Sky King') as the nice guy rancher in love with her. Milburn Stone ('Gunsmoke') and Hobart Cavanaugh ("A Letter to Three Wives") round out the principal cast members.

Directed by Arthur Lubin ("The Incredible Mr. Limpet", 'Mister Ed') directs this fast-moving entertainment that may not be high art, but is NOT trying to be, either. It does just fine for people looking for a 40s B picture with a nice and trim run time (a mere 60 minutes in this case).

Six out of 10.