Passione che uccide

My wife and I visited our vintage DVD store at Camden Lock, north London the other day, for my Easter 2014 treat which was to buy some more dvds for my collection of mainly 1940s & 50s film dramas.I am thinking now of promoting the lovely Ella Raines to one of my favourite screen goddesses after seeing "The Web"(1947).By the way, I especially collect Margaret Lockwood, Vivien Leigh, Jean Simmons,Gene Tierney,Jennifer Jones, Ava Gardner & Hedy Lamarr films.So far I have "Impact" (1949), "La Dama Desconocida","Tall in the Saddle","The Suspect" all from (1944) and now I have "The Web" (1947).

Ella always brilliantly and naturally plays the true American heroine in her movies and she has the most engaging smile which melts my heart whenever I see her act on screen.I will definitely look out for more vintage movies of Ella.As to the film I award it 7/10 as it is well written with a fine cast which includes arch horror actor Vincent Price as a youngish actor.I do not see Edmund O'Brian as a particularly romantic lead however.There are a few "red herrings" in the script but the viewer soon ascertains who is the true villain.I believe the complete film is now available on www.youtube.com

I saw this on AMC one night and loved it. One of the best things Vincent Price ever did. Nice twists and turns, great performances. A real underrated gem. Edmund O'Brien and William Bendix give wonderful performances. This movie is hard to track down. Try and seek it out.

The Web is directed by Michael Gordon and collectively written by William Bowers, Bertram Millhauser and Harry Kurnitz. It stars Edmond O'Brien, Ella Raines, William Bendix and Vincent Price. Music is by Hans J. Salter and cinematography by Irving Glassberg.

A good and solid film noir from one of the golden years of the film making style. Plot pitches O'Brien as a small time lawyer, who after impressing crafty businessman Vincent Price with his commitment to his work, gets hired as a minder since Price is worried about an old associate who has apparently issued a death threat. Sure enough all is not as it seems and before long O'Brien finds himself under scrutiny for the death of the associate.

The writing isn't great as per the twists and turns, they are all signposted and lit up in bold letters, yet this is a small complaint because the fun is in the characterisations and the scripted dialogue. O'Brien has the quips and bravado, Raines the sexy smoulder and Price the weasel machinations. Bendix as a good cop is a little too out in the periphery of things to truly impact on the narrative in the way his fans would like, but his scenes with O'Brien are a joy and sparkle with prickly sarcasm, while Gordon and Glassberg bring the film noir style via the requisite amount of shadow play and camera tilts (love those slats and balustrades).

Nifty noir tech credits cosy up with a likable hero, a sassy femme, a slimy villain and big bad Billy Bendix = Score! 7/10

Ella Raines was one of the best and most under-utilized actresses of the 40's. She was great in Phantom Lady and Tall In The Saddle, and is even better in the Web. And Bendix, O'Brien, and Price all equal her in excellence. But, the writing is the single most above-average thing about this all-but-forgotten little gem. It is exceedingly well[plotted, suspenseful, and surprising without ever seeming the least bit contrived. Mystery fans should track AMC carefully to be sure to catch this one next time around.

Vincent Price was my main attraction to The Web, and thank goodness I checked it out because it was a very good movie. Edmond O'Brien for my tastes is rather bland and the exterior set for the rendezvous is on the tacky side. Aside from that, The Web is very well made, stylish, atmospheric and sumptuous. The script is taut and exceptionally well-written, the direction is spirited and never lags and while the story is somewhat run-of-the-mill the fact that the film continually makes it interesting and intricate makes you not mind so much. Ella Raines is appropriately smart and elegant, while John Abbott is very creepy and William Bendix is great fun as the crafty police lieutenant who is not as dumb as he looks. But the film belongs to Vincent Price, suave and subtly menacing it is a role that he is perfect for and one that he plays the heck out of. All in all, a very well-done thriller that deserves to be better known. 8/10 Bethany Cox