La veuve noire

Original title: Black Widow

1954
Approved
1h 35m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

3.4K

YOUR RATING

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

Play trailer2:32

1 Video

55 Photos

Film Noir Drama Mystery

An aspiring young writer insinuates herself into the life of a Broadway producer only to meet an unexpected fate.An aspiring young writer insinuates herself into the life of a Broadway producer only to meet an unexpected fate.An aspiring young writer insinuates herself into the life of a Broadway producer only to meet an unexpected fate.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

3.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:32

Trailer

Photos55

+ 49

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Nunnally Johnson originally offered the role played by Ginger Rogers to Tallulah Bankhead, who called the writer-producer and, in a 25-minute phone conversation, gave him her reasons for rejecting the role. Rogers turned the part down as well, but had a change of heart after Johnson sent her a letter asking her to reconsider, on the proviso that she could take the relatively minor role and make it into a star-turn.

Goofs
When the suicide note is discovered by the Denvers, it is lying, uncreased, on the table. Later, during questioning, the detective produces it, folded up, from his pocket. A cop would never mishandle and mutilate evidence that way.

Quotes
[opening narration]
Peter Denver: The Black Widow, deadliest of all spiders, earned its dark title through its deplorable practice of devouring its mate.

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

Connections
Featured in Ginger Rogers at Twentieth Century Fox (2007)

Soundtracks
Theme from 'Dance of the Seven Veils'
from "Salome"
by Richard Strauss
[Played occasionally throughout the picture]

User reviews72

Featured review

7/10

entertaining story, magnificent visual effects

"Black Widow" is a well-written, though old-style, entertaining mystery. The story is taken from a novel by Patrick Quentin, a sound mystery-writer.

However the essence of the movie lies in the magnificent cinemascope photography, colors and visual effects. Note that most scenes have in the background large windows or terraces wide-open on the spectacular, terrific New York sceneries. Even the furniture of the various apartments is carefully chosen and placed, with beautiful artistic effects. Outstanding is the brief scene inside the dark bar, with the costumers merged into a liquid light: an evident reminiscence of Edward Hopper's paintings.

Alas! All these visual beauties are seriously damaged, if not destroyed, by the TV version, which essentially shows just half of the screen.

The performances by all interpreters are generally good and professional. A major (personal) disappointment is that Gene Tierney does nothing. She's not even in the list of suspects, since she was thousands of miles away from New York during the whole murder affair. She just sits silently on the background, adding her incomparable beauty and natural refinement to the magnificent New York views. It should be added that George Raft seems completely out-of-role... but I'm too fond of this guy to be able to criticize him.

"Black Widow" is a good film; hopefully someone will be able to see it on the wide screen.