The Web *** (1947, Edmond O’Brien, Vincent Price, Ella Raines, William Bendix) – Classic Movie Review 5392

Director Michael Gordon’s fascinating 1947 film noir stars Vincent Price as a murdering, thieving industrialist who hires a lawyer (Edmond O’Brien) as his bodyguard and implicates him as the killer in the murder he’s committed.

This turns out to be a mistake, because O’Brien goes to a cop (William Bendix) in an effort to entrap Price.

Based on a story by Harry Kurnitz, this is a gripping, often exciting little thriller, with a sharp screenplay by William Bowers and Bertram Millhauser, a fast pace and tense atmosphere under Gordon’s direction, and busy acting from the good, offbeat cast.

Ella Raines plays Price’s secretary, the woman who loves the apparently unloveable O’Brien attorney character.

Also in the cast are Maria Palmer, John Abbott, Fritz Leiber, Howland Chamberlin, Tito Vuolo, Wilton Graff, Ed Begley, William Haade and Pierre Watkin.

It runs 87 minutes, is released by Universal, is shot in black and white by Irving Glassberg, is produced by Jerry Bresler and is scored by Hans J Salter.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5392

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