Black Widow (1954)
Written & Directed by Nunnally Johnson
If you think of a black widow as an actual widow, then the only black widow in this film is the spider in the opening sequence. On the other hand, if you think of a black widow as a creature that destroys its mate then maybe the metaphor works. But maybe the best description for the character of Nancy Ordway (Peggy Ann Garner) is that she’s like a stinkbug—her life and her death leave a smelly mess for everyone in her vicinity. But then, you title a movie Stink Bug and you’ll get a very different audience or no audience at all.
So, this film is a mystery where theatre producer Peter Denver (Van Heflin) is trying to clear his name in the murder of the aforementioned Nan Ordway, a small town girl who came to New York to try to make it as a writer. Poor, innocent Peter thinks nothing of letting Nancy use his apartment during the day while he’s at work. After all, he’s happily married to Iris Denver (Gene Tierney) who happens to be away visiting her mother. When Iris comes home there’s a dead young woman hanging in her bedroom. Peter, you’ve got some ‘splaining to do! And, as if dead girl in the bedroom wasn’t bad enough, it turns out she was…pregnant! Now Peter’s goose is really cooked. Of course, he should have known better, but Peter didn’t see trouble coming, and he couldn’t have guessed that Nancy Ordway would be that trouble. But Nancy clearly had a lot more going on than she admitted and if Peter had seen her coming he would have been in an entirely different position and in a different kind of trouble.
SPOILER ALERT: This movie has been around for over 50 years so if revealing the ending is a spoiler then you can just suck it up. There are more reasons to watch films than just plot and surprise. And if you really want to be surprised by every movie you see then get yourself a mallet and hit yourself on the head really hard—then every movie you’ve ever seen will still be new to you.
Turns out Peter really was innocent and that it was no coincidence that Nancy Ordway wanted to stay in his apartment. She was having an affair with Peter’s friend and neighbor Brian Mullen (Reginald Gardiner) who is married to the star of Peter’s current show, Lottie Marin (Ginger Rogers). Oh, these theatre folk—you know how slutty they can be, but they do get very jealous. Very jealous. Roaring tigress jealous.
And yes, it’s THAT Ginger Rogers. This is one of her finest performances. She plays a real tenacious dame here. If all you think of when you hear the name Ginger Rogers is of dancing with Fred Astaire, then you really need to see her in Black Widow.
And Van Heflin is no slouch, either. For that matter, neither is Gene Tierney. They make a good combo as the wronged wife and the wrongfully accused husband. If Van Heflin and Gene Tierney aren't enough to make you want to watch a movie, then you need to be tied to a chair and forced to watch TCM for a couple of weeks.
And if those folks aren't enough for you erstwhile fans of film, then let me introduce you to Mr. George Raft. And this time he plays a good guy. That’s right, the original film gangster plays a police detective in Black Widow. He’s a bit stiff, but no more so than any other ‘50s cop. If you don’t believe me, watch Dragnet.
And the rest of the supporting players are no less colorful. John Amberly, Nancy’s young suitor is played by Skip Homeier and his sister Claire (a hipster ‘50s artist) is played by the awesome Virginia Leith, who would later star in The Brain that Wouldn’t Die. (Leith should have gone on to become a big star, but that’s another story.) Hilda Simms puts in a good performance here as well, and you get bonus points if you can spot a young Aaron Spelling in the cast.
So, good performances, a decent story (at times a bit slow), and some old-timey Hollywood star-spotting aside, what other reason do you have to see Black Widow?
Color. I know this is called a film noir, but in rich glorious color. The scenic backdrops, the set design, the costumes—everything is vibrant. Speaking of which, check out the bustling exterior shots of New York City in the 1950s. This film is a page of history and so, even if it’s just to be transported back to a particular moment in time, it’s worth seeing.
Black Widow is a pretty good mystery and well worth the price of admission. There are more noir-y noirs in the Fox Film Noir collection, but that doesn’t mean you should skip this one.
Special Features
1. Commentary with Film Noir Historian Alan K. Rode
I always find the solo commentaries with film historians to be a bit like listening to a lecture--usually a bit drab. Rode is informative, if not exactly colorful. For the serious cinematic historian only. All others should find a cinematic historian friend with excellent raconteuristic abilities to digest this commentary and repeat some of its anecdotes with some more zest.
2. Ginger Rogers at Twentieth Century Fox
Robert Osborne, Charles Busch and others talk about Ginger Rogers’ post-Fred career at Fox.
Great scenes from Roxie Hart and Monkey Business. Nunnally Johnson originally wanted Tallulah Bankhead but for his trouble got a 25 minute collect call from Bankhead so he decided to go with Ginger Rogers, who turned it down but changed her mind after getting a telegram from Daryl Zanuck.
This is a nice short salute to Ginger Rogers.
3. Gene Tierney: Final Curtain for a Noir Icon
A short, sad story about a falling star. Gene Tierney was institutionalized and treated with electro-shock a year after Black Widow, (not because of the movie). But while her troubles are highlighted here, so is her remarkable career.
4. Interactive Pressbook
A collection of promotional materials that is of some interest to film historians, especially to see the kind of tidbits thrown out there to help hype up a film as well as the instructions for advertisers and suggestions for merchandising tie-ins.
5. Theatrical Trailer
Compares Peggy Ann Garner to a black widow spider killing its mate while the camera lingers on her.
The trailer shows off the star-studded cast and revels in the widescreen full color beauty of the film while showing off what it can of the drama.
6. Isolated Score Track
For people who like to watch movies and listen to music but don't want to be pestered with listening to people talk. You can do your own karaoke version of Black Widow this way.
7. Still Galleries
Now, this is what I call a bounty of special features. 5 collections of photos and art.
1. Production Stills
Some great color shots and a few B&W stills as well.
2. Behind The Scenes
If you were ever curious about what a studio film set looked like in 1954, this set of pictures gives you a great sampling.
3. Glamour Shots
I especially enjoyed the shots of actors in front of or behind spiders’ webs in this series.
4. Poster Art
The poster art for this film is classic. Someone Will Kill This Girl Tonight!!! The 3rd exclamation point lets you know that they mean business, though some of the other posters use only 2 or just 1 exclamation point. The main image for the poster is beautiful, but of course has little resemblance to the story or the characters.
All The Suspense Your System Can Take
5. Costume & Lighting Tests
These look almost like mugshots.
8. Fox Noir
Trailers for a few more films from Fox's Film Noir Collection.
Daisy Kenyon – Joan Crawford & Henry Fonda in a love triangle.
Dangerous Crossing – It's not a normal crossing, it’s a DANGEROUS crossing! Jeanne Crain, Michael Rennie and a cruise ship!
I Wake Up Screaming – Victor Mature and some other people.
Why should I go on slinging hash when I can sling other things?
This trailer could almost be mistaken for a silent film.
Vicki – This is the restless desperate world of Vicki…featuring Jeanne Crain, Jean Peters.
No comments:
Post a Comment