The Web

1947 1h 27m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 48

CrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A brash young lawyer takes a short-term, high-paying job as bodyguard for a slick business exec being threatened by a former partner, and quickly realizes he may be in over his head.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ella Raines
Noel Faraday
Edmond O'Brien
Bob Regan
William Bendix
Lt. Damico
Vincent Price
Andrew Colby
Maria Palmer
Martha Kroner
John Abbott
Charles Murdock
Fritz Leiber
Leopold Kroner
Howland Chamberlain
James Nolan (as Howard Chamberlin)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Gordon
Writers: William Bowers, Bertram Millhauser, Harry Kurnitz
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

79 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Gordon, shot by Irving Glassberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Russell F. Schoengarth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Ella Raines and Edmond O'Brien and William Bendix carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0039973 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Gordon directs. Irving Glassberg behind the camera. Russell F. Schoengarth cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
279 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Michael Gordon, shot by Irving Glassberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Russell F. Schoengarth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Ella Raines and Edmond O'Brien and William Bendix carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0039973 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Irving Glassberg
Editing: Russell F. Schoengarth
Costume design: Yvonne Wood
Makeup / hair: Carmen Dirigo
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Web (1947)

Also by

Michael Gordon

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-08-23
★ 7/10
I'm a lawyer not a bodyguard. 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

Production companies