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Saturday, May 7, 2022

THE WEB (1947)

After early ‘40s programmers & war service, director Michael Gordon returned to Hollywood for this neatly turned film noir.  Working on a very short leash at Universal, Gordon seems emboldened rather than curtailed by the tight budget, standing sets and B-list cast.  Make that B+ cast with Edmund O’Brien (still reasonably trim & sweat-free) as a striving lawyer just dumb enough to think he’s getting a career break from rich industrialist Vincent Price.  He’s really being set up in a scheme to knock off Price’s old partner just out of jail after taking the rap on a million dollar swindle.  (A clean-shaven Price always a giveaway to his being the bad guy.)  As Price’s personal secretary, Ella Raines has a rare good role playing the gal-in-the-middle (falling for O’Brien/loyal to her generous boss) while William Bendix steals all his scenes as the detective who’s O’Brien’s pal and the investigating officer on the case.  Part & perf a variation on Edward G. Robinson in DOUBLE INDEMNITY with Bendix none the worse for the comparison.  The film can’t quite overcome a certain over-familiarity, even at the time the twists couldn’t have surprised many, but its foreshortened perspective look and snappy pace, along with the moody Hans Salter score and a few unexpected edits (look fast for an unprecedented smash cut after a shooting) make the film a fun watch.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK:  As mentioned, DOUBLE INDEMNITY/’44.  OR:  Another Raines noir we’ve pushed your way before, IMPACT/’49.   https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2019/01/impact-1949.html

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