That multi-talented force of nature Nunnally Johnson put together this project and got a really stylish cast to star in Black Widow. To say it was borrowed a lot from All About Eve is no exaggeration.
Black Widow is the story of young Peggy Ann Garner who is described as a 'purpose girl'. Like Eve Harrington, Garner is a young lady with a mission which is to insinuate herself with the upper crust of the theatrical profession. Her target is a man, producer Van Heflin whom she meets when she crashes the party of his star Ginger Rogers.
Instead of an aspiring actress, Garner is an aspiring writer and Heflin who is slightly married to Gene Tierney let's her use his apartment and his typewriter for his story idea. Today he'd just buy her a laptop. When she's found hung in his apartment buy Tierney, Heflin has a lot of explaining to do all around. Especially after the cops call it murder.
There's a rather droll performance by Reginald Gardiner in what could have been his career role. He's the husband of Ginger Rogers and that is his whole identity. Kind of like Kevin Federline and Britney Spears for you young people. Gardiner conveys a deep sadness in his role which is essentially that of a permanent guest who relies on his never ending charm to stay in Ginger's good graces. He'd like to be on his own, but he's weak and without much character. All in all I think he's the best one in the cast.
For such a talented group which also includes Otto Kruger as Garner's uncle and George Raft as the homicide detective the film is sluggish and moves like the entrails of a snail at times. It's not bad, but could have and should have been far better.
Black Widow is the story of young Peggy Ann Garner who is described as a 'purpose girl'. Like Eve Harrington, Garner is a young lady with a mission which is to insinuate herself with the upper crust of the theatrical profession. Her target is a man, producer Van Heflin whom she meets when she crashes the party of his star Ginger Rogers.
Instead of an aspiring actress, Garner is an aspiring writer and Heflin who is slightly married to Gene Tierney let's her use his apartment and his typewriter for his story idea. Today he'd just buy her a laptop. When she's found hung in his apartment buy Tierney, Heflin has a lot of explaining to do all around. Especially after the cops call it murder.
There's a rather droll performance by Reginald Gardiner in what could have been his career role. He's the husband of Ginger Rogers and that is his whole identity. Kind of like Kevin Federline and Britney Spears for you young people. Gardiner conveys a deep sadness in his role which is essentially that of a permanent guest who relies on his never ending charm to stay in Ginger's good graces. He'd like to be on his own, but he's weak and without much character. All in all I think he's the best one in the cast.
For such a talented group which also includes Otto Kruger as Garner's uncle and George Raft as the homicide detective the film is sluggish and moves like the entrails of a snail at times. It's not bad, but could have and should have been far better.