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Black Widow

Play trailer Poster for Black Widow Released Oct 28, 1954 1h 35m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
At a party, Broadway producer Peter Denver (Van Heflin) meets Nancy Ordway (Peggy Ann Garner), a young writer struggling to make it in New York City. Taking pity on her, Denver offers Nancy his apartment as a place to write while his wife, Iris (Gene Tierney), is away. Shortly after, Nancy is found dead in his bathroom, apparently murdered, and Denver is, of course, the main suspect. As rumors swirl about his involvement with Nancy, Denver decides to search for her killer himself.
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Black Widow

Critics Reviews

View All (3) Critics Reviews
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a watchable and surprisingly compelling piece of work... Rated: 3/4 Sep 22, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Black Widow has suffered from a mangy reputation over the decades, but it's actually a kicky murder-mystery. Rated: 3/4 Dec 21, 2018 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A gruesome murder leads it down a procedural police investigation path and takes the starch out of it. Rated: C+ Jul 5, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alain E With nicely restored color photography with deep saturated colors this is an excellent experience available on Tubi. The plot switches are not outrageous. It was a good choice to assign to the role of the victim a young actress not of extraordinary beauty, but someone who could attract the frustrated older husband of a rich society lady. The audience is trying to figure out for the majority of the movie whether the accused (an acquaintance of the actual killer) is really innocent or not . We are carefully being fed elements that he is a decent guy that could not do it and then pieces of an alternative theory that he could be the killer. We also learn some psychology when the victim early in the movie says that if a girl is at a party for thirty minutes and nobody talks to her she may as well go home and shoot herself. In her case, of course, someone talks to her and some more and then later his spouse strangles her. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/03/25 Full Review nick s Well acted and directed. The whodunnit was a little muddled, some character actions were questionable and a lot of exposition was dished up near the end. Much like an Agatha Christie plot. But overall it was entertaining. Just needs a little patience at the start as it takes a while to warm up. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/24 Full Review Steve D Only notable for Ginger. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/27/23 Full Review Stu B Hotshot Broadway producer Van Heflin meets a pretty young writer at a party and--while his wife is out-of-town--offers her the use of his New York apartment as a place to ply her trade. When the girl turns up dead in the bathroom, and the police decide that she was murdered (despite earlier indications to the contrary), Heflin becomes the number one suspect, and begins hightailing it all over town. The images aren't very noir-ish--the film is shot in color, for one thing (and what an attractive palette it is)--but the plot certainly fits the bill, the acting is terrific, and the Big Reveal is as twisty as they come. A nifty little whodunit. Worth seeing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Some spotty clever dialogue here and there, but the pacing is terrible. I sense it was trying to be another "All About Eve" but clearly missed. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review deke p 1954!! Gene tierney especially, & older Ginger rodgers both glookn. Pregnant gal threatend blackmail, before science could prove paternity. Denouement is detective ferreting out truth in room full of suspects. Not sure why they called it BLACK WIDOW. saw most of it 7.2019 on tv. Saw last part again on Movies channel, 12.26.2021. Raising my rating from too low 2 1/2 stars to at least 3 1/2 'good, i recommend it Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Black Widow

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Movie Info

Synopsis At a party, Broadway producer Peter Denver (Van Heflin) meets Nancy Ordway (Peggy Ann Garner), a young writer struggling to make it in New York City. Taking pity on her, Denver offers Nancy his apartment as a place to write while his wife, Iris (Gene Tierney), is away. Shortly after, Nancy is found dead in his bathroom, apparently murdered, and Denver is, of course, the main suspect. As rumors swirl about his involvement with Nancy, Denver decides to search for her killer himself.
Director
Nunnally Johnson
Producer
Nunnally Johnson
Screenwriter
Nunnally Johnson
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 28, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 6, 2014
Runtime
1h 35m
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