Main Cast: Edward G. Robinson, John Forsythe, Kathleen Hughes, Marcia Henderson, Richard Denning
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 81 minutes
Plot
John Forsythe plays a successful television writer, Don Newell, who works on the "Crime of the Week" anthology series. Newell is being blackmailed by one of the program's actresses (Kathleen Hughes), who threatens to tell his wife of their clandestine affair. Arriving at the actress' apartment for a showdown, Newell discovers that the woman has been murdered. Though the writer is the principal suspect, the real killer is Henry Hayes (Edward G. Robinson), "Crime of the Week"'s research expert, who was also a blackmail victim. The inability of the police to solve the murder becomes the subject of the next "Crime of the Week" program. Hayes tries to deflect attention from himself by building up evidence against Newell, which the writer is compelled to use in his script. But Newelltumbles to Hayes' guilt, and includes this fatal clue in his "Crime of the Week" playlet. Hayes tries to kill Newell during the live broadcast, but the police arrive on the scene and shoot down Hayes. Although The Glass Web was originally released in 3-D, it is surprisingly light on "stereoptic" special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
One of the better results of the 3-D craze from the 1950s, The Glass Web is strong enough to stand on its own without the visual technical gimmick around which it was designed. Many 3-D films fall into two camps -- those that exist strictly to show off the technology and those on which the technology feels like it has been grafted, much against the film's will. Web finds a nice middle ground, and while the sequence following the discovery of the body clearly is being exploited for 3-D purposes, it still works. Credit goes to director Jack Arnold, who keeps the technical process in check so that he can deliver a taut, slick, and deftly paced thriller. It's true that some of the contrivances in the screenplay stretch credulity a bit, but that's often par for the course when dealing with this kind of "whodunit," and in general the script is lean, well-structured, and a bit quirky. Perhaps most importantly, it gives dependable Edward G. Robinson a chance to give yet another fine performance -- forceful yet effortless, powerful without becoming overpowering. The rest of the cast is quite good as well, helping to make Web a superior crime thriller. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Hugh Sanders - Lt. Stevens; Jean Willes - Sonia; Eve McVeagh - Viv; Harry Tyler - Jake; John Hiestand - Announcer; Clark Howat - Bob Warren; John Verros - Fred Abbott; Helen Wallace - Mrs. Doyle; Benny Rubin - Tramp comic; Paul Dubov - Other Man; Kathleen Freeman - Mrs. O'Halloran; Lance Fuller - Ad Lib; Beverly Garland - Sally; Tom Greenway - District Attorney; Brett Halsey - Lou; Jeri Lou James - Barbara Newell; Alice Kelley - Waitress; Jack Kelly - First Engineer; Donald Kerr - Paper Man; Jack Lomas - Cliffie; Eddie Parker - Tourist; Duncan Richardson - Jimmy Newell; Dick Stewart - Everett; James F. Stone - Mr. Weatherby; Howard Wright - Weaver; Bob Nelson - Plainclothesman; Herbert Lytton - Gilbert
Credit
Bernard Herzbrun - Art Director, Bill Thomas - Costume Designer, Joseph E. Kenny - First Assistant Director, Jack Arnold - Director, Ted Kent - Editor, Joseph E. Gershenson - Composer (Music Score), Herman Stein - Composer (Music Score), Bud Westmore - Makeup, Maury Gertsman - Cinematographer, Albert J. Cohen - Producer, Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer, Ruby Levitt - Set Designer, Leslie I. Carey - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert Pritchard - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert Blees - Screenwriter, Leonard Lee - Screenwriter, Max Ehrlich - Book Author
