The Web Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Web Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 24, 2021

Michael Gordon's "The Web" (1947) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by film scholar Jason A. Ney and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

It's them. Let's pick them up now.

Small-time lawyer Bob Regan (Edmond O’Brien) rushes into the fancy office of wealthy businessman Andrew Colby (Vincent Price), interrupts what appears to be an important business meeting, and demands that his client is finally reimbursed a tiny sum of money. After Regan departs, Colby asks his secretary, Noel Faraday (Ella Raines), to get in touch with him and invite him to come to his house. Later that night, Colby offers Regan $5,000 to become his bodyguard while he deals with an unfriendly former business partner. Surprised but fully alert, Regan takes five seconds to ponder the offer and accepts. Colby then invites him to pick any gun he likes from his personal collection.

A few days later, Regan shoots and kills Colby’s former business partner, Leopold Kroner (Fritz Leiber). He does it in Colby’s home, in his office, where Kroner has threatened to put a bullet in his head. When Regan rushes in, he sees Colby ducking to protect himself, with Kroner next to him, and trying to fire his gun. It happens so quickly that later on Regan confesses to veteran Detective Damico (William Bendix) that he might have been lucky to save Colby’s life.

While pointing a gun at Regan and threatening to finish him off in his lousy apartment, Martha Kroner (Maria Palmer), the dead man’s daughter, offers a completely different version of the dramatic event from Colby’s office. She tells Regan that he was set up to kill her father and, while struggling to control her emotions, insists that Colby is the real villain. Regan then tricks the girl to surrender her gun and rather reluctantly decides to test her claim. He also asks Faraday to assist him, not realizing that she and Colby are a lot closer than they appear.

The original material for The Web came from a short story by Harry Kurnitz, which was adapted into a screenplay by William Bowers and Bertram Millhauser. (Kurnitz and Bowers both earned Oscar nominations for their work on different projects). The screenplay then landed on the desk of producer Jerry Bresler and he hired Michael Gordon to make a film of it, which later Universal International distributed.

The film that Gordon delivered has some notable noir qualities, which become particularly obvious during its second half, but is easier to profile as a crime melodrama. This is the main reason why the dark twists that precede its resolution feel rushed and even unnatural – Gordon pushes the film way too far into melodrama territory without reserving enough time (or proper material) to build up the type of ambience a conventional film noir requires. The end result is by no means disappointing, but it is very easy to tell that the balance isn’t very good.

The leads have good chemistry and because of it large parts of the film are very entertaining. Bendix, whose presence before the camera is limited, has some terrific contributions as well. In fact, his suspicious detective is the only character that appears convinced that it is his duty to impress in a conventional film noir.

Gordon relied on the services of cinematographer Irving Glassberg, whose credits include The Duel at Silver Creek, Bend of the River, Backlash, and The Tarnished Angels. While they shot the overwhelming majority of the film at Universal Studios, the opening sequence features some great authentic footage from old Manhattan.

The Web Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Web arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

It is easy to see that the film can look better in high-definition. There are some noticeable density fluctuations, uneven highlights, a few shaky transitions, and various minor specks and blemishes. However, there are no traces of problematic digital corrections -- which frequently cause massive problems on older and newer masters that emerge from Universal's vaults -- and this makes a big difference. How big? Well, the film looks like a slightly aged film, which means that the current master has a wide range of pleasing organic qualities. So, when you sit down to view the film, you should expect to notice minor shifts in delineation and depth, occasionally even clarity, as well as density, but I think that you will appreciate the fact that the master does not destroy the film's native qualities. In other words, all of the limitations that you will see on it will be inherited from the element that was used to prepare it. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Web Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and easy to follow. From time to time it does sound a bit flat, but there are no signs of serious age-related anomalies, such as distortions breakdowns. In fact, even with the unevenness that emerges because of the flatness, the upper register is still quite good. Dynamic balance is good for a film from the early 1940s.

The Web Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage theatrical trailer for The Web. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney discusses the history of The Web, some of the interesting vintage footage it uses, the careers of Michael Gordon and select cast members, the studio system after the end of the war, etc.

The Web Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The folks at Kino Lorber deserve a lot of credit for bringing Michael Gordon's The Web to Blu-ray because it has never had a legit home video release in the United States. It is one of those hybrid film noirs that do a whole range of different things to impress, but not all of them work as intended. Though I still think that it is quite entertaining, it definitely does not belong among the genre's very best. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a somewhat rough but pleasing organic master and features a very good exclusive new audio commentary that was recorded by film scholar Jason A. Ney. RECOMMENDED.