well fitted for that period. If you'll remember, he felt very pleased with himself this time because he played a cop. He was on the law side. He's a nice guy to be with." Reception When the film was released, The New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther panned the screenplay and the actors, writing that "Black Widow, which was discovered at the Roxy yesterday, bears little or no resemblance to the recent local spider scourge, except that it is moderately intriguing and considerably overplayed. It is merely an average whodunit, stretched out on the CinemaScope screen and performed by a fancy cast of actors so that it looks more important than it is ... The major fly in the ointment—or, should we say, in the web—is Peggy Ann Garner, playing the little Southern girl. Miss Garner's endeavors to give out with a rush of peach-blossom charm are beclouded with affectation. And the idea that she could be the greedy and ruthless little vixen that is finally revealed is hard to believe ... And, finally, the shrill and shoddy character that Ginger Rogers plays—a poison-tongued Broadway actress—is indifferently written and performed. It is asking a lot of an audience to believe that she could display anything but clothes. George Raft as a poker-faced detective acts with flat-toned indifference, too, and Gene Tierney and Reginald Gardiner barely manage to live through their roles." Film critic Dennis Schwartz panned the film in 2008, opining, "It's a flimsy story that is apathetically written, poorly paced and overacted with shrill performances by both Ginger Rogers and Peggy Ann Garner. The B-film crime drama might have been better served as a cheapie production, with some of its filler scenes lopped off." Craig Butler, however, reviewing it for AllMovie, called the film "entertaining" and noted that the "cinematography is frequently stunning". He refers to some "marvelous dialogue", noting "the film moves along at a nice, steady clip" and stating that "it's enough fun that most viewers will overlook …[the] flaws". He praised Garner and Rogers, noting the latter's "standout performance". References Bibliography External links Black Widow at DVD Beaver (includes images) (the crime scene) Review of film at Variety 1954 films 1954 crime drama films 1950s American films 1950s English-language films 1950s mystery drama films 20th Century Fox films American crime drama films American mystery drama films CinemaScope films Color film noir Films based on American