Black Widow (1954): Cast & Plot
Black Widow is a 1954 mystery drama directed by Nunnally Johnson, starring Van Heflin as Peter Denver, Ginger Rogers and Reginald Gardiner. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 35m (95 min)
- Director
- Nunnally Johnson
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Black Widow About?
The premise of Black Widow without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Someone will kill this girl tonight! A young stage hopeful is murdered and suspicion falls on her mentor, a Broadway producer.
Black Widow Themes & Keywords
· 38 tags- murder disguised as suicide
- adultery
- film noir in color
- new york city
- manhattan new york city
- writer
- woman murders a woman
- broadway producer
- suspicious wife
- stage actress
- apparent suicide
- young
+26 more Show fewer
- cocktail party
- pianist
- flashforward
- hanged by the neck
- woman smoker
- reference to damon runyon
- 99 ninth street
- voice over narration by character
- pregnancy
- metaphorical title
- listening on a telephone extension
- discovering a dead body
- douglas dc 6
- flashback
- greenwich village manhattan new york city
- reference to truman capote
- reference to somerset maugham
- reference to rocky marciano
- reference to humphrey bogart
- reference to ernest hemingway
- reference to damon runyan
- reference to benjamin franklin
- kept husband
- jealous wife
- husband wife relationship
- broadway manhattan new york city
Black Widow Cast & Characters
Van Heflin leads the cast as Peter Denver, with Ginger Rogers as Carlotta Marin and Reginald Gardiner as Brian Mullen. Directed by Nunnally Johnson; 42 actors are credited in all.
- Director Nunnally Johnson
-
Van Heflin as Peter Denver -
Ginger Rogers as Carlotta Marin - Reginald Gardiner as Brian Mullen
- Peggy Ann Garner as Nancy Ordway
Also Starring in Black Widow
· 38 more- Gene Tierney Iris Denver
- George Raft Detective Bruce
- Cathleen Nesbitt Lucia Colletti
- Harold Miller Party Guest (uncredited)
- Franklyn Farnum Party Guest (uncredited)
- Kenner G. Kemp Party Guest (uncredited)
- Bert Stevens Party Guest (uncredited)
- Jeffrey Sayre Photographer (uncredited)
- Cosmo Sardo Party Guest (uncredited)
- Forbes Murray Man in Hallway (uncredited)
- Dick Gordon Party Guest (uncredited)
- Frank Wilcox Zachary Paige (uncredited)
- Arthur Tovey Party Guest (uncredited)
- Bea Benaderet Mrs. Franklin Walsh (uncredited)
- Paul Bradley Party Guest (uncredited)
- Paul Kruger Policeman (uncredited)
Show all 42 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Robert Haines Party Guest (uncredited)
- Harry Carter Sergeant Welch (uncredited)
- Monty O'Grady Party Guest (uncredited)
- Oliver Cross Bar Patron (uncredited)
- Steve Carruthers Party Guest (uncredited)
- Otto Kruger Gordon Ling
- Skip Homeier John Amberly
- Richard H. Cutting Sergeant Owens (uncredited)
- Paul Cristo Party Guest (uncredited)
- Wilson Wood Costume Designer (uncredited)
- Geraldine Wall Gwen Mills (uncredited)
- Mabel Albertson Sylvia (uncredited)
- Nesdon Booth Police APB Man (uncredited)
- Michael Vallon Coal Dealer (uncredited)
- James Stone Fritz (uncredited)
- Virginia Leith Claire Amberly
- Aaron Spelling Mr. Oliver (uncredited)
- Anthony De Mario Tony (uncredited)
- Hilda Simms Anne
- Virginia Maples Model (uncredited)
- Frances Curry Maid (uncredited)
- Pat White Party Guest (uncredited)
Black Widow Plot Summary
What happens in Black Widow from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Peter Denver, Van Heflin, a celebrated Broadway producer, attends a cocktail party hosted by the famous but icy actress Carlotta “Lottie” Marin, Ginger Rogers, and her quiet husband Brian Mullen, Reginald Gardiner. There he meets Nancy “Nanny” Ordway, Peggy Ann Garner, a naive twenty-year-old aspiring writer with big dreams in New York.
Nanny convinces Peter to ask Iris Denver, Gene Tierney, a fellow actress who is temporarily out of town, to permit Nanny to use the Denvers’ apartment for daytime writing. The arrangement seems innocent enough, but it places Nanny inside the private world of two famous performers and the creaking social circles around them.
Full summary
The whole story of Black Widow, scene by scene
Black Widow Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Black Widow.
How Well Do You Know Black Widow?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actress portrayed the icy star Carlotta "Lottie" Marin?
Cars in Black Widow
13 cars on screen, including the 1951 De Soto De Luxe and the 1953 De Soto Powermaster.
-
1951 De Soto De Luxe Minor role -
1953 De Soto Powermaster Minor role -
1953 Checker Taxicab Background role -
1946 Chevrolet Fleetline Sportmaster Background role
Seen Black Widow?
Movies Like Black Widow
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Black Widow, The Bride Wore Black and Black Widower.
Black Widow FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Black Widow, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Black Widow?
Black Widow runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).
When was Black Widow released?
Black Widow was released on October 28, 1954.
Who directed Black Widow?
Black Widow was directed by Nunnally Johnson.
More films by Nunnally Johnson Who is in the cast of Black Widow?
Black Widow stars Van Heflin as Peter Denver, Ginger Rogers as Carlotta Marin and Reginald Gardiner as Brian Mullen, among 42 credited actors.
Does Black Widow have a post-credit scene?
No. Black Widow has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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