{"id":4347,"date":"2007-10-02T12:56:56","date_gmt":"2007-10-02T19:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4347"},"modified":"2022-01-13T23:30:16","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T06:30:16","slug":"cobweb-the-1955","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4347","title":{"rendered":"Cobweb, The (1955)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I want to un-mix this mix-up about the drapes.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Poster-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-25363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Poster-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA psychiatrist (Richard Widmark) at an upscale clinic decides it would be good therapy for his artistic patient (John Kerr) to create silk-screen designs for a set of new drapes &#8212; but the clinic&#8217;s controlling business manager, Miss Inch (Lillian Gish), wants to buy simple cotton drapes, while the psychiatrist&#8217;s neglected wife (Gloria Grahame) has more expensive ideas of her own. Meanwhile, Dr. McIver (Widmark) grows closer to his female co-worker (Lauren Bacall), while Grahame seeks attention from her husband&#8217;s alcoholic boss (Charles Boyer).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Boyer Films<\/li>\n<li>Fay Wray Films<\/li>\n<li>Gloria Grahame Films<\/li>\n<li>Lauren Bacall Films<\/li>\n<li>Lillian Gish Films<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Levant Films<\/li>\n<li>Paul Stewart Films<\/li>\n<li>Psychotherapy<\/li>\n<li>Richard Widmark Films<\/li>\n<li>Susan Strasberg Films<\/li>\n<li>Vincente Minnelli Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nVincente Minnelli&#8217;s widescreen, all-star melodrama &#8212; based on William Gibson&#8217;s bestselling novel &#8212; is a truly puzzling venture. While it seems impossible that any movie starring Richard Widmark, Gloria Grahame, Lauren Bacall, Lillian Gish, and Susan Strasberg (and taking place in a mental institute) could be a clunker, this one comes awfully close. Part of the problem stems from the format of the film itself, with the characters literally engulfed by the widescreen camera:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast-1024x397.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"248\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast-1024x397.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast-128x50.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast-768x298.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast-1536x595.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast-604x234.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cast.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Equally problematic &#8212; and common to many ensemble films, especially those adapted from dense novels &#8212; is how underdeveloped each of the characters ultimately is, with none given enough screentime to truly shine. Bacall (a nominally &#8220;central&#8221; character) is especially underserved:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall-1024x409.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68075\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall-1024x409.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall-768x307.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall-1536x614.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall-604x241.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Bacall.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>while Strasberg&#8217;s admittedly minor role as an inmate is so slight she barely registers. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2-1024x408.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"255\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2-1024x408.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2-768x306.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2-1536x612.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2-604x241.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Strasberg2.png 1829w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Some have noted that the film&#8217;s very premise &#8212; <em>curtains<\/em> &#8212; is enough to push it into the realm of enjoyable camp: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes-1024x409.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes-1024x409.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes-768x307.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes-1536x613.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes-604x241.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Drapes.png 1821w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>but I failed to see it this way. Ultimately, <em>The Cobweb<\/em> is only worth seeing for the lead actors, who do their best with limited material. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Richard Widmark&#8217;s sympathetic turn as Dr. McIver<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2-1024x394.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"246\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68077\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2-1024x394.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2-128x49.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2-768x296.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2-1536x591.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2-604x233.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Widmark2.png 1821w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Gloria Grahame as McIver&#8217;s neglected wife<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3-1024x405.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"253\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68078\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3-1024x405.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3-300x119.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3-768x303.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3-1536x607.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3-604x239.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Grahame3.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Charles Boyer as tippling Dr. &#8220;Dev&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1-1024x395.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"247\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1-1024x395.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1-128x49.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1-768x297.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1-1536x593.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1-604x233.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Boyer-1.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine cinematography and production values<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography-1024x411.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"257\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography-1024x411.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography-768x308.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography-1536x617.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography-604x243.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Cinematography.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2-1024x405.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"253\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-68082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2-1024x405.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2-300x119.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2-768x303.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2-1536x607.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2-604x239.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/Cobweb-Gish2.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; it&#8217;s unclear to me why this overstuffed melodrama has developed a latter-day following. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0047944\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/1761\/the-cobweb#articles-reviews?articleId=87776\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-cobweb\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I want to un-mix this mix-up about the drapes.&#8221; Synopsis: A psychiatrist (Richard Widmark) at an upscale clinic decides it would be good therapy for his artistic patient (John Kerr) to create silk-screen designs for a set of new drapes &#8212; but the clinic&#8217;s controlling business manager, Miss Inch (Lillian Gish), wants to buy simple cotton drapes, while the psychiatrist&#8217;s neglected wife (Gloria Grahame) has more expensive ideas of her own. Meanwhile, Dr. McIver (Widmark) grows closer to his female&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4347\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4347"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80324,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4347\/revisions\/80324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}