User Reviews

Someone is killing people related to a South American expedition. The means of murder are poison darts with rubber spiders attached to them. A writer and some police detectives investigate.

Ultimately forgettable German crime film that is very much like the Bryan and Edgar Wallace films, but not as good. The film starts off pretty good but then slows bogs down in the middle due to having too many characters and too many twists and turns many signifying nothing. Honestly the plot really doesn't make much sense, even when you get to the end.

Also not helping much is the odd mix of serious and silly that doesn't quite work here. Many other German crime films mix the two tones to better effect by picking one and primarily goes with it, here they never decide which is the primary tone is and it works against the film.

Its not terrible, and if you run across it you won't completely waste your time watching it, but its nothing you'll remember nor is it worth searching out.

"Das Geheimnis der schwarzen Witwe" or "The Secret of the Black Widow" is a West German German-language film from 1963, so this one is already over half a decade old. It is a co-production with Spain, which explains the partially Spanish cast. But at its core, you will mostly find German actors during these 105 minutes, some fairly known names too like Fischer, Dor, Peters, Aren't and Klaus Kinski of course. But for all of them, it is certainly not the brightest hour in their bodies of work. This may partially have to do with the script by spouses Alexandra and Rolf Becker and for both, this is among their more known and successful career efforts, which does not really say anything positive about them. The director, however, is far more known. Franz Josef Gottlieb has really created a great deal of trash in his long and prolific career and the good news is that this one here is nowhere near the worst he has produced. The bad news is that this of course doesn't mean that it is a good watch. Not at all.

The film fits in well with the era of Edgar Wallace films that were very popular back then and the title indeed sounds a lot like one of these. But in theory it may have a connection to the films of Wallace or the films of his son, but in practice no Wallace has anything to do with this film, even if it also looks like one of these. I am personally not a fan of these films, but still most of them are better than this one here. The ways in which deadly spiders are shot into people's faces are just ridiculous. And of course, every slightly bigger character is accused of being the killer at some point during the film and everybody has a secret like a fake identity for example. So yes this is not a good watch and crime fans will be really disappointed I guess although they should probably know what to expect reading the name of Gottlieb. Everybody else should not even think of checking it out unless they actually (for whatever reason) like these Edgar Wallace films. In my opinion, this black-and-white film here is close to a failure and you could say that 4 out of 10 is still on the generous side. Still, to end the review on a positive note, the one good thing about these films is how they are never scared of killing characters graphically on screen, but yes that's really the only good thing and maybe it is also just to let people forget how weak this film is when it comes to all kinds of other aspects, especially authenticity. This is never, not once a gritty movie. I suggest you skip the watch.

I'm the only one who seems to like this film, judging by the existing critiques here. But my love for it and their disdain of it will cancel each other out and there will be balance in the Force.

Karin Dor's back as the leading lady, making it three out of three so far in the Weinert-Wilton series. But this time, Fuchsberger's absented himself in order to spend more time with his hair stylist, so leading man honours pass on to O. W. Fischer, an Austrian whose admittedly pleasant lilting accent tends to make him sound a bit of a country bumpkin amongst the stern-voiced Germans (German language version, of course.) Klaus Kinski and Eddi Arent show up, perhaps inevitably (although I don't believe that either of them were in any of the Bryan Edgar Wallace films, which is surprising.) The Secret of the Black Widow has the elements you would expect if you've seen any number of these krimis. There's an indomitable leading man (with an unquenchable thirst), a (very, very) beautiful young woman who's ever ready to be imperiled, a dark secret from the past, a shady group of rich gentlemen, a previously unknown-of child, and, of course, a mysterious killer killing mysteriously. There's also a pretty great song, Die Schwarze Witwe (The Black Widow) halfway through.

The story is an engrossing one. It keeps you wanting to see what happens next and find out more. It is quite intricate but can be followed without too much trouble if you pay attention. The murder method is hilariously impossible (look at the gun barrel and then look at the projectile that's supposed to have come out of it) but that's par for the course. Importantly, the killer's identity isn't obvious and the finale is great.

The cast is first class. I'd never heard of O. W. Fischer before, but he plays his part very well. And I don't know why, but I had a certain fondness for our dipsomaniac hero and decided to raise my glass to him every time he had a drink. Dor is as stunning as ever and can't be beaten when it comes to crying, screaming, waiting to be rescued and falling in love with older men. Kinski is incredibly dapper and smooth, which may come as a shock to some. Arent is comical without going over the top. Werner Peters and Doris Kirchner are, as always, consummate professionals. The rest of the cast acquit themselves admirably.

8 stars from a deadly, vengeful figure in the shadows.