Ella Raines Films

The Web in the newspapers

In 1947, Ella Raines was top-billed in the murder-mystery-drama The Web. It wasn't always called The Web, though. The original title for the project was "Jeopardy," which was then changed to "The Dark Web" before becoming simply "The Web." When the film began playing during the summer of 1947, at many theaters it was shown as the first feature with another Ella Raines movie (Time Out of Mind) as the second feature.

Here's a pair of original newspaper advertisements for The Web which feature two taglines for the movie: "Kisses can't stop murder baby!" and "Hang on baby...when you're kissing murder it's hard to let go...!"

Here is a selection of newspaper articles, reviews and summaries concerning The Web. For the most part, they are quite positive about the film. Ella Raines also gets some of the press here and some comments are made on her performance. One reviewer notes that "Ella Raines is tantalizing in her capable performance" while another less enthusiastic reviewer writes that "Ella Raines gives a rather listless depiction." I tend to agree more with the first comment!

Ella Raines in The Web

In 1947, Ella Raines co-starred with Edmond O'Brien, Vincent Price and William Bendix in The Web. The actress got top billing above her male counterparts. The Web is a tight little thriller about a naive lawyer (O'Brien) who gets framed for murder by a wealthy industrialist (Price). Ella Raines plays the somewhat improbably named Noel Faraday, the secretary of Vincent Price's character. She eventually gets implicated in a second murder frame-up, part of a complex web of deception perpetrated by Vincent Price.

Ella Raines looks simply fantastic in The Web. In fact, she plays a character who is supposed to be beautiful, who everyone refers to as beautiful and who also thinks of herself as beautiful. Not only does she look the part, the actress also brings her requisite charm to the film. she has great chemistry with the somewhat bland Edmond O'Brien and she also has several nice scenes with the hammy Vincent Price. Overall, The Web was an excellent project for Ella Raines and she also gets to model a series of great gowns by costume designer Yvonne Wood.

Here are some images of Ella Raines in The Web:

Ella Raines and her trademark smirk

Vincent Price lights up a smoke for Ella Raines

Ella Raines and a cloud of smoke

Edmond O'Brien lights a cigarette for Ella Raines

Ella Raines in White Tie and Tails

Ella Raines made a pair of cheap, relatively unknown films for Universal in 1946: The Runaround and White Tie and Tails. She was portrayed quite favorably in these movies and proved that she was the best looking and most watchable actress of the time. And while White Tie and Tails is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, it is certainly unabashedly fun and well worth it's brief 80 minute runtime.

Ella Raines is infinitely appealing as the female lead of White Tie and Tails. In the film (which was apparently retitled The Swindlers somewhere down the line), Ella Raines plays the daughter of rich man who falls under the charm of a butler who is pretending to be wealthy. The actress gets to wear some great fashions throughout the movie and brings a great wide-eyed enthusiasm to her role as well as her requisite sultriness.

Here are some images of Ella Raines in White Tie and Tails:

Ella Raines and Clarence Kolb

Ella Raines and Dan Duryea

Ella Raines lights up a smoke

Ella Raines and William Bendix

Ella Raines talks White Tie and Tails

White Tie and Tails was afforded a fair amount of press during 1946. The film, starring Ella Raines alongside Dan Duryea and William Bendix, was essentially a B picture and it's short length signified that it was to be played as part of a double bill. Still, the movie had enough star power to get it some newspaper coverage.

First, Ella Raines comments on her co-star Dan Duryea. The actor, primarily known for playing rough-edged bad guys on film, was playing a well-mannered butler in White Tie and Tails: