The Crooked Web

The Crooked Web is a 1955 crime film noir directed by Nathan Juran and starring Frank Lovejoy, Mari Blanchard and Richard Denning.^[1]

The Crooked Web
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nathan Juran (as Nathan Hertz Juran)
Written by	Lou Breslow
Produced by	Sam Katzman
Starring	Frank Lovejoy Mari Blanchard Richard Denning
Cinematography	Henry Freulich
Edited by	Edwin H. Bryant
Production company	Clover Productions
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	November 30, 1955 (1955-11-30)
Running time	77 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Stan Fabian runs a drive-in restaurant with girlfriend Joanie Daniel, whose brother Frank turns up for a visit. Joanie has declined to marry Stan because he's strapped for cash, but Frank tempts him with a proposition, mentioning that he and a partner hid a stash of gold in Germany during the war.

Stan accepts an offer to help recover the gold for a cut of the loot. What he doesn't know is that Joanie and Frank are actually undercover cops. A rich businessman's son was apparently killed by Stan during a deal gone wrong, but the German police are unable to extradite him to charge him with a crime.

Frank pretends to shoot his partner, using blanks. He secretly meets with Berlin chief of police Koenig, pretending to be looking for the gold. Stan fears a double-cross, but confesses his wartime murder to Joanie, and is shocked to be placed under arrest.

Cast

• Frank Lovejoy as Stanley Fabian
• Mari Blanchard as Joanie Daniel
• Richard Denning as Frank Daniel
• John Mylong as Herr Koenig
• Harry Lauter as Sgt. Mike Jancoweizc
• Steven Ritch as Ramon 'Ray' Torres
• Lou Merrill as Herr Schmitt
• Van Des Autels as Tom Jackson^[2]