Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Spider Woman

  • 1943
  • Approved
  • 1h 3m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
The Spider Woman (1943)
HorrorMysteryThriller

Sherlock Holmes investigates a series of so-called "pajama suicides". He knows the female villain behind them is as cunning as Moriarty and as venomous as a spider.Sherlock Holmes investigates a series of so-called "pajama suicides". He knows the female villain behind them is as cunning as Moriarty and as venomous as a spider.Sherlock Holmes investigates a series of so-called "pajama suicides". He knows the female villain behind them is as cunning as Moriarty and as venomous as a spider.

  • Director
    • Roy William Neill
  • Writers
    • Bertram Millhauser
    • Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Stars
    • Basil Rathbone
    • Nigel Bruce
    • Gale Sondergaard
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    5.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Roy William Neill
    • Writers
      • Bertram Millhauser
      • Arthur Conan Doyle
    • Stars
      • Basil Rathbone
      • Nigel Bruce
      • Gale Sondergaard
    • 61User reviews
    • 29Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro

    • Photos13

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 6
    View Poster

    Top cast34

    Edit
    Basil Rathbone
    Basil Rathbone
    • Sherlock Holmes
    Nigel Bruce
    Nigel Bruce
    • Dr. Watson
    Gale Sondergaard
    Gale Sondergaard
    • Adrea Spedding
    Dennis Hoey
    Dennis Hoey
    • Lestrade
    Vernon Downing
    • Norman Locke
    Alec Craig
    Alec Craig
    • Radlik
    Arthur Hohl
    Arthur Hohl
    • Gilflower
    Mary Gordon
    Mary Gordon
    • Mrs. Hudson
    Jimmy Aubrey
    Jimmy Aubrey
    • News Vendor
    • (uncredited)
    Mary Bayless
    • Carnival Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Brandon Beach
    • Carnival Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Benson
    • Toy Doll Attendant
    • (uncredited)
    Lydia Bilbrook
    Lydia Bilbrook
    • Susan
    • (uncredited)
    John Burton
    • Radio Announcer
    • (uncredited)
    James Carlisle
    • Casino Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Cording
    Harry Cording
    • Fred Garvin
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Deery
    • Casino Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Herschel Graham
    Herschel Graham
    • Casino Patron
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Roy William Neill
    • Writers
      • Bertram Millhauser
      • Arthur Conan Doyle
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Scarlet Claw
    7.2
    The Scarlet Claw
    The Pearl of Death
    7.1
    The Pearl of Death
    Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
    6.9
    Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
    The House of Fear
    7.2
    The House of Fear
    Sherlock Holmes in Washington
    6.7
    Sherlock Holmes in Washington
    Pursuit to Algiers
    6.7
    Pursuit to Algiers
    Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
    6.4
    Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
    The Woman in Green
    6.6
    The Woman in Green
    Terror by Night
    6.7
    Terror by Night
    Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
    6.5
    Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
    7.2
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
    Dressed to Kill
    6.8
    Dressed to Kill

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      At one point Holmes says to Watson, "If you ever see me getting too sure again, fancying myself more clever than Adrea Spedding, just whisper one word to me: pygmy." This line was inspired by the short story "The Adventure of the Yellow Face," in which Holmes tells Watson, "If it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper 'Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you."
    • Goofs
      When the impostor posing as Matthew Ordway knocks a terrarium of black widow spiders onto the floor and Watson reaches for the gun among them, Holmes shouts "Stop it, Watson! Those insects are deadly!" Spiders are not insects, and Holmes, having just revealed Ordway to be an impostor on the basis of the man's lack of knowledge about spiders, should know this.
    • Quotes

      Artie - Shooting Gallery Attendant: Hey gov', sir, try your luck on Mussolini, Hiro Hito, or Hitler. Hit 'em where their hearts ought to be and listen to the 'ollow sound.

    • Connections
      Edited into Who Dunit Theater: Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      Loch Lomond
      (uncredited)
      Traditional
      Heard as a theme

    User reviews61

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10

    Pretty good Holmesiana

    The 1942-43 Holmes/Watson films are often pathetic nonsense involving Nazi spies and have Holmes dashing all over the place firing guns at all and sundry, which doesn't work at all.

    Yes, this is wartime, and the targets in the fairground shooting gallery are Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini, but this is a proper detective story about mysterious murders.

    It's an amalgam of Conan Doyle's original stories The Sign of Four and The Final Problem rather than a farrago of cod secret agents, and it works pretty well as a mystery.

    Gale Sondergaard makes a marvellous villain, and plays excellently opposite Rathbone's Holmes.

    Well worth while
    • Penfold-13
    • Sep 13, 1999
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How long is The Spider Woman?Powered by Alexa
    • Chicago Opening Happened When?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 21, 1944 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Spider Woman (1943)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Spider Woman (1943) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2024 by IMDb.com, Inc.