The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946)

Directed by Arthur Lubin [Other horror films: Black Friday (1940), Hold That Ghost (1941), Phantom of the Opera (1943)]

Perhaps one of the earliest examples of what I’d label botanical horror, The Spider Woman Strikes Back is a decent film, short, digestible, and with a solid atmosphere and occasionally creepy vibe. Not that it’s stellar, but it’s a solid little film.

I speak a bit about my enjoyment of botanical horror in The Ruins – I think it largely has to do with growing up on the book and two-part episode of Goosebumps titled Stay Out of the Basement!, which was always one of my favorite Goosebumps stories. The idea of plants consuming blood, or flesh, or attacking, just has a creepy vibe to it, and while I can’t explain it any better than that, it’s always been something I loved.

To be clear, there’s no plant attacking anyone in The Spider Woman Strikes Back. This isn’t The Revenge of Doctor X. However, there are sequences of a plant being fed blood to keep it strong, and while it’s true Gale Sondergaard deals with spiders, she uses them to feed plants (when she’s not using blood), so really, this should be The Plant Woman Strikes Back.

Of course, this is sort of meant to mimic a sequel-in-name-only, or a spin-off, of the 1943 mystery/thriller film The Spider Woman, which also starred Gale Sondergaard. Aside from Sondergaard’s presence, there’s no relation, so that just adds to the fun. Really, though, this movie, despite the somewhat confusing title, does have a decent amount going for it, so it’s a shame some people might shy away because they think it’s a sequel to something else.

The story is pretty basic, but it’s also somewhat atmospheric. Now, I did watch a rather scratchy print of this one on YouTube, which is amusing, because there’s actually a 1080P HD version I didn’t notice until after I watched the version with ten pixels. Even so, I had a pretty good time with it, and while I wish the finale had been a bit better (especially regarding Rondo Hatton’s character), it was pretty good for a 40’s horror film.

Brenda Joyce (Strange Confession, Pillow of Death) made for a fair lead, but like many women of the time period, her character’s only given limited agency. Gale Sondergaard (The Climax, Echoes, Savage Intruder, The Cat Creature, 1939’s The Cat and the Canary) had a sinister aura to her, so no complaints there. Neither Kirby Grant nor Milburn Stone (Captive Wild Woman, The Frozen Ghost, Strange Confession) do that much, but Stone’s character had some potential.

It’s Rondo Hatton I have the biggest issue with. He’s a familiar face (having been in movies such as The Jungle Captive, House of Horrors, and The Brute Man), and his performance is perfectly solid, playing a mute servant of Sondergaard’s character. I saw inklings of his character fighting for his independence, but come the end, they don’t really do much with it. Hatton’s performance was good, but they could have done a bit more with the character.

When it comes down to it, I can’t say that The Spider Woman Strikes Back is an amazing movie, but I did find it a good, quick way to spend an hour. At 59 minutes, it’s digestible, it’s decently fun, and while it could have been a bit better, it’s not at all a bad watch. If you’re into classic horror, this may well be worth a watch.

7.5/10