Spider, The (1931)

The Spider begins with a magician’s show. The great Chartrand (Edmund Lowe) can make people disappear and his assistant dazzles the crowd with his psychic abilities. A woman and her uncle come to the show looking for their long lost relative; in fact, the assistant is the woman’s brother, but his amnesia has kept him from finding her. Suddenly during the performance, the lights go out and a shot is fired. The woman’s uncle has been murdered, and it is up to Chartrand to find the killer among the audience.

El Brendel and Kendall McComas (of Our Gang fame) provide a few laughs as mischievous members of the audience. The story is predominantly serious and features some interesting ghoulish effects.

Edmond Lowe, Lois Moran, El Brendel

1931, B&W, 60 minutes