NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (March 2025): Kino have transferred Jack Arnold's The Glass Web to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "3-D Restoration by 3-D Film Archive". So you can see this on a 3-D TV, or use the included Anaglyphic 3-D glasses or watch it on 2D. We will review, with screen captures, the 2D version. The 1080P image is quite thick and looks very appealing on my system. There isn't much in the way of grain textures but there is depth (even in 2D) and it seems reasonably consistent throughout the HD presentation. There are two separate transfers - and the 2-D gets the short shrift with the lesser bitrate - but still supportive. This crime thriller, based on its cinematography, set design, and overall aesthetic shot in both 3-D and 2-D formats by Universal-International, this flick leans into the noir playbook while flexing the era’s gimmicky depth tricks. The film’s shot by Maury Gertsman, a noir vet (The Sniper, 1952), with uncredited assists from Russell Metty (Touch of Evil), a Universal heavy hitter. It’s in crisp black-and-white, a hallmark of 1950s crime flicks - think high-contrast shadows and stark lighting that carve faces into masks of guilt or menace. Gertsman’s lens loves low angles and tight close-ups -Edward G. Robinson’s Henry Hayes looms larger-than-life, his owl-like eyes glinting behind glasses, while John Forsythe’s Don Newell sweats in claustrophobic frames, pores practically popping off the screen. The 3-D version - pushed hard by Universal amid the format’s 1953 boom - adds a layer of gimmickry. Objects thrust toward the camera: a chair flies during a water hose on the street, a stack newspapers hurled from an early morning truck delivery, rolling rocks etc., invading your space (see samples in 2-D below.) The sets, crafted by Universal’s Alexander Golitzen and Eric Orbom, are functional but evocative - mid-century L.A. on a budget. Restoration highlights the print’s clarity - grain’s thick and intact via 1080P, blacks deep, no washed-out VHS murk but an inherent softness. Looks very heavy but consistent in 2-D.

NOTE: We have added 70 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language for both 3-D and 2-D. The Glass Web lossless transfer amplifies the tension and noir mood, complementing its stark visuals. The soundtrack is credited to Joseph Gershenson (Winchester '73, ,Monsters on Campus, Games, Madame X)  Universal’s music supervisor, though he likely oversaw rather than composed it - common for 1950s B-pictures. The actual composers aren’t explicitly named in credits (a frequent studio omission), but stock cues and original bits from Universal’s stable (think Herman Stein, Henry Mancini possibles) weave the fabric. The score’s jazz-inflected noir - think muted trumpets, slinky saxophones, and brooding strings - perfectly fits the genre’s urban unease. The music’s sparse - long stretches hum with low strings or a lone piano, building dread. It swells in bursts: a brassy fanfare when Paula’s body drops, a frantic violin run as Don scrambles. Paula’s record player dominates - needle scratches, “Temptation” looping, a thud as it’s knocked during the struggle. Don’s footsteps echo as he bolts - sharp, panicked clacks on hardwood. The studio’s live broadcast hums with camera whirs and crew whispers, a meta layer of “show within a show.” The sound quality is quiet effective via the lossless. Shot in 1953, it’s pre-Dolby - sound’s functional, not lush. Universal’s budget kept it simple; no Foley wizardry, just enough to sell. Kino offer optional English subtitles (SDH) on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new detailed and engaging commentary track led by Jason A. Ney, a professor and film scholar, with contributions from 3-D experts Mike Ballew and Greg Kintz. This commentary is a standout extra on the disc, which is available on both 2-D and 3-D versions. Jason anchors the commentary, bringing an academic yet accessible tone—think a professor who loves noir as much as you do but doesn’t bore you to death. His approach is thorough, blending production history, thematic analysis, and context about the film’s place in 1950s cinema. Mike Ballew and Greg Kintz, both from the 3-D Film Archive - a group famed for restoring classics like It Came from Outer Space - jump in later, focusing on the technical wizardry of the 3-D restoration. Ney spends time on the stars. Edward G. Robinson’s Henry Hayes is “tailor-made” - a perfectionist unraveling, a role Ney ties to his noir legacy (Scarlet Street). John Forsythe’s Don Newell gets a nod as a sweating everyman, pre-Dynasty grit. Kathleen Hughes, dubbed Universal’s “3-D Girl,” gets a spotlight - Ney includes a clip from Alan K. Rode’s interview with her (years back, post-screening), where she recalls Robinson’s kindness and the studio’s Marilyn Monroe push. Ballew and Kintz take over for the nerdy bits. It's excellent - highest quality for commentary buffs. The disc includes a theatrical trailer in 2D and a very rough TV spot from 16mm. The package offers a slipcase and reversible sleeve (see below.)  

Jack Arnold's The Glass Web is a film noir crime thriller that weaves a tense tale of blackmail, murder, and deception set against the backdrop of a true-crime TV show. Don Newell (John Forsythe - television cemented his fame in Dynasty and Charlie’s Angels,) the show’s married writer, is entangled with Paula Rainer (Kathleen Hughes - best remembered for an iconic publicity still from It Came from Outer Space, showing her wide-eyed and screaming - a quintessential "scream queen" image that became widely recognized,) a manipulative actress who blackmails him with evidence of their affair - $2,500 for his monogrammed pajamas. Available on Kino's Blu-ray in both 2-D and 3-D (though audiences favored the flat version,) the film mixes sharp dialogue with soapy drama, culminating in a cat-and-mouse game where Henry’s (Edward G. Robinson - Scarlet Street, Key Largo, The Stranger) perfectionism unravels his crime. Let's not forget Richard Denning (Creature with the Atom Brain, Day the World Ended, The Black Scorpion and Jack Arnold's Creature from the Black Lagoon) playing producer-director of the television show Crime of the Week in The Glass Web. And isn't THIS uncredited Beverly Garland? It's deeply in noir territory with a great cast that covers any hokey plot points with forgiving realism - Robinson’s gravitas and Forsythe’s flop-sweat carry it. Easy Blu-ray keeper with valued commentary - for "Dark Cinema" librarians.

Gary Tooze