Character Relationship Map: The Web

Characters

• Bob Regan (played by Edmond O'Brien) — supporting

  Bob Regan is a lawyer hired by Andrew Colby as a personal bodyguard after Leopold Kroner's release from prison. He kills Kroner during the apparent attack, then investigates Colby's story after learni...

• Lt. Damico (played by William Bendix) — supporting

  Lt. Damico is Bob Regan's police friend and one of the first people to doubt Regan's account of Leopold Kroner's death. He later deceives Andrew Colby into believing that Charles Murdock is still aliv...

• Andrew Colby (played by Vincent Price) — supporting

  Andrew Colby is the central conspirator and the employer who hires Bob Regan as his bodyguard. He manipulates the story surrounding Leopold Kroner, kills Charles Murdock with a weapon bearing Regan's...

• Martha Kroner (played by Maria Palmer) — supporting

  Martha Kroner is Leopold Kroner's daughter. She goes to Bob Regan's apartment and attempts to kill him, believing he murdered her father. After the attempt fails, she reveals that Andrew Colby invited...

• Leopold Kroner (played by Fritz Leiber) — supporting

  Leopold Kroner is a former employee of Colby Enterprises who is released after five years in prison for embezzlement. Andrew Colby invites him to the house and portrays him as delusional and dangerous...

• Secretary (played by Patricia Alphin) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Andrew Colby → Secretary (Professional Employer) — The Secretary works within Colby's operations and is used in his trap.

  Colby asks his Secretary to remove money from his safe.

• Martha Kroner → Leopold Kroner (Family Daughter) — Martha acts after her father's death and challenges Colby's account of it.

  The plot identifies Martha Kroner as Kroner's daughter.

• Bob Regan → Andrew Colby (Professional Bodyguard Employer) — Regan is hired to protect Colby, but later investigates Colby's version of events.

  Andrew Colby hires Bob Regan as his personal bodyguard after claiming that Leopold Kroner has threatened him.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Bob Regan → Secretary (Alliance Investigation Partners) — Their shared knowledge places them together in opposition to Colby.

  Regan obtains information about Kroner's embezzlement case from Colby's Secretary, and Colby later frames both of them.

• Martha Kroner → Andrew Colby (Conflict Accuser) — Her revelation directly undermines Colby's explanation of the shooting.

  Martha reveals that Colby invited Kroner to the house and that Kroner was not delusional or mentally unsound.

• Martha Kroner → Bob Regan (Conflict Attempted Killer) — Martha initially treats Regan as responsible for her father's death.

  Martha appears at Regan's apartment and tries, but fails, to murder him.

• Andrew Colby → Leopold Kroner (Conflict Threatened Adversaries) — Their antagonism is presented first as a supposed threat and later as part of Colby's deception.

  Colby claims that Kroner threatened him, while Martha later reveals that Colby had invited Kroner to the house and that Kroner was of sound mind.

• Lt. Damico → Andrew Colby (Conflict Suspicious Investigator) — Damico's investigation threatens Colby's attempt to conceal the crimes.

  Damico is suspicious that Regan murdered Kroner, then tricks Colby into believing that Colby's murdered associate remains alive.

• Bob Regan → Lt. Damico (Social Police Buddy) — Damico is both Regan's personal contact and an important investigative counterpart.

  The plot describes Damico as Regan's police buddy and shows them discussing suspicion surrounding Kroner's death.

• Bob Regan → Leopold Kroner (Conflict Killer And Victim) — Their fatal confrontation drives Regan's later doubts about Colby's story.

  Regan finds Kroner in Colby's study with a gun and kills him when Kroner turns and points the weapon at him.

Story Analysis

A bodyguard's doubts unravel a scheme of deception, murder, and framing until the architect is caught.

Plot Progression

1. The Bodyguard's Fatal Assignment — Kroner leaves prison, and Colby hires Regan after claiming to be threatened. A gunshot in the study ends with Regan killing Kroner.
2. Doubts Behind the Shooting — Damico's suspicion and Martha's failed attack force Regan to question Colby's account. Martha reveals that Kroner was invited and mentally sound.
3. Evidence Beneath the Story — Regan researches the embezzlement case and questions Colby's Secretary. A deceptive telephone impersonation gives Colby an opportunity to turn the investigation into a trap.
4. The Fingerprint Frame — Colby uses the safe and a weapon bearing Regan's fingerprints to frame Regan and the Secretary for theft and murder. Damico counters the scheme by faking the associate's survival.
5. Caught in the Web — Believing the associate can expose him, Colby attempts to strangle him. Damico catches Colby red-handed, bringing the deception to its decisive resolution.