A Tattered Web

A Tattered Web centers on Sergeant Ed Stagg, an experienced police detective whose professional instincts collide with family loyalties when he discovers his son-in-law Steve Butler is having an affair. After confronting the other woman, a confrontation spirals out of control and she is killed in what becomes an accidental death. Rather than report the truth, Stagg makes a calculated attempt to shift blame onto a local drifter, pulling law enforcement into a web of suspicion and moral compromise. As investigators close in and relationships strain, secrets and small deceptions compound, turning a private mistake into a public crisis that tests honor, guilt and the limits of protecting the ones you love. Tension grows from character choices, not action.

Originally broadcast in 1971 as a made-for-television movie, A Tattered Web was directed by Paul Wendkos from a story by Art Wallace. The cast features Lloyd Bridges as Sgt. Ed Stagg, Frank Converse, Sallie Shockley, Murray Hamilton and Broderick Crawford.

Records do not show major awards or high-profile nominations for the film. It didn't emerge as an awards contender at the Emmys or other televised drama ceremonies, and is generally noted today as a solid credit in the resumes of several established character actors rather than a prize-winning production.

Though it never reached mainstream staying power, the film reflects early 1970s television crime sensibilities and is sometimes referenced by aficionados of vintage TV thrillers. Viewers point to its moral grayness and the casting of recognizable screen veterans as elements that help it remain of interest to genre historians.

Critical response was mixed, and contemporary ratings are modest, reflected in a 5.0/10 user average. The picture leans into themes of moral compromise, misplaced loyalty, and the corrosive effects of secrecy, asking how guilt, reputation and the abuse of investigative authority can tangle lives beyond repair.