Black Legion
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Movie Reviews of Black Legion
Movie Review: Early Bogart film is a depression-era moral tale
Summary: 5 Stars
1937's "Black Legion" tells a story of a man's involvement with what amounts to the Klan without coming out and calling it that. Humphrey Bogart stars as Frank Taylor, a working man who loses a bid to become foreman when a foreign-born man gets the job instead. The Legion is right up Taylor's alley, reinforcing his belief that his woes are all the fault of the foreign-born. He gradually gets more immune to the violence as he gets in deeper and deeper with the Black Legion. It really is a very good vehicle for Bogart's acting talent as his morality gradually unwinds. The sermon at the end seems a little tacked on, much like a similar scene in 1933's "Wild Boys of the Road", but it doesn't detract too much from the overall film. The extra features on the DVD shall be:
Special Features:
Theatrical trailer: The Perfect Specimen
Two WB shorts: Hi De Ho and Under Southern Stars
Authentic newsreel
WB short: Porky and Gabby
This film is part of the Warner Gangsters Volume 3 boxed set that is being released on the same day.
Movie Review: Black Legion.
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent DVD, very good movie and great commentaries by film historians. Only regret, there is no featurette about the movie itself, sob, but anyway this is a great picture (historically and artistically).Movie Review: Forward Thinking and Still Relevant
Summary: 4 Stars
It's hard to believe "Black Legion" didn't end up being a star making vehicle for Bogart. He gave a spectacular performance. He is at turns bitter, sweet, conflicted, resolute and remorseful. His portrayal of drunkenness is absolutely convincing. His vulnerability is palpable. There's one short moment of overacting but he follows it with work that is brilliant. His segment in the climactic scene packs an emotional wallop that tears the screen apart. All of it sparkles with the charisma that made his star burn so much more brightly than many others.
This wasn't just Bogart's picture though. All of the performances are excellent. Erin O'Brien Moore matches Bogart step for step. Her performance is nothing short of gripping. Dick Foran turned in exceptional work. He proved once and for all that he was a marvellous character actor. Joe Sawyer was exceptionally versatile. He could do comedy with the best of them. Here, he shows his flair for drama. Ann Sheridan was a serious actress before she ever became an "Oomph" Girl. Here, she's demure, vulnerable and strong according to what the material dictates. Helen Flint excels as "Pearl Danvers", the woman that should be avoided. Her work in the "Courtroom Scene" is great.
The technical aspects of the film are good as well. The story, by Robert Lord, is strong. Screenwriters Abern Finkel and William Wister Haines, did a good job of adapting it for film. Photographer and Cinematographer George Barnes kept the visual action flowing at a solid pace. His overall composition was good. His use of angles and contrasts was excellent. Director Archie Mayo (with uncredited help from Michael Curtiz) drew exceptional performances from the performers. He got them to flesh out the characters they portrayed beautifully. His pacing of the story is very good.
The film isn't without faults. The same bit of footage is used almost every time the "Legion" is on the march. That the wealthy individuals who control the Legion are portrayed as men hiding behind a facade of legitimacy is good. That their methods are oversimplified isn't. They're shown using intimidation and coercion, which they would do. They're not shown as being able to infiltrate the legal system itself, which is a huge gaffe. There are no Blacks or Indians shown (or mentioned) in the entire picture. In a film that addressed racism and hate crimes in America those omissions should have been unthinkable. To be fair the Producers may have had problems getting the picture past the Production Code if the material was deemed too sensitive, but still ...
These complaints aside, "Black Legion", is an excellent film. The statement it makes is still relevant and It's emotional impact is undiminished. It still resonates with freshness. This one was definitely ahead of its time.
That's a credit to the people who made it.
This review pertains to the DVD release of the picture. The restoration is pretty good. The picture is sharp but the contrasts are sometimes a bit dark. The audio track seems a bit muted but is clear otherwise.
Movie Review: Chilling political film, though dramatically limited
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Black Legion"
(Warner Brothers, 1936)
A melodramatic, socially-charged political film based on the sordid history of the real-life Black Legion, a nativist Northern offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan that terrorized dozens of Midwestern communities during the 1930s. The film seems loosely based on the murder of Charles Poole, a Detroit man whose torture and execution led to the trial and conviction of a number of Black Legion leaders, and the end of the Legion as a political power. In this story, a young Humphrey Bogart plays a factory worker who is recruited into the ranks of the "real Americans" and is seduced by the power and violence they wield. He is transformed from a decent, moral man into a heartless killer and, later, into a drunkard as his marriage falls apart and the Legion begins to turn against him. The story fits into a tradition of anti-fascist morality tales, such as Sinclair Lewis' "It Can't Happen Here" and the film "A Face In The Crowd", but whereas those works were political fiction, it helps to know that "The Black Legion" is based on real events.
Like many old Hollywood melodramas, it does get dramatically stiff, but is still noteworthy for its bleak, pessimistic end: Bogart's character only barely redeems himself, and still goes to prison for life. Meanwhile, the shady, behind-the-curtains, Mr. Big characters who profit financially from their manipulation of populist anger manage to avoid prosecution and go on about their lives, with just as much power and social prestige as they had before. It's a very interesting, troubling historical work of art...
The DVD packaging has some odd touches - extras features that accompany it (in a faux 1930's-style "evening at the movies" presentation) include a great featurette of Cab Calloway singing about a half-dozen of his classic jazz numbers (and which is preceded by a disclaimer that explains the short film contains racial stereotypes that may be considered objectionable today) and a horribly stilted dramatization of Stonewall Jackson's final battle in which the Southern leader is lionized as an American icon (and which notably does *not* come with a disclaimer...) Thankfully, the Porky Pig cartoon that comes afterwards is just a Porky Pig cartoon, and not another dubious political relic... Although the bundling together of so many racially charged films are a bit suspect, discerning viewers can get a lot out of this release. Interesting, if troubling relics of a violent era in our country's not-too-distant racial strife. (Axton)
Movie Review: A Story About Secret Societies
Summary: 4 Stars
"The names in this drama are all fictitious." But it is based on real crimes. The film begins in a factory where the workers take a meal break. One worker uses a slide rule to educate himself during lunch. The foreman got a promotion, somebody will replace him from the workers. Scenes from domestic life are shown. The Grogan's are well-to-do (they own a telephone). So does Frank Taylor (who dries dishes). Stories on the radio entertain the family. At the factory they choose education over experience. Frank is disappointed, but Joe invented a device that saved money for the company. [Luck favors the well-prepared.] Are immigrants taking jobs from Americans? [It's how the system works.]
Frank's resentment shows at work. Will he "get wise" to himself? A coded question introduces Frank to the secret organization. [Should anyone surrender their judgment to any organization?] Frank buys a revolver to protect his home and family. [He had the right to keep and bear arms.] The Black Legion attacks a family and burns their home and barn; the father and son are put on an outbound train. They attack businesses to benefit the competition. The owners of the Black Legion benefit from the organization, and want more money from more members. Frank's inattention to detail causes the loss of his foreman's job. His replacement is abducted and tortured, then left in the woods. What gang is doing this?
Frank's conscience is bothering him, and causes problems at home. Ruth leaves home with her son. Frank has been fired and turns to drink. He tells Eddie Jackson too much. "What am I going to do?" The Black Legion abducts Eddie, and shoots him when he tries to escape. "I didn't mean it!" The police catch the killer and learn about this organization. Frank is warned by an agent of the organization, they will fix the testimony to free him. Mrs. Danvers testifies as to the cause of the murder: a romantic triangle! It was quite a performance. Frank also tells a good story. But there is a dramatic surprise at the end!
Justice triumphs at the end of this Hollywood movie. Real life is another story. Will Frank sacrifice himself to save his family? Will the secret organization be exposed and rolled-up and sent to prison? Do bad economic times cause such organizations to grow? Political scientists have long noted the how bad times cause increased crimes and violence. The sad truth is that many of the crimes shown in this film were not punished when done by wealthy and powerful corporations. Read the history of the early 20th century form examples.
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