Runtime: 83 minutes
Directed by: Archie Mayo
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Dick Foran, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Ann Sheridan, Helen Flint
From: Warner Bros.
A review where I will have to discuss some politics. In recent years, this motion picture has received more attention. After all, the plot is that Bogey joins an offshoot of the KKK after he is wound up by outside forces to “hate foreigners” when a Polish man receives a promotion at work he feels he should have earned instead. Sound familiar to the America of today?... the worst aspect is that in the 30's there actually WAS a Black Legion which was of cloaked figures terrorizing “undesirables”. They were broken up by the law before this was even filmed yet the tragedy is that with little modification this same scenario still happens far too often in today's America.
Bogart plays a blue-collar man (a machinist, to be specific) who is employed and has a nice wife & young boy. While he'd be happy to earn a little more at the job it still would seem to more than a few as an idyllic life, a pleasant situation to many looking at it from the outside. Then, he's passed up for a promotion and a Polish man receives that honor instead; he really had his heart set on the position. Then he hears propaganda from Fox New... er, I mean a radio station and a co-worker tells him of the Black Legion; suddenly, his passions are inflamed, he becomes a member, and is part of the mob that targets poor innocent folk. Of course, in this movie those targets-like in real life-were recent immigrants from Poland & Ireland... it can be assumed others included those of a different skin color.
As it should go without saying, this decision to join ruins Bogey's life. His performance was the true highlight but Warner Brothers did not push the film like they should have so superstardom for him would have to wait a few years. The cast as a whole is swell although I will spotlight Erin O'Brien-Moore; as the wife it was quite easy to feel sympathy for her as her husband spirals out of control. A few minutes are spent w/ romance between side characters that is really only important to set up character behaviors in the final act—otherwise this was a pretty good movie which delivers sobering reminders that sadly are still relevant today. Heck, there was even a scene where some “in power” (as in, those actually in charge of the operation) were making a fat profit from this enterprise.
Even under the auspices of the Hays Code, this still showed fires being set and whippings being done to those foreigners-yes, there are still potent moments and the actions of this disguised mob are still terrifying today. It also made me hope that the downfall of certain organizations mirrored what happened to the Black Legion... whether in real life or on celluloid. For example, “The Proud Boys” aren't quite as proud after some actually had to face the consequences of their actions for storming the Capitol two years ago...
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