Black Legion

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Dick Foran, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Ann Sheridan, Robert Barrat
Directed by: Archie Mayo
Rating: Approved
Genre: Drama, Film Noir
1937

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: After a factory worker (Humphrey Bogart) loses a promotion to a foreign-born worker, he joins the Black Legion, a hate group designed to protect Americans from foreign invaders.

Review:

Tim: I have to admit being pleasantly surprised by how Black Legion treated a very dark, terrible aspect of American history. This story was inspired by actual events and the movie didn't shy away from portraying the terrible crimes committed by hate groups like the Black Legion and the Ku Klux Klan. That is one of the biggest strengths of the film.

You never know quite what you're going to get when you watch films from the 1930s- the world was a different place and censors had a very influential role in Hollywood. I was surprised by what was covered in this film. We see the Black Legion commit arson, flogging, destruction of property, kidnapping, and murder. It was sad to watch these scenes because events like this actually happened in this country. You imagine foreign-born Americans who are working hard to build a better life and contribute to society being confronted by white American men in costumes. It must have been frightening, painful, and occasionally deadly. It's completely despicable and sickening what went on in this country. And then, you have Black Legion, who's protagonist joins that group. That was unexpected, but an essential reason why this film works.

I loved seeing Humphrey Bogart in this pre-stardom role. He gives an emotionally deep, effective performance. I'm a big Bogart fan, but even I came away from this movie marveling at what a good actor he is. He nails this part. The movie starts out and we quickly identify with his character- Bogart just had that on screen presence that builds a connection with the audience. He seems like a hard worker, a great husband and a wonderful father. And then, life hits him multiple times. In his grief, he turns to blame and that anger and resentment leads him to join the Black Legion. The way this happened felt completely logical and believable. While most of the participants in hate groups were either racist or bigoted jackasses, I do believe there was a small percentage of good people who decided to embrace the evil side of their soul. Bogart's character immediately enjoys the camaraderie and the brotherhood- there's nothing like terrorizing foreigners to bring men together. His career gets a boost, everything seems perfect. At this point in the movie, I was hoping this film wasn't pro-hate group.

Of course, we need to see the rise to see the fall. I loved the scene where the leaders of the Black Legion conversed about membership numbers and dues. As with many things, this secret society was all about money. That put pressure on their members, which leads Bogart's character to his eventual downfall. The movie handled the up-and-down exceptionally well and it made for an occasionally riveting film.

Now, in addition to the very strong performance by Bogart, the film is helped by some strong supporting players. I've seen Dick Foran in several films, but never better than here. He is believable and likeable as Bogart's friend and by all accounts, a fairly upstanding guy. Foran played the role very well. I also loved seeing Ann Sheridan here. I'm a big Sheridan fan, so I wish she had more screen time here. She mostly just plays "the girlfriend", although she brings her talent and charisma to the role. She added value to the movie. The rest of the fairly large cast are good as well. The cast was a certain plus for this film.

Black Legion tackles a dark and difficult subject, one of the uglier aspects of America. It did so in a mature, memorable way. The end of the film is fairly powerful. This is an engrossing, illuminating movie and one I'd certainly recommend. In Humphrey Bogart's stunning filmography, movies like this are often overlooked- don't make that mistake- this is well worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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