Black Legion (film)
Encyclopedia
Black Legion is a 1937 melodrama film
, directed by Archie Mayo
, with a script by Abem Finkel and William Wister Haines
based on an original story by producer Robert Lord
. The film stars Humphrey Bogart
, Dick Foran
, Erin O'Brien-Moore
and Ann Sheridan
and is a fictionalized story about the real-life Black Legion
of the 1930s. It was inspired by the May 1935 murder in Michigan of Charles Poole, a Works Progress Administration
worker. Columbia Pictures
had previously made Legion of Terror in 1936 based on the same case.
Many of the details about the Legion portrayed in Black Legion, such as the initiation oath and the confessions in the trial scenes, were based on known facts about the actual organization, but because American libel laws had recently been broadened in scope by court rulings, Warner Bros. was forced to underplay some aspects of the group's political activities to avoid legal repercussion. Nevertheless, the Ku Klux Klan
sued Warner Bros. for patent
infringement for the film's use of a patented Klan insignia, a white cross on a red background with a black square. A judge threw out the case.
Black Legion drew praise from critics for its dramatization of a dark social phenomenon, and a number of reviewers commented that Bogart's performance should lead to his becoming a major star. Warners, however, did not give the film any special treatment, promoting it, and Bogart, in their standard fashion. Bogart's breakthrough would have to wait for High Sierra
in 1941.
), a midwestern factory worker, joins the anti-immigrant Black Legion, a secret white supremacist organization portrayed as a northern chapter of the Ku Klux Klan
. Dressed in black robes, Taylor and the Legion mount a torchlight raid and burn down the friend's chicken farm, driving him out of town, so that Taylor can take the job he believed was his. Soon, however, Taylor's recruiting activities with the Legion get in the way of his work, and he is demoted in favor of Mike Grogan (Clifford Soubier), Taylor's neighbor. Once again, the Legion takes action, attacking Grogan.
Under the continued influence of the Legion, Taylor becomes a brutal racist, and alienates his wife (Erin O'Brien-Moore
). He starts drinking heavily and takes up with a loose woman (Helen Flint). Taylor's friend, Ed Jackson (Dick Foran
), tries to counsel him, and a drunken Taylor winds up confessing about his Legion activities. When Taylor reports this to Cliff, a co-worker and fellow member the Legion, Cliff initiates a false rumor that Jackson is a woman-beater. On the pretext of punishing him for that offense, the Legion then kidnaps Jackson, planning to flog him. Jackson punches one of the men restraining him and tries to escape. As he is running away he is shot by Taylor, who then breaks down with guilt and remorse, exclaiming "I didn't mean to shoot!".
Taylor is arrested for the murder, and the Legion threatens his wife and son to stop him from implicating the Legion in the crime, but, ultimately, Frank breaks down and tells the truth, resulting in the entire Black Legion being convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Cast notes
and the Warner Ranch in Calabasas. Executive producer Hal B. Wallis
had wanted Edward G. Robinson
to play the lead role, but producer Robert Lord
thought Robinson was too foreign looking, and wanted a "distinctly American looking actor to play [the] part."
's original story received an Academy Award nomination in 1937, but lost to William Wellman and Robert Carson
's story for A Star Is Born
. However the National Board of Review named Black Legion as the best film of 1937, and Humprey Bogart as the best actor for his work in the film.
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
, directed by Archie Mayo
Archie Mayo
Archie Mayo was a movie director and stage actor who moved to Hollywood in 1915 and began working as a director in 1917....
, with a script by Abem Finkel and William Wister Haines
William Wister Haines
William Wister Haines was an American author, screenwriter, and playwright. His most notable work, Command Decision, was published as a novel, play, and screenplay following World War II.-Personal history:...
based on an original story by producer Robert Lord
Robert Lord
Robert Lord was an American screenwriter and film producer. He wrote for 71 films between 1925 and 1940. He won an Academy Award in 1933 in the category Best Writing, Original Story for the film One Way Passage...
. The film stars Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
, Dick Foran
Dick Foran
John Nicholas 'Dick' Foran was an American actor, known for his performances in western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures.-Life and career:...
, Erin O'Brien-Moore
Erin O'Brien-Moore
Erin O'Brien-Moore was an American actress.Moore's acting career began onstage. Noticed in a Broadway stage production, she was signed to a movie contract...
and Ann Sheridan
Ann Sheridan
-Life and career:Born Clara Lou Sheridan in Denton, Texas on February 21, 1915, she was a student at the University of North Texas when her sister sent a photograph of her to Paramount Pictures. She subsequently entered and won a beauty contest, with part of her prize being a bit part in a...
and is a fictionalized story about the real-life Black Legion
Black Legion (political movement)
The Black Legion was an organization that splintered from the Ku Klux Klan and operated in the United States in the 1930s. The organization was founded by William Shepard in east central Ohio...
of the 1930s. It was inspired by the May 1935 murder in Michigan of Charles Poole, a Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
worker. Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
had previously made Legion of Terror in 1936 based on the same case.
Many of the details about the Legion portrayed in Black Legion, such as the initiation oath and the confessions in the trial scenes, were based on known facts about the actual organization, but because American libel laws had recently been broadened in scope by court rulings, Warner Bros. was forced to underplay some aspects of the group's political activities to avoid legal repercussion. Nevertheless, the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
sued Warner Bros. for patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
infringement for the film's use of a patented Klan insignia, a white cross on a red background with a black square. A judge threw out the case.
Black Legion drew praise from critics for its dramatization of a dark social phenomenon, and a number of reviewers commented that Bogart's performance should lead to his becoming a major star. Warners, however, did not give the film any special treatment, promoting it, and Bogart, in their standard fashion. Bogart's breakthrough would have to wait for High Sierra
High Sierra
High Sierra is an early heist film and film noir written by W.R. Burnett and John Huston from the novel by Burnett. The movie features Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart and was directed by Raoul Walsh on location at Whitney Portal, halfway up Mount Whitney.The screenplay was co-written by Bogart's...
in 1941.
Plot
When he is passed over for promotion in favor of a foreign-born friend, Frank Taylor (Humphrey BogartHumphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
), a midwestern factory worker, joins the anti-immigrant Black Legion, a secret white supremacist organization portrayed as a northern chapter of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. Dressed in black robes, Taylor and the Legion mount a torchlight raid and burn down the friend's chicken farm, driving him out of town, so that Taylor can take the job he believed was his. Soon, however, Taylor's recruiting activities with the Legion get in the way of his work, and he is demoted in favor of Mike Grogan (Clifford Soubier), Taylor's neighbor. Once again, the Legion takes action, attacking Grogan.
Under the continued influence of the Legion, Taylor becomes a brutal racist, and alienates his wife (Erin O'Brien-Moore
Erin O'Brien-Moore
Erin O'Brien-Moore was an American actress.Moore's acting career began onstage. Noticed in a Broadway stage production, she was signed to a movie contract...
). He starts drinking heavily and takes up with a loose woman (Helen Flint). Taylor's friend, Ed Jackson (Dick Foran
Dick Foran
John Nicholas 'Dick' Foran was an American actor, known for his performances in western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures.-Life and career:...
), tries to counsel him, and a drunken Taylor winds up confessing about his Legion activities. When Taylor reports this to Cliff, a co-worker and fellow member the Legion, Cliff initiates a false rumor that Jackson is a woman-beater. On the pretext of punishing him for that offense, the Legion then kidnaps Jackson, planning to flog him. Jackson punches one of the men restraining him and tries to escape. As he is running away he is shot by Taylor, who then breaks down with guilt and remorse, exclaiming "I didn't mean to shoot!".
Taylor is arrested for the murder, and the Legion threatens his wife and son to stop him from implicating the Legion in the crime, but, ultimately, Frank breaks down and tells the truth, resulting in the entire Black Legion being convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Cast
- Humphrey BogartHumphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
as Frank Taylor - Dick ForanDick ForanJohn Nicholas 'Dick' Foran was an American actor, known for his performances in western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures.-Life and career:...
as Ed Jackson - Erin O'Brien-MooreErin O'Brien-MooreErin O'Brien-Moore was an American actress.Moore's acting career began onstage. Noticed in a Broadway stage production, she was signed to a movie contract...
as Ruth Taylor - Ann SheridanAnn Sheridan-Life and career:Born Clara Lou Sheridan in Denton, Texas on February 21, 1915, she was a student at the University of North Texas when her sister sent a photograph of her to Paramount Pictures. She subsequently entered and won a beauty contest, with part of her prize being a bit part in a...
as Betty Grogan - Helen Flint as Pearl Danvers
- Joe SawyerJoe SawyerJoe Sawyer was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1930 and 1962.He was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and died in Ashland, Oregon from liver cancer....
as Cliff Summers - Clifford Soubier as Mike Grogan
- Alonzo Price as Alf Hargrave
- Paul HarveyPaul Harvey (actor)Paul Harvey was an American actor who appeared in at least 177 films.-Selected filmography:*They Shall Have Music *Behind the News *Moonlight Masquerade *Spellbound...
as Billings - Dickie Jones as Buddy Taylor
- Samuel S. HindsSamuel S. HindsSamuel Southey Hinds was an American actor who is perhaps best remembered for playing Peter Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and for his part in You Can't Take It With You , both films by Frank Capra...
as Judge
- Addison RichardsAddison RichardsAddison Richards was an American film actor. He appeared in over 300 films between 1933 and 1964. He died from a heart attack...
as Prosecuting Attorney - Eddie AcuffEddie AcuffEddie Acuff was an American actor. His best-known recurring role is that of Mr. Beasley, the postman, in the Blondie movie series that starred Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake....
as Metcalf - Dorothy Vaughan as Mrs. Grogan
- John LitelJohn LitelJohn Litel was an American film actor. During World War I, Litel enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery....
as Tommy Smith - Henry BrandonHenry BrandonHenry Brandon was an American character actor in over 100 films, famous for playing Indian, Arab, Persian, Turkish, Native American and East Asian roles, usually villains....
as Joe Dombrowski - Charles HaltonCharles HaltonCharles Halton was a stern-faced American character actor who appeared in over 180 films.One of his most memorable portrayals was as Carter, the bank examiner in It's a Wonderful Life...
as Osgood - Pat C. Flick as Nick Strumpas
- Francis Sayles as Charlie
- Paul StantonPaul StantonPaul Frederick Stanton is a former professional ice hockey player.Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1985 as a high school senior, Paul chose to play for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and was named an NCAA West All-American in 1988.He played his first NHL game in the 1991 season for the...
as Barham - Harry Hayden as Jones
- Egon BrecherEgon BrecherEgon Brecher was a Czechoslovakian stage actor and director who toured Austria and Germany acting on the stage, and also served as the chief director of the Stadts Theatre in Vienna, before entering the motion picture industry.-Career:Born as a son of a professor, he began to study philosophy in...
as Old Man Dombrowski
Cast notes
- Before he turned to acting, Clifford Soubier was a broadcaster for NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in Chicago. Black Legion was his film debut, and he went on to appear in five others.
Production
Black Legion went into production in late August 1936, and location shooting took place in private homes in the Hollywood area, the Providencia Ranch in the Hollywood HillsHollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
and the Warner Ranch in Calabasas. Executive producer Hal B. Wallis
Hal B. Wallis
Hal B. Wallis was an American film producer.-Career:Harold Brent Wallis was born in Chicago in 1898. His family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros...
had wanted Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
to play the lead role, but producer Robert Lord
Robert Lord
Robert Lord was an American screenwriter and film producer. He wrote for 71 films between 1925 and 1940. He won an Academy Award in 1933 in the category Best Writing, Original Story for the film One Way Passage...
thought Robinson was too foreign looking, and wanted a "distinctly American looking actor to play [the] part."
Awards and honors
Robert LordRobert Lord
Robert Lord was an American screenwriter and film producer. He wrote for 71 films between 1925 and 1940. He won an Academy Award in 1933 in the category Best Writing, Original Story for the film One Way Passage...
's original story received an Academy Award nomination in 1937, but lost to William Wellman and Robert Carson
Robert Carson (writer)
Robert Carson was an American film and television screenwriter, novelist, and short story writer, who won an Academy Award in 1938 for his screenplay of A Star Is Born. He was married to Mary Jane Irving, a former child actress.-Film screenwriting credits:*A Star Is Born, 1937...
's story for A Star Is Born
A Star Is Born (1937 film)
A Star Is Born is a 1937 Technicolor romantic drama film produced by David O. Selznick and directed by William A. Wellman, with a script by Wellman, Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell. It stars Janet Gaynor as an aspiring Hollywood actress, and Fredric March as an aging movie star who...
. However the National Board of Review named Black Legion as the best film of 1937, and Humprey Bogart as the best actor for his work in the film.