Black Legion (1937)

The yearlong journey through the alphabet began last week with an early leading role for Tom Cruise. This week the unintentional trend of early roles continues as we visit an early role for Humphrey Bogart in Black Legion (1937).

Title: Black Legion

Director: Archie Mayo

Released: January 30, 1937

Watched via: Streaming on HBOMAX

IMDb synopsis: A hard-working machinist loses a promotion to a Polish-born worker, he’s seduced into joining the secretive Black Legion, which intimidates foreigners through violence.

Frank Taylor (Bogart) is your average white male factory worker who learns of the foreman role becoming available. He is irate when the role of foreman goes to Joe Dombrowski. Is it because Dombrowski always has his nose in a book? To an extent, but not ultimately. Because Dombrowski doesn’t socialize with coworkers as much as others? Possibly, but again, not exactly. Then why is Frank so angry that Dombrowski received the promotion to foreman instead of him? Because Joe Dombrowski is a Polish immigrant.

So, what’s a man to do? Well, if you’re Frank Taylor you buy-in to the fear mongering messaging spread by the Black Legion, a hate group that intimidates foreigners through violence. After completing the initiation process, Frank wastes no time in getting “revenge” on Dombrowski. He does so, with the help of the Black Legion, by burning down the Dombrowski’s chicken farm. This cowardice act scares Joe Dombrowski and his family into leaving town thus opening the foreman position once again.

Now as foreman at the factory, Frank continues to pulled deeper and deeper into the depths of the Black Legion and their actions. The Black Legion now takes precedence over everything in Frank Taylor’s life. So much so, that he is ultimately demoted from foreman in favor of his Irish neighbor, Mike Grogan. If you think you know what happens next, you’re exactly right. The Black Legion attack Mike Grogan the same night of Grogan’s promotion.

Ed Jackson, Frank’s co-worker and the husband of Mike Grogan’s daughter, has his suspicions that Frank is involved in the recent attacks against immigrants. He approaches Frank’s wife, Ruth, who then approaches Frank herself. After a violent confrontation, Ruth leaves Frank which sends him spiraling even deeper out of control. When Ed approaches Frank to voice his concerns over his friend’s current state of affairs, a drunk Frank spills the tea on his actions with the Black Legion. When Frank informs the leaders of the Black Legion of his loose lips, the Legion calls for Ed’s head.

Despite being captured, Ed Jackson still threatens to go to the police. This leads to a worried Frank shooting and killing Ed. Now faced with the consequences of his actions, Frank tries to be remorseful and goes as far as to give up everyone else in the Black Legion while on trial for murder. After a heavy handed “America is better than that” speech from the judge, the film ends with all members of the Black Legion in the courtroom found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in the State Penitentiary.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Looking at Black Legion (1937) without any historical context, it’s a perfectly okay movie with glimpses of what would make Humphrey Bogart a star in just a few short years. But, when you do a bit of research and learn that the Black Legion was a real off-shoot of the Klu Klux Klan, the heavy-handed messaging becomes a bit depressing as it is impossible to ignore the eerie similarities between the “America first” rhetoric, white privilege, and fragile egos on display here with what is still all too present some eighty-six years later.

With a runtime of only eighty-three minutes, Black Legion (1937) feels properly paced until we reach Frank’s arrest. From there on it feels like a rushed sprint to the finish. However, the “America is better than that” speech from the Judge is the highlight of the final act, even if history has managed to just keep repeating itself. If there is a “feel good” moment in the end, it is seeing Frank Taylor held accountable for his actions despite his remorse in the face of consequences.

Black Legion (1937) deserves at least one viewing and is currently streaming on HBOMAX.

Have you seen Black Legion (1937)? What did you think of it?

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The letter “B” is now officially in the books. Next week we’ll tackle the letter “C”. The movie selected will be revealed on social media Wednesday evening.