Black Legion (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“BLACK LEGION” Six-Day Pictorial Serialization FIRST CHAPTER UF “BLACK LEGIUN’ TOLD IN PICTURES Stirring Film Drama with Humphrey Bogart and Dick Foran Coming to The Frank Taylor and Ed Jackson, besides being pals, are co-workers in the factory of a large automobile plant. A new foreman is about to be appointed, and Frank, who feels that he is qualified to be next in line, discusses the situation with Ed. Frank, gradually convinced by Ed that the job is his, makes great plans for his family—a brand new car, for instance. Frank Taylor’s wife, Ruth, drops in on the Grogans, next door neighbors, at whose house Ed boards. Pa Grogan works with the boys in the factory. His daughter, Betty, is in love with Ed but, as Mrs. Grogan and Ruth tell her, she has a much-tobe-feared rival in Pearl Danvers, a widow of very doubtful character with whom Ed has been seen of late. Frank arrives home and breaks the news to Ruth about the new job. Playfully, he promises that he will buy all the things they have been needing for the house on his new salary. As she listens to him, indulgently, her heart warmed by his devotion, litthke Buddy calls excitedly to his father that ‘Speed Forster” is on the radio. As father and son sit by the radio, all is serene in the Taylor household. Theatre on EXPLOITATION The next day at the factory the new foreman is appointed—Joe Dombrowski, a serious minded, hard-working young man of obvious foreign extraction. It is a cruel blow to Frank, and to Ed, too, but whereas Ed is willing to co-operate with the new foreman, Frank finds it a too difficult pill to swallow, and resents taking orders from the foreign-born Dombrowski. SECUND CHAPTER OF “BLACh LEGION’ TOLD IN PICTURES Stirring Film Drama with Humphrey Bogart and Dick Foran Coming to The —_-_____--.---------------------------------------------------Theatre on That night Frank returns home, brooding over his failure to be promoted, and at his inability to buy the car he had selected. He is in a nasty mood and has words with Ed, when the latter tries to “snap him out of it.”>, Tuning in on the radio, he is much affected by a typical propaganda speech on the peril to real Americans from the hordes of grasping foreigners. ‘“‘Dombrowski,” he mutters, contemptuously. Seta ss Meanwhile, Ed takes Betty into ‘‘Nick’s” for a soda, and surprises even himself by getting up enough courage to propose marriage. As the two young sweethearts are about to leave, they come face to face with Pearl Danvers, the widow, whom Ed just can’t seem to shake off. Although flustered a bit, he has the courage to tell Pearl that he is engaged to Betty. At the factory, Frank is envious of Dombrowski and hatred has warped his reason. After a mild run-in with Dombrowski, he is approached by Cliff, one of the more surly workers around the plant. Goading Frank on, Cliff asks him, how he likes “being pushed around by a Hunyak.” Frank is in a desperate mood, and listens eagerly when Cliff tells him there are a lot of fellows in town who know how to protect themselves from foreigners. THIRD CHAPTER OF “BLACh LEGION” TOLD Stirring Film Drama with Humphrey Bogart and Dick Foran Coming to The Instructed by Cliff, Frank turns up at Osgood’s drug store. Osgood is the smug sort of man, always investigating other’s privacy, but whose own life, so proper on the surface, is the epitome of depravity and stupidity. Begging Frank to be quiet, Osgood leads him behind the counter and through a door to the prescription room, and then down into the cellar. Voices can be heard, as the two men approach. Finally, Frank finds himself at a secret meeting of the Local Black Legion unit, which is being addressed by its Commander, Alf Hargrave. Urging to unite under the banner of the Black Legion, for their purpose of driving out undesirable foreigners, he concludes: “With fire and sword we will purge the land of these traitorous aliens ... until... the Stars and Stripes will wave over a united nation of free — white — one-hundred percent Americans! !”’ At a secret meeting place in the woods, Frank and some others, at the point of a pistol, take the Black Legion’s oath. “In the name of God and the devil . . . here under the black arch of Heaven’s avenging symbol, I pledge and consecrate my heart, my brain, my body, my limbs, and swear to devote my life to the obedience of my superiors . . . suffer the most horrible death rather than reveal a single word of this, my oath. . . . In the name of God, our Creator, Amen.” Hargrave, the Commander, extends an open hand toward Frank. Lying in his hand is a forty-five bullet cut in half. The cartridge half is given to Frank as a symbol of the Legion’s trust. The lead half is kept by Hargrave, who says to Frank, “You will receive this the day you betray that trust.”’ Frank is supplied with a uniform of the Black Legion, and is given a revolver for all of which he has to pay a stiff price. Ruth questions Frank’s suddent decision to buy a gun. Frank tells her he needs it to protect their home. She is much perplexed and is even more perplexed when, after getting a phone call, Frank decides to go out, explaining that the “lodge” was meeting again. He gives her a very perfunctory kiss, and leaves. In the garage is his Legion uniform which he packs into the car, and drives off. SIX STRIPS ON ONE MAT. ORDER MAT NO. 501—50c DIRECT FROM CAMPAIGN PLAN EDITOR, 321 W. 44th ST., N. Y. C. Page Six