Black Legion (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“BLACK LEGION’ PUBERGITY Lips Frozen With Fear “Death to squealers” was the only law of the bloody legions, but a woman’s kisses made Humphrey Bogart blast a confession in the most daring expose ever filmed. It is “Black Legion,” the Warner Bros. picture which COMmeSELOnth ese ee aa eee, TRCGtre.. O10; sees Sa ae ee Mat No. 203—20c Film Life kasy Compared To Stage, Asserts Bogart Leading Man of “Black Legion” Tells of Theatre Actors’ Upward Struggles Sereen players who have reached success without stage experience do not realize what an easy time they have had. At least so declares Humphrey Bogart, who is featured in ‘‘Black Legion,’’ the Warner Bros. melodrama now on view af SRO Sci i a eee ome. Theatre. ‘‘Before an actor gets to Broadway,’’ he said, ‘‘he must serve an apprenticeship. A hard one. He must know what it is to fight his way to a job. To rehearse hopefully without pay. To work for years without any reward except experience. “When he was on the way up, he didn’t have swell dressingrooms and_ hair-dressers and make-up assistants. There wasn’t anybody standing around waiting to bring him a chair.” “No, sir! He had to battle for actual necessities in his dressing room. Often, he didn’t have even enough light.” “When he finally reached Broadway and featured roles, he got a little extra respect from the stage hands, but mighty little extra service.” and thrilling melodrama’ based on the actual operations of the secret, hooded, night-riding order which terrorized Michigan recently. . “He looked after his own makeup. If he wanted to sit down, he found himself a chair, if he could. If he had quick changes and needed help, he hired a dresser and paid him personally.” “To the directors, he was part of a machine and had to do his share of the work. Hours meant nothing. Feelings meant nothing. It was a hard school, but a thorough one.” “These young screen players, who are waited on hand and foot have a cinch. They are treated with kid gloves by directors. Babied by make-up people. Have their shoes changed for them. “T wonder if they appreciate their success like those of us who had to fight tooth and nail to get anywhere?” Bogart speaks from experience as a tried trouper. He played in stock and traveling companies for years, and ultimately chalked up at least eight Broadway suceesses. ‘‘Cradle Snatchers,” ‘“Saturday’s Children,’ “Most Immoral Lady,” “Hell’s Bells” and “Petrified Forest” were some of them. “Black Legion” is a daring Hooded Outlaws’ Crimes In “Black Legion”’ Film Daring Movie Based on Michigan Order’s Reign of Terror Soon Shown By ARTHUR ZELLNER The news of recent headlines was reenacted a few weeks ago at the Warner Bros. studios in Hollywood. The Night Riders rode again. The ‘‘Black Legion’’ once more spread its reign of terror. Hundreds of masked men in flowing robes slipped from the shadows of a little cottage. Behind its lighted windows was a scene of peace and comfort. A young man studying at a table. An old man reading. Outside a figure darted forward with a lighted torch. Hooded figures banged on the door. In a moment a tongue of flame licked about the little porch. Inside, peace became panic. The door opened and _ the masked cowards easily overpowered the helpless young man and his old old father. Resistance was useless. Dazedly they heard the threat of death unless they left town at once. The flames were spreading. The victims were shoved ahead —the guns of their attackers at their backs. They were allowed only a single backward glance. That was enough to see their earthly possessions going up in smoke, leaving the charred ruins of all their hopes. This was ‘just one of many thrilling scenes directed by Archie Mayo for the gripping melodrama that comes to the. Theatre on... ns Alonzo Price was the leader of the “Black Legion”; Joseph Sawyer, his eruel henchman; Henry Brandon the young man whose home was burned; Humphrey Bogart, the bewildered newest member of the “Black Legion,” not yet aware of the horror of his offenses against law and order. “Black Legion” is a daring and thrilling melodrama based upon the actual operations of the secret, hooded, night-riding order which terrorized Michigan recently. The cast includes among others, Dick Foran, Ann Sheridan, Erin O’Brien-Moore. Studio Lingo Acquires New Slang Word Even those who thought they knew the studio lexicon from cover to cover were puzzled when Archie Mayo, who directed “Black Legion,” now at the..... Theatre, for Warner shouted: “Tt’s a Lindquist.” What does it mean? It’s the name of the announcer on the Los Angeles police radio, who always signs off with the words, “Lindquist speaking. That is alle? So now a Lindquist in the movies is a final scene—a wind up —finis to the day. Redheads Not Hotheads Say Titian Film Stars Three Brick-Tops in “Black Legion”? Deny They Have Violent Tempers Add to your collection of exploded myths the one about red-headed people being hot-tempered. Three red-headed stars (yes, and freckled, too) appearing in a single picture, Warner Bros.’ ‘‘Black Legion,’’ now at LLC: Rebaeeag Ree Ris, Sagun OLS Theatre, compared notes the other day to slay that superstition. Dick Foran, Ann Sheridan and Erin O’Brien-Moore all denied they’re quick-tempered. The quick-tempered star of “Black Legion” isn’t a red-head. He’s dark-haired, dark-eyed Humphrey Bogart. “Ym slow to anger,” Ann Sheridan declared. “Moreover, when thoroughly angered I’m also slow to forgive, which is another trait that doesn’t agree with the traditional one about red-heads. They’re supposed to flare up easily, forget and forgive quickly.” “Of course, Indian blood in my veins might explain my slowness to forget anger. An Indian, you know—like the elephant—never forgets!” Foran scoffs at the idea of any possible connection between anything so deep-seated as temper and temperament, and anything so superficial as one’s complexion. “Some of the _ best-natured, hardest-to-anger fellows I ever knew had hair as red as mine,” he declared. “Naturally,” said Miss O’BrienMoore, “there are red-heads who | His Confession Blasted the Brotherhood of Butchery _.Theatre, on. 401—40c > flare up quickly. But no more in proportion than blondes or brunettes. My red hair comes from Irish ancestry, but I assure you a black-haired Irishman isn’t a bit safer to plague than a redheaded one. An Irishman’s emotionalism is a racial trait, and fortunately his sense of humor tempers any tendency to temper.” “Black Legion” is a daring and thrilling melodrama based upon the actual operations of the secret, hooded, night-riding order which terrorized Michigan recently, and whose leaders were condemned to life imprisonment. The cast includes Humphrey Bogart, Dick Foran, Ann Sheridan, Erin O’Brien-Moore, Helen Flint, Joseph Sawyer, Dickie Jones and others. Archie Mayo directed the picture from a screen play by Abem Finkel and William Wister Haines, made from Robert Lord’s original story. In one of the most dramatic scenes ever filmed from the inside story of the year’s headline sensation, Humphrey Bogart blazes forth the truth about the murderous legion whose torch and torture terrorized the world in “Black Legion,” ‘Warner Bros.’ America’s greatest racket, which comes to the... ll Mat No. daring expose of Poe Ser scnt nein sien eae nee ew ci Page Eleven