BLACK HAND

US, 1949, 92 minutes, Black and white.
Gene Kelly, J. Carroll Naish, Teresa Celli, Marc Lawrence.
Directed by Richard Thorpe.

Black Hand is a late '40s melodrama about the Mafia at the turn of the century in New York. It precedes The Godfather by more than 20 years.

It is a small budget production with Gene Kelly in a serious role. The strength of the film is in the performance by J. Carroll Naish as a serious policeman trying to eradicate the Mafia. The film re-creates New York and Naples in studio sets, shows something of the way of life at the time, the tensions among the Italians and the reputation of the Mafia as well as their dealings amongst one another. The film is optimistic in its hopes for eradicating the Black Hand and the influence of the Mafia. Direction is by Richard Thorpe, director of many action features and of many M.G.M. spectacles like The Knights of the Round Table during the '50s.

1. Interesting film about the Mafia? A '40s perspective on half a century earlier? In the light of later films about the Tafia?

2. Production values, support feature, black and white photography, the re-creation of New York and Naples in the sets? Musical score?

3. The title, the symbol, the Mafiosi? The origins in Italy, criminals? Emigrating to America? Bringing their codes? Blackmail, terrorising, violence? The action for eradicating the Black Hand?

4. The opening, the lawyer going to testify, the irony that the Mafia had murdered the policeman, and heard his confession, his murder? The effect on his wife, her resignation? Religion? Johnny and his swearing vendetta? The return to Italy?

5. Johnny's return? Gene Kelly's suitability for the role? His wanting vendetta? His finding Louis again? Louis urging him to work within the law? The meeting with Isabella and Rudy? The further deaths? The frustration? The court cases and witnesses being terrorised? The cable from Italy and the arrest of the accused and his deportation? The possibility of Louis going to Naples and identifying the criminals? Johnny and his support? Louis' death, the kidnapping of Rudy, the Mafia chiefs and their hold, taking Johnny, Isabella’s plea? Imprisonment, torture? His bargain? Letting Rudy go? In the shop, seeing the explosives, lighting the fuse? The pursuit of the chief and killing him? Getting the list? His achievement? His initial attempts to form a society, the people gathered, the deaths? The later heritage of the Mafia and its continuance?

6. Louis, his work as a policeman, the frustrations? Friendship with Johnny? Helping bin with the assembly, its failure? The court case and his success, drinking? Deciding to go to Naples, the attempts on his life, identifying the photos? His murder, posting the letter? His contribution?

7. Isabella, Rudy, caught up in the atmosphere in New York, the dangers, the meetings, the kidnapping of Rudy, Isabella's outburst? Rudy and the torture, release, The reconciliation?

8. The Mafia and Black Hand personnel, in the ordinary shops in the streets, extortion money, the gangsters and their killings, the dead bodies at meetings? The murders in Naples and the connections? The purpose of the Black Hand? Criminal types? American law trying to cope?

9. Interesting melodrama, melodramatic style? A perspective on the Mafia from the past?