THE BLACK DRAGONS
US, 1942, 64 minutes, Black and white.
Bela Lugosi, Joan Barclay, George Pembroke, Clayton Moore.
Directed by William Nigh.
The Black Dragons is one of many B-budget films from Monogram Studios with Bela Lugosi. Still relying on his screen presence from Dracula, he slinks in and out of scenes, lurking in a sinister manner. This time he is a mysterious character who comes to the United States and systematically kills off members of a group of American industrialists who are fifth columnists, wanting to sabotage the war effort, getting appropriations from the American government for shipbuilding yards away from the sea etc. They then destroy the installations and get the money.
The film is simply the focus on Lugosi appearing, confronting each member of the group, meeting the niece of one of them, a good woman who helps in the solution of the case, along with an FBI agent, played by Clayton Moore who was to become the Lone Ranger.
The film was directed by William Nigh, director of many of this kind of B-budget thriller including The Ape with Boris Karloff.
1.The impact of this film in its time? As a supporting feature? Short running time?
2.The small budget, sets, cast? Editing style? Sinister musical score? A star vehicle for Bela Lugosi?
3.The basis of the group of industrialists, Americans, fifth columnists, the bombing of Pearl Harbour, their plans for appropriations, their lifestyle, wealth, women, political influence? Their meetings? Their characters? Doctor Saunders as the central character? His being confronted by Monsieur Columb? His refusing to see people? The other members of the group, pursued by Monsieur Columb, his killing them all?
4.Alice, her arrival, meeting Monsieur Column, wanting to contact her uncle? With Dick Martin, the ambitious young FBI agent? With Columb? Trying to solve the case?
5.The background of the FBI, their methods? A film made in 1942 with a critique of exploitive American industrialists, war appropriations? Influence on the government? The film utilising the thriller style with the touch of horror with Bela Lugosi?
