In 1900, lawyer Roberto Columbo (Peter Brocco) was murdered for planning to expose the Black Hand syndicate that had New York's Little Italy in its grasp. His wife Maria (Eleonora von Mendelssohn) took their son Giovanni - aka "Johnny" - back to Italy, but Johnny (Gene Kelly) has returned after eight years later to settle his vendetta against the crooks that killed his dad. However, the Black Hand is stronger than ever, leaving more victims in their wake, including the parents of Columbo's childhood friend Isabella Gomboli (Teresa Celli). Still, Teresa worries that Columbo's vendetta will merely get him killed, as does Louis Lorelli (J. Carroll Naish), a cop and an old friend of Columo's father. They're right to be worried, in all fairness, because the Black Hand will do whatever it takes to keep Little Italy under its control. Even in Sicily, where Lorelli visits to secure some background information on a suspected Black Hand member, the crooks are able to strike. Can Columbo stop the Black Hand? And what price will he have to pay for doing so?
Gene Kelly embarks on a vendetta against the criminals who killed his father in Black Hand, his first dramatic outing. The name "Black Hand" has been used by numerous secret societies over the years, from Spanish anarchists to Serbian unification groups. In the context of organized crime in America, it refers to a loosely-defined collective of lone wolves and gangs who preyed upon their fellow Italian-American immigrants in the early 1900s. It should be noted, however, that the Black Hand was not the name of a particular crime syndicate or anything like that. It was a signature that accompanied ransom and extortion demands, along with other violent imagery - firing guns, bloody knives, skulls, that sort of thing. At the end of these letters was the symbol of a hand drawn in black ink, making a gesture that represented a warning. A reporter for the New York Herald coined the phrase "Black Hand letters," and the name stuck, eventually spawning the myth of an elaborate crime cartel. Black Hand gangsters didn't hesitate to use violence against cops, even assassinating policemen who got too close to their operations, such as Joseph Petrosino of the NYDP in 1909. Black Hand activity was sometimes used by politicians and the press to demonize Italian-American immigrants, even though they themselves were often the targets. (Sound familiar?) Famed opera tenor Enrico Caruso in particular was targeted multiple times, after paying a ransom the first time he received a Black Hand letter. A film based on the exploits of the Black Hand seemed inevitable, and MGM originally planned for such a film to be a B-picture starring Robert Taylor. However, Gene Kelly, who had returned to Hollywood in 1946 following his time in the US Naval Air Service, was looking for some substantial acting opportunities. Although his most iconic films, An American in Paris (1951) and Singin' in the Rain (1952) were yet to come, Kelly had already made a rep for himself as a talented dancer and choreographer on both the stage and the big screen. After a noteworthy performance in William Saroyan's Broadway hit The Time of Your Life in 1939, he got his first lead role in Pal Joey in 1940. Hollywood took notice, and Kelly made his film debut in For Me and My Gal (1942), opposite Judy Garland. Kelly was wowing audiences and impressing critics with his dancing prowess in hits such as Thousands Cheer (1943) - which also gave him his first chance to choreograph his own routines - Cover Girl (1944), and Anchors Aweigh (1945). While there's no denying Kelly's prowess as a dancer, I find myself personally more impressed with the creative ingenuity of his choreography, particularly when partnered with a mop (it makes sense in context) and Jerry from Tom & Jerry. Anchors Aweigh (1945) After World War II, Kelly's return to Hollywood was less than triumphant at first. Living in a Big Way (1947) and The Pirate (1948) were critical and commercial disappointments, although The Three Musketeers (1948) was a colossal hit, one of MGM's biggest moneymakers of the year. Kelly returned to making musicals, making his directorial debut in On The Town (1949) opposite Frank Sinatra. However, Kelly was looking to expand his range and wanted to pursue a serious acting role. Somehow, this film got on his radar, and he ended up with the lead role. (Another aspect of Black Hand's origin is that studios who wanted to make movies about organized crime found it safer to go after defunct organizations instead of active ones such as the Mafia.) WARNING: Here be spoilers! Read further at your own risk! In 1900, lawyer Roberto Columbo (Peter Brocco) was murdered for planning to expose the Black Hand syndicate that had New York's Little Italy in its grasp. His wife Maria (Eleonora von Mendelssohn) took their son Giovanni - aka "Johnny" - back to Italy, but Johnny (Gene Kelly) has returned after eight years later to settle his vendetta against the crooks that killed his dad. However, the Black Hand is stronger than ever, leaving more victims in their wake, including the parents of Columbo's childhood friend Isabella Gomboli (Teresa Celli). Still, Teresa worries that Columbo's vendetta will merely get him killed, as does Louis Lorelli (J. Carroll Naish), a cop and an old friend of Columo's father. They're right to be worried, in all fairness, because the Black Hand will do whatever it takes to keep Little Italy under its control. Even in Sicily, where Lorelli visits to secure some background information on a suspected Black Hand member, the crooks are able to strike. Can Columbo stop the Black Hand? And what price will he have to pay for doing so? I usually appreciate it when actors try and push their boundaries, and I went into this movie excited to see what Kelly could do in this kind of a role. In this case, though, it unfortunately doesn't work. He simply isn't at all convincing in this role - not as an Italian-American, and not as a vengeful son on a vendetta. He has a few good moments here and there, and it's clear that he's trying, but it's not enough. I'm thankful that they didn't go with the original choice, Robert Taylor, who I am not at all a fan of, and Kelly at least has some decent acting chops, but he just lacks the intensity needed for a role like this one. And it doesn't help like the script doesn't really give his character all that much to do. Teresa Celli fares better as Isabella, faring better than most leading ladies stuck in the romantic interest role, although it's not all that memorable. The hands-down best performance of Black Hand is J. Carroll Naish as Lorelli, whose character is based on Joseph Petrosino. I was still mostly used to seeing Naish play villains at the time I first saw this, so seeing him in a sympathetic role - and being so good at it - was a pleasant surprise. He's far more interesting than Columbo, both in terms of performance and writing. I've seen a number of films directed by longtime MGM director Richard Thorpe, and this is probably his best from among those. In addition to one of the later Thin Man movies, I'm mostly familiar with his swashbucklers, including Robert Taylor's so-called "iron codpiece" trilogy of Ivanhoe (1952), Knights of the Round Table (1954 - and by God, is that movie in for a smiting when I get around to reviewing it), and Quentin Durward (1955). Thorpe is basically a point and shoot kind of director without any particular sense of style, and he doesn't seem that interested in getting engaging decent performances out of his cast. Here, though, he creates an atmosphere of oppressive menace, and it's hard not to feel a sense of despair at the extent of the death grip the bad guys have on Little Italy. The ending, unfortunately, is anti-climactic, with all the getting blown up at the end at the hands of their own death-trap. (Hey, that's what the spoiler warning is for.) Black Hand didn't end up being a moneymaker for MGM, despite solid reviews, including critics who were kinder to Gene Kelly's performance than I was. Fortunately, it didn't hurt Kelly's career any, and the aforementioned Sound of Music and An American in Paris permanently earned him Hollywood icon status. After the decline of the musical genre, Kelly delivered a much better dramatic performance in Inherit the Wind (1960), opposite Spencer Tracy and Fredric March. Although he turned down the chance to direct The Sound of Music (1965), he did direct A Guide to the Married Man (1967), a huge hit, and Hello, Dolly! (1969), which nabbed several Oscar wins, but was a commercial failure. His final on-screen appearance was in the third part of the MGM documentary That's Entertainment (1994). Inherit the Wind (1960) Although it falls short in various ways, Black Hand is still worth a watch, mostly for Naish's performance and seeing Kelly try something new. Just keep your expectations moderate.
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