"I got just the thing to straighten you out."

For the following weeks or months, depending on how frequently I post, the movies of Humphrey Bogart will be looked at. Bogie was named the greatest male star of all time by AFI during their century celebration of the art form. His movies have become timeless and the persona he created has outlived the man by 50 years.

His first staring role occurred in 1937 in a drama called Black Legion. The movie was based on true events that occurred the year before in the Midwest. A group of white supremacists, called the Black Legion, banded together to eliminate minorities who they believed were stealing their jobs and promotions. They were basically a northern branch of the KKK. A country wide craze developed around the organization when it was learned that one of the gang had been caught and was willing to turn in fellow members of the organization. As with most crazes of the time that occurred outside of the law, Warner Brothers was around to make a movie about the man who blew the whistle on the Black Legion.

The studio known mostly for its gritty gangster pictures handed the lead role over to Humphrey Bogart. Bogie had achieved success on his second try in Hollywood thanks to his role as Duke Mantee in The Petrified Forest (1936). Despite his critical acclaim in that picture, he did not rise above bit parts. He did stay in Hollywood though, which was a change from his first trip right after talkies were introduced and Hollywood producers looked to Broadway actors for the new sound pictures.

For fans of Bogie, the character of Frank Taylor is much different from ones he would play in later years. It is even different than the gangsters he played in B-movies. Taylor is a blue-collar worker in a factory. This is typical Bogie. He has been at the plant for a long time and is expected to be the next person promoted to foreman. He doesn’t get the job as it goes to someone else who is more qualified, but also a minority. This doesn’t set well with Bogie, who has to go home and tell his loving wife that he was passed over for the job. He is about to get over the rejection when a coworker asks him if he is tired of seeing under qualified people get promoted because they have a different skin color or a different faith from the majority. Bogie says sure and the coworker tells him to stop by for a meeting.

Bogie goes and becomes a part of the Black Legion. The Legion goes on raids, including one that burns down the new foreman’s barn. The new foreman leaves town and Bogie gets promoted. Everything seems to be going well in Bogie land, but his brain has become warped and he believes everything is a slight against him by some minority. Unlike future Bogie characters, who are either completely evil (the gangsters) or likable tough guys who are sentimental, it is hard to classify Taylor. He is evil at times, but you also see him at home with a loving wife and young boy. There is a screenwriting trick called “pet the dog,” which is used to get the audience on the side of the character. Bogart movies are the best at this. The most literal use of this technique comes from a John Wayne movie, The Searchers (1956), in which Wayne delivers a racist diatribe about Comanche’s and then walks out of the house and pets the family dog. In this case, the writers who developed the character and Bogie for his performance need to be credited for the ambiguity of Frank Taylor. Although he does not seem comfortable portraying a racist at times.

As in Hollywood at that time, and for once real life, the bad guy ends up being punished. At the trial for the murder of his best friend, Bogie breaks down and calls out the people who were parts of the Black Legion. Bogie’s breakdown occurs because of his love for his wife. He had been told by his defense lawyer, who had been hired by the Legion, that he was having an affair with a woman Bogie’s best friend liked. The two got in a tussle and a gun went off killing the friend. But in typical Hollywood style, the bad guy breaks down for no real good reason in order to appease the Hayes Office.

All in all, the movie is good. The ending is contrived and Bogie looks awkward at times. The best thing about the movie is that it shows the potential Bogie had for being a lead actor. It has recently been released on DVD and is a must for all Bogie fans to see. It is also a good watch for those not familiar with the Black Legion and their reign of terror over Depression Era Ohio and Michigan