Black Hand

UPC: 883316586860

Studio: Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

Summary: Gene Kelly as an Italian-American attorney? Once you get past this, the rest of Black Hand ought to go down easy. This expose of organized crime is set in New York's "Little Italy" the late 19th century. The various Italian immigrant merchants find themselves at the mercy of the Black Hand, a group which extorts money upon threat of death. Seeking vengeance for the mob-dictated murder of his father, Kelly tries to gather evidence against the Black Hand. He is frustrated in his efforts until he teams with Italian/American police inspector J. Carroll Naish. Though Naish is eventually murdered while assembling evidence, he is able to mail his findings to Kelly, who, after beating crime boss Marc Lawrence to a bloody pulp, delivers the guilty parties to the authorities. In the real-life incidents upon which this film is based, it was the Mafia, not the Black Hand, who functioned as the villain. Even in 1950, however, Hollywood had to tread gingerly whenever dealing with big-time crime; it was easier (and safer) to go after a "dead" criminal organization than a "live" one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Crime

Black Hand

Format: DVD

Release Date: 07/17/2012

Audio: 1 USA & territories, Canada

Runtime: 92 Minutes

Language(s) English

Region: Universal Compatability

Craig Butler

Inspired by actual events from the turn of the century but not beholden to the details, The Black Hand is a surprisingly good gangster film. One says "surprisingly" because the idea of the very Irish Gene Kelly and J. Carrol Naish playing Italian-Americans causes one to assume that Black is simply not going to make the grade. But the leads turn in excellent performances that bolster the film substantially. Granted, Kelly in particular doesn't convey the proper ethnic flavor, but his acting is so good that it doesn't really matter. Divorced from his typical song-and-dance setting, Kelly demonstrates that he has significant dramatic talent and could handle a greater range of parts than he was usually allowed. Naish is also aces, playing the seasoned pro detective like the seasoned pro actor he is. And Teresa Celli is also quite good, so much so that one wonders why her career was so short. Richard Thorpe directs with maximum tension and atmosphere, and Luther Davis' screenplay, while somewhat familiar, pushes all the right buttons. All in all, a taut and gripping thriller that deserves to be better known. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Alberto Colombo  Composer (Music Score) 
Luther Davis  Screenwriter 
Richard Thorpe  Director 
William H. Wright  Producer 
Gene Kelly  Actor 
J. Carrol Naish  Actor 
Teresa Celli  Actor 
Marc Lawrence  Actor 
Frank Puglia  Actor 
Barry Kelley  Actor 
Mario Siletti  Actor 
Carl Milletaire  Actor 
Peter Brocco  Actor 
Eleonora Mendelssohn  Actor 
Grazia Narciso  Actor 
Maurice Samuels  Actor 
Burk Symon  Actor 
Bert Freed  Actor 
Mimi Aguglia  Actor 
Carlo Tricoli  Actor 

Country: USA