The Black Hand

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nick s Convincing acting, good moody camera work and nice tension/pacing. The theme was interesting... how does a community halt an organised extortion racket when everyone fears to speak up? The film didn't really offer a workable solution. But it's still great viewing. Gritty and bleak with a nail biter ending. I watch a lot of noir movies and can't see why this isn't up with the classics. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/29/24 Full Review Audience Member There is no such thing as The Black Hand. Johnny Colombo was orphaned as a boy when his Italian father was killed by the Black Hand in the mean streets of New York City. Johnny is sent back to the old country where he is raised and becomes a man. He returns to Manhattan to seek revenge and finds the love of his life in the process. He partners with his new dame to unearth the infamous Black Hand. "Please don't make us do this." Richard Thorpe, director of Jailhouse Rock, Ivanhoe, Vengeance Valley, Knights of the Roundtable, The Truth about Spring, and Athena, delivers The Black Hand. The storyline for this picture is fairly interesting and well paced. There were some dynamic characters and worthwhile character development. The acting was pretty good and the cast includes Gene Kelly, J. Carrol Naish, and Marc Lawrence. "Johnny can say it better than me..." I DVR'd this a long time ago off Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and thought the old school gangster movie would be entertaining. It was worth a viewing and similar to the old Bogart pictures, just not quite as good. This is only worth watching if you're a diehard fan of the classics. "Brave Italian defies Black Hand's warning." Grade: C+ Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member It was interesting to see GK not in a dancing role. It was pretty interesting. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Classic Gene Kelly films are always a must. Did you know Gene was in some some thrillers and mafia type films? Itâ(TM)s true. You should check out â~Black Handâ(TM). This is billed as Geneâ(TM)s first dramatic role, and he is great in it. And with the big release of â~Singing in the Rainâ(TM) recently, a few of Geneâ(TM)s lesser known works are trickling out. Although it is a made-to-order Warner Archive DVD with no extras, I still recommend this release. You wonâ(TM)t regret it. You probably have heard the story before. â(TM)Black Handâ(TM) is about a good guy standing up to the Black Hand, a group of Italian mobsters who are shaking down their town. Gene Kelly plays Johnny Columbo (great name), who returns to his old stomping grounds to see that his once home has changed for the worst. He is out for revenge over the death of his father and when he goes to the cops, the ruthless Black Hand starts killing witnesses and kidnapping people. Columbo gets out to the people to start up a group to fight back against the gangsters. Iâ(TM)m sure if you research early 1900â²s gangster crime, you will see similarities to this film. The violence and killings seem to be taken from actual history. And who is to say this didnâ(TM)t actually happen. There are a quite a few twists and turns that will keep you happy and it is so good to see Gene play a darker role. Donâ(TM)t get me wrong, he is a good guy, but there are some moments when his sinister side shows. Itâ(TM)s very cool. -Bryan Kluger Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member I always like seeing Gene Kelly in non-dance roles, but he is awfully misact here as an Italian immigrant bent on revenge for the killing his father by the "Black Hand". If you can overcome Kelly as a curly haired immigrant, he does a serviceable job and the film has a solid nourish quality, especially in the final part of the film. Nothing great, but certainly an interesting film to check out for Kelly fans. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member They dont make gangster flicks this good anymore. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Black Hand

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