Black Tuesday

Although this film is not as graceful as The Wild Bunch, it is still artfully directed and has a clever storyline. In one respect, though, it is the equal of The WIld Bunch for violent content. There is enough violence in this film for two movies. However, one cannot condemn a movie because it is overly violent. Men like these existed (and worse!) and they were even more violent than the Robinson character. While following the fate of men like these is unpleasant at best, one must come to grips with the reality of the lifestyles of hardened criminals. The prison break is a thing of beauty, but the rest of the film cannot possibly keep up with that event. However, the film as a whole is entertaining.

"Black Tuesday" is one of Edward G. Robinson's better gangster films...and that says a lot! He plays Vincent Canelli, a convicted murderer who is on Death Row. However, Canelli isn't one bit repentant about his actions. In fact, he's planning to escape...and taking one of his fellow inmates (Peter Graves). Why? Because this other Death Row resident apparently stole $200,000...and Canelli needs it to start a new life.

Instead of explaining his escape, let's jump ahead to the tense ending. Canelli and his fellow crooks are hiding out when the police discover their whereabouts...and soon there is a shootout and Canelli threatening to shoot the hostages he's taken. What's next? Well, you probably won't predict the finale...which I really appreciate.

The best thing about this film is the writing. It's top-notch and never relies on sentimentality nor cliches. Instead, it's tough and very exciting...and well worth your time.

A violent con, Vincent Canelli, escapes prison on the night of his execution. With the help of a phony newspaper reporter and Canelli's girlfriend, Hatti, who has planned the escape, the con takes along five hostages: the prison priest, the prison doctor, one of the guards, the young reporter whose place has been taken by one of the gang, and the kidnapped daughter of a guard who was forced to facilitate the escape.

Another inmate, Peter Manning, is taken along because Canelli wants the large amount of stolen money Manning hid before going to jail. He killed someone during the robbery, and refuses to reveal to the authorities where the money is unless his death sentence is changed to a life sentence.

The gang ends up at a hideout, but as they are preparing to flee the country with the loot, they're surrounded by police. Canelli threatens to kill hostages if he's not given safe passage; he shoots and seriously injures one of the hostages, and murders the kidnapped prison guard to make his point.

Prison break/gangster films aren't usually on the top of my watchlist, but Black Tuesday caught my eye, and it's one mean thriller with an unpredictable body count, plenty of gun play, and a fairly tense storyline, especially towards the end. Of course, the one adding the fuel to this little thriller is Edward G. Robinson, who, as mobster Vincent Canelli, has a giant chip on his shoulder and is devoid of any empathy- he's a cold fish, sadistic and incarceration on death row sees him reject morality absolutely and allows him to kill indiscriminately in the name of survival first, and greed second. The others perform excellently, such as Peter Graves, who shows a little remorse. Jean Parker plays Canelli's moll, the one who made the prison break possible.

This little known and little seen Edward G. Robinson film takes Eddie back to the days when he was playing some quite serious gangster roles. Caesar Enrico Bandello and Johnny Rocco don't have a patch on his Vince Canelli in Black Tuesday.

Imagine if Little Caesar or Johnny Rocco being captured and on death row with bank robber Peter Graves both sentenced to die that day. Only Robinson has a very well conceived plan to escape at the last minute. He takes Graves along and the rest of those on that Green Mile, the others to throw confusion and buy time and Graves because Graves has hidden $200,000.00 from his last bank job and Robinson wants to flee the country in style with lots of spending loot.

Graves is no fool either. When he says the money is well hidden and only he can get to it, he's not kidding.

Black Tuesday was shot on a shoestring budget and I'm sure what money they had was spent for a really good supporting cast of familiar faces. Standing out are Warren Stevens as one of the hired guns that helps Robinson crash the joint, Jack Kelly as a cub reporter who is one of many taken hostage and Milburn Stone as the prison padre taken hostage as well.

Both the prison escape scene and the final gun battle are well staged and brutal for the time. The film looks like it's in need of restoration and I hope it gets it.

Edward G. Robinson shows he still could do the gangster role and keep the performances fresh. Unlike the mob bosses Robinson played in

"Little Ceaser", "The Last Gangster", and "Key Largo", the role of Vincent Canelli is more modern and vicious than the typical cigar chewing prohabtion gangster. Canelli and gunman Manning{Peter Graves} await their death sentence with a bunch of other prisoners on death row. Canelli's mob kidnap the daughter of one of the prison guards and

blackmail the guard in helping the death row inmates bust outta the joint!! Canelli needs Manning's money that he stashed away for his final getaway and Manning is just looking for freedom. The story leads

to a moral climatic stand-off with escaped killers vs. the police. The soul-less Canelli shows how low killers will go to survive. Great performance by Robinson and Graves, especially Robinson who plays a

gangster ahead of those times. It's sad that not enough people know about this movie. If your any type of gangster, suspense, or just a Eddie G. fan, GET YOUR HANDS ON A COPY OF THIS FILM... NYA'SEE!!!!!