Co-director of South West Silents and Film Noir UK James Harrison explores Euerka's The Masters of Cinema Series new Blu-ray release of Black Tuesday (1954) plus a chance to win a copy!
As a viewer, there are two great things which you will get from purchasing and watching Euerka’s Masters of Cinema release of Black Tuesday (1954).
One is Edward G. Robinson’s incredible performance as Vincent ‘King’ Canelli. A character who is very much on par with Robinson’s Johnny Rocco in John Huston’s Key Largo (1948). In fact, both characters are very much tarred with the same brush. Both are clear psychopaths with no essence of caring about anyone around them, let alone their love interest (played here by Jean Parker) and both become ever more desperate and violent as they begin to realise they are being forced into a corner.
Robinson shows a mighty performance and is a constant presence even when Canelli is not even on screen. Which begs the question, is there really an actual hero in this? At points you begin to realise you are almost egging Canelli to do what he needs to do to when it comes to escaping.
And escape, or the lack of it, is very much a key aspect of Black Tuesday. From the opening shot (a towering prison gate) to the final moments (no spoilers here) the objective to escape is something that nearly every character in this film needs to do and hopes for.
Another great element which comes out of this film is Black Tuesday’s director, Hugo Fregonese (1908-1987). Argentine born Fregonese is almost a forgotten name now. But there is hope however that all of this will change, especially thanks to this release but also to a dedicated strand of Fregonese films in the 2022 edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna. The festival showcased key titles directed by Fregonese including a selection of Westerns and film noir/crime films such as Apenas Un Delincuente (1949), One Way Street (1950), Man in the Attic (1953) and My Six Convicts (1952). All of which are so worth investigating.
Fregonese brings, like all of his films, a fantastic sense of paranoia which constantly keeps all the characters on edge from the beginning to end. This is enhanced even more so with his use of the camera and particularly with light and shadow thanks to Stanley Cortez’ (The Magnificent Ambersons, Secret Beyond the Door, The Night of the Hunter).
Special features on the release are very special in fact; a great audio commentary by Sergio Angelini (host of film noir podcast Tipping My Fedora); film historian Sheldon Hall explains the life and work of Hugo Fregonese; co-director of Il Cinema Ritrovato Ehsan Khishbakht is interviewed; a new video essay by historian Imogen Sara Smith plus written notes by critic Barry Forshaw and film writer Craig Ian Mann.
In fact, thinking about it, maybe you get far more out of Black Tuesday than just the great Edward G. Robinson and Hugo Fregonese. Black Tuesday is as bleak and hard-hitting as you want from a film noir. Perfect for these dark nights.
Black Tuesday is title number #300 in Eureka's The Masters of Cinema series and is available via the label's website.
Thanks to The Masters of Cinema's team we have a brand new copy of Black Tuesday (1954) up for grabs; just send us your answer to the question below via our contact page by mid-night on Sunday 17th November to be in with a chance. Good Luck!
Question: Edward G. Robinson played Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello in the classic 1931 gangster film Little Caesar. But who directed the film?
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