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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.

An interesting and surprisingly obscure prisoner-on-the-run crime drama, BLACK TUESDAY is perfectly suited for Late, Late Show viewing in the wee small hours of the morning, when much of the action takes place. Like KEY LARGO (also featuring Edward G. Robinson), THE DESPERATE HOURS and the PETRIFIED FOREST, the second half turns into a confined space stageplay. The large cast holed up in the even larger safehouse is game, however, and despite a few unintentionally funny and seemingly out of place romantic interludes, things otherwise generally remain taut. It's like old TV home week as no less than three players from the Desilu stage (Vic Perrin and William Schallert from Star Trek guest appearances, Peter Graves from Mission: Impossible right next door on the lot) get significant screen time. Also look for Russell (The Professor) Johnson in a minor part. Graves in particular has a much more emotive adult part than he customarily got (other than Stalag 17) and he goes for it with gusto, if not much panache. Still, Robinson is at his melodramatic "Where's your messiah now?" best here, blithely slapping broads, torturing gunshot victims and going out in a Little Caeseresque hail of bullets / blaze of glory.

Seasoned noir veteran Sydney (SIX BRIDGES TO CROSS, ROGUE COP, UNION STATION, THE HIGH WALL and most notably, THE BIG HEAT) Boehm's script is not brain surgery (the prison breakout is dazzlingly improbable) and is frankly a bit derivative of movies like Cagney's KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE and Bogey's HIGH SIERRA. Also, they obviously didn't spend much on production values. Still, there is no one more iconic in this kind of capo titti capi role than Edward G. Robinson and given the lack of exposure this movie has had in the last 40 years, seeing Robinson's performance is akin to unearthing buried noir treasure. Any fan of Edward G. should immediately seek out this elusive screener because his vicious performance is nothing short of breathtaking, and trumps any of the limitations of this movie.

Solid film noir by Hugo Fregonese about two inmates running away from the death row the day before their execution. The film's progressively oppresive atmosphere is nicely portrayed by Fregonese in a cinema verité style. Characters are well written and played -supporting cast is excellent as well- with few concessions to sentimentalism -causing censor cuts at some points. Edward G. Robinson brilliantly plays vicious gangster Vincent Canelly while Peter Graves plays nicely his escape partner Peter Manning. Always providing their films with an interesting approach and usually solid scripts, Fregonese directed several prison movies like My six convicts or Apenas un delincuente capturing prisoners' point of view. Unusually dark for its time, the film suffered some censor's cuts in several countries so keep this in mind if you are watching it from a tv pass. Worth watching noir filmed in a realistic and sometimes brutal -for its time -style. It clearly deserves a restoration.

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!!!!!

By Edward G. Robinson's standards the early-mid 1950's marked a low ebb as his 'greylisting' essentially barred him from the major studios but at least enabled him to make 'B' movies for the smaller ones, affectionately known as Poverty Row. This low budget, high body count crime noir, directed by the more than capable Hugo Fregonese, is arguably the best of the bunch and gives this fine actor the type of role in which he traditionally excelled, that of a psychopathic gangster. As written by Sydney Boehm the character of Vince Canelli is utterly monstrous with no redeeming qualities whatsoever and needless to say Robinson is riveting.

Good support from Jean Parker as a gangster's moll and Peter Graves as an unlikely hood whilst Milburn Stone as a priest represents the customary Hollywood 'God' element.

Veteran Stanley Cortez is behind the camera and the taut editing is by Robert Golden who also edited Fregonese's earlier 'The Raid'. Both these films are regarded as this director's best work but sadly, finding further directorial assignments in Hollywood elusive, he packed his bags and moved to Europe.

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.

A grim drama consistently going from bad to worse the whole way to the end, but very efficiently told and acted, and Edward G. Robinson makes one of his most interesting characters as the angry gangster who only knows one way of life which is the worst without any room for any human feelings at all. The priest character (Milburn Stone) is very interesting in this context, while Peter Graves as the second worst gangster ultimately takes matters in his own hands and proves himself a hero after all although in a negative way. It's a very efficient getaway and hostage drama which will keep you biting your nails all the way, although you know it can only end in one way, no matter how perfectly they arranged their escape and almost managed it in spite of the inevitable fact in these operations, that something always must go wrong.

BLACK TUESDAY is a surprisingly good hostage drama that boasts an excellent performance from Edward G. Robinson as a gangster and prisoner who plans to bust out of jail during his execution. His co-star is a blond and youthful Peter Graves, of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE fame, as a bank robber who butts heads with the old timer. The film starts out as a vivid prison drama before moving into action thriller territory, and there's plenty of suspense from beginning to end. It also has a surprisingly nihilistic streak going through it, most of it stemming from Robinson's character, who is one of the most ruthless of the decade.

"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.

Grim crime film with Edward Robinson in perhaps his most violent role (his character reminded me somewhat of Cagney's role in WHITE HEAT), although Cagney was perhaps a bit more intense in that.

Robinson plays Vincent Canelli, a ruthless murderer on death row who just manages to escape execution at the last moment with the help of henchmen who had kidnapped the daughter of one of the guards.

Canelli has an accomplice who has hidden a large sum of money, with which they hope to be able to escape the country.

But they are cornered and here Canelli shows how murderous he is.

Robinson does well in his intense evil role and the story is very exciting until the end.

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.

I found Black Tuesday tough going. And I swear I've never heard so much shooting. Directed by Hugo Fregonese.

This is not from a major studio, as due to the Communist scare, Robinson, who talked, had been "grey-listed."

Vincent Canelli (Edward G. Robinson) is due to die in the electric chair, the same day as his prison neighbor, Peter Manning (Peter Graves), a cop killer who stole $250,000 - is being electrocuted as well.

Canelli manages to deliver a threat to a cop warning him not to stop a planned escape. A reporter (Jack Kelly) assigned to the execution is kidnapped and his credentials taken. He is replaced by Warren Stephens.

When everything is in place, Canelli and his thugs pull off the escape, taking Manning - whose money they plan on getting - and several hostages with them. Jean Parker, as Canelli's girlfriend, goes along.

Manning is injured. A doctor is forced to make him well or else. It turns out Manning has to sign for the money so he has to be able to walk.

This movie is incredibly violent and mean-spirited. And I would just like to note that Jack Kelly is always being kidnapped and Peter Graves seems to always play a prisoner. They must have been thrilled to break into television. B movies weren't doing them much good.

Milburn Stone plays a priest who tells Canelli to his face he doesn't have one decent quality worth saving him for. True.

There was a top noir team behind this, with Fregonese, Stanley Cortez on photography, and a script by Sidney Boehm. Robinson is, of course, terrific, as is Parker. If you can take the violence, you'll love it.

As far I remember never saw anything like that before in cinema industry a plot over a bold plan to escape from death row when two convicts are about to be fried at electric chair, anyway dealing with devilish gangster as Edward G. Robinson nothing is impossible, due previously the wise bad guy masterminded a kidnaping of warden's daughter in the purpose to facility a weapon at gang's hand, followed by a cinematography fleeing thru the night.

Furthermore another inmate Peter Graves a notorious banker robber was hidden 200.000 dollars somewhere, so the clever Robinson made a kindness to bring him together aiming for split the money and fly away overseas in safe, to ensure the achievement he brought several hostages including a priest, newspaperman, doctor and own warden's daughter to use them as bargaining chip with the police at their neck.

Apart the unlikeness the preposition the picture is plenty acceptable mainly by Robinson evilness often willing to killing at any rebuke from those being held, a really mad dog mobster, also there is a sub-plot to recover the hidden money in a bank, it strengthens the offering in a key sequence, as expected in Noir it has a powerful female portrayed by Jean Parker as Robinson's arm outside prison who provides all stuffs on prearranged escaping, all this photographed by proficient Hugo Fregonese's lens.

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First watch: 2025 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5.

By the 1950's, twenty years after pioneering the crime/gangster genre, Edward G. Robinson was a kind of elder statesman of the subject... although sometimes he'd play good guys, even cops...

But in BLACK TUESDAY he was back in the previous decade's KEY LARGO mode... an antagonist so vile, everyone surrounding him, here in the initial death row prison setting, is good by comparison: making this crfilm very noir...

As the second lead is the second prisoner set to die, and young Peter Graves has a partial heart-of-gold from the get-go, not even wanting to take part in what's a scheming escape liken to a heist, but with humans...

Winding up in a dark warehouse location as all the characters, including the pretty daughter of a slain guard and a kidnapped news reporter, remain for most of the picture, providing Robinson's best scenes to counterbalance with initial yet progressively reluctant partner Graves...

Who, while suffering a near fatal, rehabilitating gunshot wound from the break, juggles desperate soul-searching romance with the good girl (Sylvia Findley) while Robinson's tightly connected with loyal moll Jean Parker...

And, also backed by nasty gunmen Warren Stevens and Russell Johnson, the famous LITTLE CAESAR icon needed more screen-time leading to an overlong second-and-third act standoff - in a b-crimer that could have used more locations despite keeping its thriller template decently throughout.

Sprung from Death Row moments before his bottom was due to come into contact with the hot seat, Edward G. Robinson and fellow prisoner, Peter Graves, accompanied by a hoard of hapless hostages, hard-boiled henchmen and Robinson's hussy are soon holed up in a hellhole hideaway.

Painfully aware that he can only fry once and adopting a nobody misses a slice off a cut loaf mentality, Robinson proceeds to call and fire all the shots, killing with impunity and creating a lottery of who will live to tell the tale of their terrifying ordeal. As the cops move in, neither side is prepared to budge an inch.

If the producers sought to create the most repulsive, odious, callous, cold hearted villain in screen history, they did a pretty good job, but what they perceived as a strength, ultimately proves to be the movie's weakness.

By definition, the genre is fundamentally dark, featuring characters of dubious repute, but the best noirs are notable for sharp, punchy dialogue, memorable one liners, often delivered deadpan, individuals to warm to or identify with and underlying themes of redemption and reclamation. Black Tuesday possesses none of these ingredients, as it trawls its grim course towards the inevitably violent showdown; just a ruthless, trigger crazy (he never looks happy!) hood. In Robinson's murky, miserable world, if it's not Black Tuesday, then it must be Black Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday!

The "Ghosts" of Iconic Characters/Type Never Really Leave an Actor, but Remain to be Summoned Occasionally, if Need be.

Apparently Edward G. Robinson, Reeling from a Career Downslide, somewhat Linked to His becoming a "Friendly" Witness to the "House Un American Activities" (HUAC), Decided to Call Upon 2 of His Former Glorified On-Screen Characters.

Caesar Enrico 'Rico' Bandello from the Film '"Little Caesar" (1931) and Johnny Rocco from the Film "Key Largo" (1948).

The Result is this "Hidden Gem", a Somewhat Under-Seen and Under-Appreciated Crime-Thriller with Heavy Film-Noir Undertones.

It's a Relentlessly Down-Beat, Brutal Movie about Death-Row Inmates Vincent "King" Canelli (Robinson) and Peter Manning (Peter Graves) Planning and Successfully Pulling-Off an Escape on the Eve of Their Dual Electric-Chair Execution. Other Inmates are also Released and Join-In.

The Movie Pulls-Few-Punches in the Determination to Portray the "King" as a Soul-Less, Maniacal, Killer with No Redeeming Qualities from the Outset and Eddie G. Punches and Guns-Down People Routinely.

Peter Graves, on the Other-Hand is the "Soft" Side of the Criminal Gang. He's Sensitive and Artistic ( building matchstick bridges), but still Maintains a Desperate and Severe Attitude Throughout Most of the Running Time.

There are Probably More Gunshots is the Finale then any other Film Up to that Point. In Fact, the Deafening Sound of the Hail of Bullets is used "Artistically" in 1-Scene to Illustrate and Emphasize.

This is a Sharply-Designed, Dark, Story Told with Cut Angles, Deep Shadows, and Claustrophobic Sets and Hardened Criminals (Male and Female).

It's a Winner, with Solid Grounding in Film-Noir with Threads of that Dark Style Woven Throughout.

Was Hard-to-Find for a While and has Slipped Through the Cracks. Needs to be Rediscovered.

For Noir and Crime Fans it's a...

Must See

For All Others...

Worth a Watch.

In Black Tuesday, Edward G. Robinson and Peter Graves are on death row. Eddie G is a heartless murderer and a major tough guy. There are no soft "Brother Orchid" moments in this one. He's as bad as it gets; he also has nothing to lose so he plans an escape while walking to the electric chair. If he fails and gets shot, who cares? He succeeds, kills a few guards, and takes Peter with him to his hideout. Together, they plan a robbery and a final escape.

Do you think anything will go wrong? Probably, but only to show how evil Eddie G really is and how Peter is sweet on the inside but just in the wrong place at the wrong time. There have only been two Edward G. Robinson movies I've turned off, so I did stick with Black Tuesday to its end. I knew it wouldn't be very good, and I didn't like Eddie G in a strictly villain role, but I am a huge fan and I like to support him in all his films.

Edward G Robinson would never have made it as a romantic comedy lead, but he sure makes up for it as the arch villian-gangster- criminal as in this great little film noir!