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'''''Black Friday''''' is a 1940 American [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[gangster]] [[psychological thriller]] starring [[Boris Karloff]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Black Friday (1940) |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/black-friday-v85192 |website=allmovie |accessdate=7 April 2019}}</ref> |
'''''Black Friday''''' is a 1940 American [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[gangster]] [[psychological thriller]] starring [[Boris Karloff]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Black Friday (1940) |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/black-friday-v85192 |website=allmovie |accessdate=7 April 2019}}</ref> |
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Screenwriter Curt Siodmak would revisit this theme again in ''[[Donovan's Brain (film)|Donovan's Brain]]'' (1953) and ''[[Hauser's Memory]]'' (1970).<ref name="karloff">Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 p 256-257</ref> |
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==Plot == |
==Plot == |
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*[[Boris Karloff]] as Dr. Ernest Sovac |
*[[Boris Karloff]] as Dr. Ernest Sovac |
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*[[Bela Lugosi]] as Eric Marnay |
*[[Bela Lugosi]] as Eric Marnay |
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*[[Stanley Ridges]] as Professor George Kingsley |
*[[Stanley Ridges]] as Professor George Kingsley/Red Cannon |
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*[[Anne Nagel]] as Sunny Rogers |
*[[Anne Nagel]] as Sunny Rogers |
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*[[Anne Gwynne]] as Jean Sovac |
*[[Anne Gwynne]] as Jean Sovac |
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The original story treatment was titled ''Friday the Thirteenth'' before being changed to ''Black Friday''.<ref name="wilt">{{cite book | author = Wilt, David | title = Hardboiled in Hollywood | publisher = Bowling Green State University Popular Press | location = Bowling Green | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0-879-72525-9}}</ref> In January 1939, Universal announced that Willis Cooper was working on the script, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff probably to star.<ref>{{Cite news|title=NEWS OF THE SCREEN: Cedillo, Mexican Revolutionist, to Provide Story for Beery Film--'Gunga Din' Here Today Of Local Origin|author=Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. |date=Jan 26, 1939|page=24}}</ref> In August, [[Curt Siodmak]] and Eric Taylor were assigned to write the script.<ref>{{cite news|title=SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD|date=Aug 29, 1939|work=The New York Times|page=29}}</ref> |
The original story treatment was titled ''Friday the Thirteenth'' before being changed to ''Black Friday''.<ref name="wilt">{{cite book | author = Wilt, David | title = Hardboiled in Hollywood | publisher = Bowling Green State University Popular Press | location = Bowling Green | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0-879-72525-9}}</ref> In January 1939, Universal announced that Willis Cooper was working on the script, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff probably to star.<ref>{{Cite news|title=NEWS OF THE SCREEN: Cedillo, Mexican Revolutionist, to Provide Story for Beery Film--'Gunga Din' Here Today Of Local Origin|author=Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. |date=Jan 26, 1939|page=24}}</ref> In August, [[Curt Siodmak]] and Eric Taylor were assigned to write the script.<ref>{{cite news|title=SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD|date=Aug 29, 1939|work=The New York Times|page=29}}</ref> |
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Universal cast Lugosi as the doctor and Karloff as the professor. For unknown reasons, Karloff insisted on playing the doctor. Rather than a straight switch though, Lugosi was given the minor role of |
Universal cast Lugosi as the doctor and Karloff as the professor. For unknown reasons, Karloff insisted on playing the doctor. Rather than a straight switch though, Lugosi was given the minor role of another gangster, while character actor Stanley Ridges was brought in to play the professor.<ref name="dvd">[https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1728bela.html DVD Savant review]</ref> In later years, writer Curt Siodmak claimed Karloff felt he was not a good enough actor to play the dual role of the kindly professor-turned-murderous gangster, but it is more likely that his distinctive looks and voice could not be changed completely enough to make the switch convincing. (Karloff played a dual role in the 1935 film ''[[The Black Room (1935 film)|The Black Room]]'' but the two characters were identical twins.) |
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The film provided a rare opportunity for Ridges.<ref name="dvd"/><ref>[https://archive.today/20120712104443/http://movies.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx?c=241218 MSN Movies]</ref> |
The film provided a rare opportunity for Ridges.<ref name="dvd"/><ref>[https://archive.today/20120712104443/http://movies.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx?c=241218 MSN Movies]</ref> |
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==Release== |
==Release== |
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''Black Friday'' had its world premiere in Chicago on February 29, 1940.<ref name="afi">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/8194?sid=af2a3b79-f9c9-4c00-b206-566d2afd4e47&sr=3.7428849&cp=1&pos=0|title=Black Friday|accessdate=December 7, 2017|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref> It was released |
''Black Friday'' had its world premiere in Chicago on February 29, 1940.<ref name="afi">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/8194?sid=af2a3b79-f9c9-4c00-b206-566d2afd4e47&sr=3.7428849&cp=1&pos=0|title=Black Friday|accessdate=December 7, 2017|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref> It was released theatrically April 12, 1940 where it was distributed by Universal Pictures.{{sfn|Weaver|Brunas|Brunas|2007|p=214}}<ref name="afi" /> |
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===Criticism=== |
===Criticism=== |
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* {{AllMovie title|85192|Black Friday}} |
* {{AllMovie title|85192|Black Friday}} |
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*[http://trailersfromhell.com/black-friday/ Joe Dante on ''Black Friday''] at [[Trailers from Hell]] |
*[http://trailersfromhell.com/black-friday/ Joe Dante on ''Black Friday''] at [[Trailers from Hell]] |
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{{Arthur Lubin}} |
{{Arthur Lubin}} |
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{{Curt Siodmak}} |
{{Curt Siodmak}} |
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| Black Friday | |
|---|---|
| File:Blackfridayposter.jpg | |
| Directed by | Arthur Lubin |
| Screenplay by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Elwood Bredell |
| Edited by | Philip Cahn |
Production | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 70 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $125,750[3][4] |
Black Friday is a 1940 American science fiction gangster psychological thriller starring Boris Karloff.[5]
Screenwriter Curt Siodmak would revisit this theme again in Donovan's Brain (1953) and Hauser's Memory (1970).[6]
Dr. Ernest Sovac's best friend, bookish college professor George Kingsley, is run down while crossing a street. In order to save his friend's life, Sovac implants part of another man's brain into the professor's. Unfortunately, the other man was a gangster who was involved in the accident and was apparently heading for the electric chair, according to the police. The professor recovers but at times behaves like the gangster. Sovac is horrified but also intrigued, because the gangster has hidden $500,000 somewhere in New York City. The doctor continues to treat his unwitting friend and persuades him to take a vacation in New York; Sovac hopes this will revive the gangster's memory so that Kingsley will lead him to the fortune which he hopes to spend on a laboratory. Unfortunately, for the doctor's plans, the professor's personality change becomes more extreme, including plotting revenge against other members of his former gang. When Kingsley (behaving as a gangster) attempts to murder the doctor's daughter, Sovac shoots him dead.
The original story treatment was titled Friday the Thirteenth before being changed to Black Friday.[7] In January 1939, Universal announced that Willis Cooper was working on the script, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff probably to star.[8] In August, Curt Siodmak and Eric Taylor were assigned to write the script.[9]
Universal cast Lugosi as the doctor and Karloff as the professor. For unknown reasons, Karloff insisted on playing the doctor. Rather than a straight switch though, Lugosi was given the minor role of another gangster, while character actor Stanley Ridges was brought in to play the professor.[10] In later years, writer Curt Siodmak claimed Karloff felt he was not a good enough actor to play the dual role of the kindly professor-turned-murderous gangster, but it is more likely that his distinctive looks and voice could not be changed completely enough to make the switch convincing. (Karloff played a dual role in the 1935 film The Black Room but the two characters were identical twins.)
The film provided a rare opportunity for Ridges.[10][11]
By December, the title had changed to Black Friday. Arthur Lubin reportedly got the job of directing on the strength of his work on The Big Guy. Filming started 27 December 1939.[12]
During filming, Manley Hall reportedly hypnotised Lugosi on set.[13]
Black Friday had its world premiere in Chicago on February 29, 1940.[2] It was released theatrically April 12, 1940 where it was distributed by Universal Pictures.[3][2]
The New York Times at the time of release stated: "Lugosi's terrifying talents are wasted... but Karloff is in exquisite artistic form... good holiday fun."[14]
Diabolique magazine in 2019 described it as "Lubin's first film to have any kind of lasting legacy... because it features both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, though neither share a scene together. It's a sort of gangster-horror film that involves a brain transplant (Curt Siodmak, who worked on the script, loved brain transplants). Stanley Ridges plays a part clearly meant for Karloff with Karloff playing a role that should have been played by Lugosi and Lugosi being wasted in a part that could have been played by anyone. The film is no classic but it is crisp and no-nonsense, taking advantage of Universal's studio resources, with excellent tempo; Joe Dante later commented it was more like a Warner Bros film in that respect than a Universal one, a judgement that could be made of many Lubin movies from this period."[15]
Black Friday was released on a DVD as part of The Bela Lugosi Collection on September 6, 2005.[16] Dave KehrofThe New York Times noted that the compilation compiled The Black Cat, The Raven, The Invisible Ray and Black Friday on a single disc, stating that the video quality was acceptable but contained "a lot of video compression".[17]
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