Black Tuesday

Black Tuesday

Year: 1954

Runtime: 80 mins

Language: English

Director: Hugo Fregonese

CrimeThriller

Vincent Canelli, a brutal gangster, stages a daring prison break moments before his execution, forcing fellow inmate Peter Manning – a notorious bank robber and cop killer slated for death right after him – to join him. With several hostages in tow, the duo hunts the loot from Manning’s heist to fund their flight from the country, vanishing.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Black Tuesday (1954)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Black Tuesday (1954). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s

Set in a mid-20th-century American backdrop typical of classic crime dramas. The era’s emphasis on capital punishment and procedural detail shapes the stakes and tension. The period ambiance amplifies the cat-and-mouse dynamic between fugitives and law enforcement.

Location

Prison (death row), City hideout, Bank/collection location

The story centers on a death-row prison and the surrounding urban environment where the escape unfolds. After breaking out, the action shifts to a tense pursuit through a city and a secret hideout as the gang chases the stolen money. A bank stop marks a turning point as authorities close in.

🏛️ Prison 🚓 Chase 🗺️ Hideout

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:35

Main Characters – Black Tuesday (1954)

Meet the key characters of Black Tuesday (1954), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Vincent Canelli (Edward G. Robinson)

A violent con and the escape's mastermind, Canelli uses charm and coercion to pull off the breakout. He treats others as tools to reach freedom, displaying a ruthless, calculating nature. His willingness to threaten or harm hostages reveals his dangerous ruthlessness.

💼 Mastermind

Hatti Combest (Jean Parker)

Canelli's girlfriend who organized the escape, navigating danger with nerve and resolve. Her loyalty is tested as the plan unfolds, balancing personal safety with the group's fate. She embodies a complex mix of determination and risk-taking.

💖 Accomplice

Peter Manning (Peter Graves)

An inmate who hid a large sum of money and seeks a life sentence instead of death row. Injured during the escape, he becomes central to pursuing the loot and serves as a moral counterpoint to Canelli. Manning ultimately acts decisively and surrenders to the police.

🪙 Money 🗡️ Survivor

Father Slocum (Milburn Stone)

The prison priest who bears witness to the prisoners' ordeal, highlighting moral tension amid the escape. His presence underscores themes of guilt, redemption, and humanity within confinement.

🙏 Priest

Reporter at Electrocution (Arthur Batanides)

A reporter covering the dramatic events surrounding the escape and its aftermath, illustrating how media frames a high-stakes crime story.

🗞️ Reporter

Bank Safe Deposit Box Guard (Edmund Cobb)

A guard linked to the bank's safety deposit boxes, drawn into the broader pursuit as the gang seeks the stolen money.

🛡️ Guard

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:35

Major Themes – Black Tuesday (1954)

Explore the central themes of Black Tuesday (1954), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗝️ Escape

An audacious prison breakout drives the plot, with Canelli manipulating others to secure freedom. Deception and shifting alliances create a volatile web of loyalties. The plan’s fragility shows how quickly trust can dissolve under extreme pressure.

⚖️ Justice

Capital punishment anchors the narrative stakes, highlighting the push-pull between law and mercy. The characters wrestle with whether justice can be tempered by circumstance or personal motive. Manning’s actions force a confrontation with the limits of the legal system.

💥 Loyalty

Relationships within the group are tested as fear and greed take hold. The escape exposes who stays true and who sacrifices others for survival. The finale centers on a painful reckoning about loyalty and accountability.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:35

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Desperate Crime Spirals like in Black Tuesday

Stories where characters make increasingly violent and doomed choices.If you enjoyed the relentless tension and fatalistic energy of Black Tuesday, explore these movies about desperate criminals on a doomed path. These films share a dark tone, fast pacing, and heavy emotional weight, often ending in tragedy.

desperategrittyanxiousbrutalfatalisticharshtense

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a linear, fast-paced descent. Characters, often already on the edge, commit a desperate act that triggers a chain reaction of violence and betrayal. The story escalates with each choice, narrowing their options until a grim, often fatal, conclusion becomes inevitable.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared atmosphere of fatalistic desperation. They combine a dark tone with high intensity and fast pacing, creating a cohesive experience of watching a crime plan unravel spectacularly, leading to a sad or bleak ending.

Claustrophobic Hostage Thrillers like in Black Tuesday

Tense stories where confined spaces amplify danger and moral conflict.Fans of the tense, confined hostage drama in Black Tuesday will appreciate these similar movies. They feature high-stakes standoffs, gritty atmospheres, and explore the moral compromises made when escape seems impossible.

claustrophobicanxioustensedesperategrittyharshbrutal

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a group of people trapped together under extreme duress. The plot is driven by the volatile relationship between the hostage-takers and their captives, with alliances shifting and tension mounting as external forces (like police) close in. The confined space amplifies every decision and conflict.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their core premise and the specific mood it creates. They share a high intensity, anxious and claustrophobic atmosphere, and a straightforward, fast-paced plot focused on survival and the breakdown of order in a pressurized situation.

Unlock the Full Story of Black Tuesday

Don't stop at just watching — explore Black Tuesday in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Black Tuesday is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Black Tuesday Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Black Tuesday, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Black Tuesday Summary

Black Tuesday Timeline

Track the full timeline of Black Tuesday with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Black Tuesday Timeline

Black Tuesday Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Black Tuesday that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Black Tuesday Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Black Tuesday

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Black Tuesday: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Black Tuesday

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