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Editorial Reviews
In the wake on the Pearl Harbor Attack a Nazi plastic surgeon transforms Japanese spies into American industrialists in an effort to commit acts of sabotage.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Black Dragons" is a film that, as most Bela Lugosi fans know, was made for Sam Katzman and his Banner Productions, and then released by Monogram Pictures. So forget about plot; plot in a Katzman flick is only incidental to the shoddy sets, direction, and acting. The truth be told, this is one of those pictures that, if it didn't have a Lugosi, would not have been made.
OK, here's the plot . . . and don't ask me to repeat it: Seems a group of prominent American businessmen are being slain. We also know that it is Lusosi doing the slaying, because it's revealed very early on in the film as to what he's up to. Now, here's the twist. The American businessmen are really Japanese, having been trtansformed by none other than Dr. Lugosi, in this picture a Nazi Evil Scientist (Boo!) and sent here as a fifth column.
It immediately strikes our sense of logic that it would be far easier just to send over a geoup of Germans or Italians than go to all the trouble of changing a person's race. But this is a Katzman flick, so logic is the first thing a viewer leaves behind when entering. Of course Lugosi is caught (by a pre-Lone Ranger Clayton Moore), thus getting his at the end. It is amazing to me that no matter how ridiculous the plot, Lugosi remains solidly professional rather than go down the chute with the movie. One reason why I become angry when someone tries to tell me that he was a bad actor.
If this picture were set in today's age, Lugosi would do quite well as a dream-come true to Michael Jackson and Joan Rivers, among others.
The quality of the film is dark and murky - apparently no effort was made to clean things up, but you can't go wrong for the price, especially if you are a fan of the genre or Lugosi. Perhaps the film will resurface in Bela Junior's restored series of his father's films. I certainly hope so.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Black Dragons" (1942) mixes a few chills with its bizarre World War II espionage. The results are somewhat dull, but Bela Lugosi helps enliven the proceedings as the sinister plastic surgeon who has a few surprises in store for Japan's Black Dragon Society. A pre-Lone Ranger Clayton Moore plays the disgruntled romantic hero. Ideal for nighttime viewing, with a lurid twist ending. Another Monogram quickie from producer Sam Katzman.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
No movie with Bela Lugosi in it can be a total bore, but this one comes too close. It deals with a Nazi doctor performing surgery on Japanese spies to make them pass as Americans. This is done to ease their schemes at sabotaging our war effort. It is a cheap movie, a slow movie, but would not even suffer too much for these flaws if it did not also rely on a long and awkward flashback sequence near the end, snuffing out what suspense had been built. The quality of the tape is not bad, but either you like colorized movies or you don't. This reviewer does not. Die-hard Lugosi fans (are there any other kind?) may want to purchase Black Dragons, but others will find it too ... ehh.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Nostalgic nonsense
Nice collection of seldom seen Monogram features. Bela Lugosi is an interestingNazi in Black Dragons and Lionel Atwill is enigmatic in Black Raven. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Doug Murray
perfectly awful, though Lugosi rises above all others
This is a war spy film about a group of Japanese men placed in the US as a fifth column, taking the place of businessmen. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Robert J. Crawford
ALMOST PERFECT!!!!!
This is overall a pretty good release from Roan of 3 classic feastures on 1 disc. Bluebeard and The Black Raven both look quite good and have all original titles. Read more
Published on September 13, 2009 by larryj1
Murder Mystery in Wartime
The film shows Washington and the Capitol. [The legislature was considered more important than the Executive Mansion.] A newspaper headline states "Japs Bomb Honolulu". Read more
Published on December 9, 2008 by Acute Observer
Even Lugosi Had to Be Frightened of This Movie
I debated between one and two stars for this movie, but the presence of Bela Lugosi pushed me toward two stars. The plot is generally implausible and the dialogue is atrocious. Read more
Published on August 21, 2007 by Lonnie E. Holder
Don't buy this film on its own.
This is one of Lugosi's poverty row movies, from the period when his career really started to go downhill (although he did make Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man later than this... Read more
Published on July 2, 2006 by NoWireHangers
For Lugosi fans only... and only if it's on TV
Do not waste your money on this movie. I like Bela Lugosi, but so far, I have only seen about twelve of his movies. However, this is probably the worst of those. Read more
Published on September 5, 2001 by Calle
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