Billy Bitzer, Wallace McCutcheon, silent film, silent movie stars, free classic film, old movies, silent film streaming, silent era, archive films, rare films, silent drama, silent classics, classic crime movies

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Out Yonder 1919 The Woman God Forgot 1917 That Model from Paris 1926 For Better for Worse 1919 Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall 1924

OUR DOCUMENTARY

We are proud to present to all silent film lovers our multiple award-winning documentary! In March 2015 it won the distinction "Award of Merit" at the San Francisco Film Awards. In May it won the Silver Award at the 2015 International Independent Film Awards. In September 2015 it won the Award of Recognition at the Accolade Global Film Competition. Of equal merit is the inclusion of the documentary in the Official Selection of the San Jose International Short Film Festival in October 2015. In December the documentary won the extremely prestigious Diamond Award at the 2015 California Film Awards. The amazing run of recognition for our documentary continued in 2016. In February it was included in the Official Selection of the Buffalo Niagara International Film Festival.

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Billy Bitzer, Wallace McCutcheon, silent film, silent movie stars, free classic film, old movies, silent film streaming, silent era, archive films, rare films, silent drama, silent classics, classic crime movies

"The Black Hand" (1906) - hidden gem
   A scene from "The Black Hand"

Directed by       Wallace McCutcheon
Cinematography by      Billy Bitzer
Starring       Robert Vignola, Anthony O’Sullivan (gangsters)
Distributed by       Biograph Company
Release date    March 29, 1906
Country       United States
Running time          11 m.

This film is part of our series 'Hidden Gems'. It can be watched by registered users who make a donation. For more details, please click here.

"The Black Hand", True Story of a Recent Occurrence in the Italian Quarter of New York, is a short crime drama. The film is included in our program to illustrate the work of our star Billy Bitzer.

A gang by the name of Black Hand demands a big amount of money from a local businessman. If the demands are not met it threatens his daughter. Then the gang kidnaps the girl anyway and sends one of its members to collect the ransom.

Click to enlarge:
The Black Hand
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Two gang members compose a ransom note in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The gang's ransom note in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The businessman shares the note with his wife in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The businessman is determined to defend his family in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The gang kidnaps the businessman's daughter in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The girl hostage makes an unsuccessful attempt to escape in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The businessman is visited by two detectives in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The businessman shows the ransom note to the detectives in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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A gang member has come to collect the ransom (note the detective in the freezer) in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The detectives overpower the gang member in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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An alert girl hostage notices a note slip through the back door in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The girl opens the back door for the rescuers in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The girl opens the front door for the rescuers in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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The rescuers burst in as the gang members are immersed in their card game in "The Black Hand" (1906), cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
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Robert Vignola and Anthony O’Sullivan

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