This is the first of 3 reviews that are part of the Lauren Bacall Blogathon being hosted by Crystal over at In The Good Old Days Of Classic Hollywood.
Thanks for letting me take part!
“When your head says one thing and your whole life says another, your head always loses. ” – Frank
Number of Times Seen – 1 (6 Sep 2015)
Brief Synopsis – A WWII veteran travels to Florida to meet up with the family of a fallen comrade and ends up getting involved with a terrible gangster who is scheming to commit a crime
My Take on it – Even as an admitted Movie buff, I have not watched many movies with Humphrey Bogart and this is one that I had missed until now.
I liked the way this story was built up and the characters were all interesting to watch.
The way this was filmed really captured the noir aspect and we got a very clear understanding of both the good and bad of each of the characters who are involved in this situation.
The choice to pit Bogart vs. Edward G. Robinson was really a great one because they both have very strong on screen presence that gives them both equal standing in scenes where they confront one another.
The supporting cast is also well chosen and Lionel Barrymore and Lauren Bacall doing excellent work as relatives of a close friend of Bogart’s.
The story itself is pretty simple and predicable, but that is part of the magic here and it keeps it quite enjoyable to watch throughout.
Bottom Line – Nicely done film noir that really captures the good and evil of all of the characters very well. The conflict between Bogart vs. Robinson is definitely a good choice for two leads with strong on-screen presence. The plot itself isn’t too complex and is pretty predictable, but it’s still quite enjoyable to watch. Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – In a classic case of a director being emotionally manipulative, John Huston informed Claire Trevor that they were to film her song that very day. Trevor was not a trained singer, and had not even rehearsed the song yet. She also felt very intimidated by the A-list actors seated directly in front of her. The result was a hesitant, nervous, uncomfortable rendition, exactly the feeling Huston was hoping to get. (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy
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Nice job, Rob. I love this film and your bit about the trivia with Claire Trevor. She won an Oscar, I think, or was nominated for her role, if I’m not mistaken.
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Excellent ensemble cast in this always watchable movie. The leads had to be on their toes or Thomas Gomez would have stolen the whole thing.
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Quite a few of Bacall’s films fall under the ‘predicable’ label but that never lessens the enjoyment of watching them. When the craft and cast are so on point you can overlook it!
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Agreed: Bogart and Robinson are good foils in this movie. I love their scenes together.
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Tnx!
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I always enjoy this one. I once found a book with the original play, which was in blank verse. I didn’t get very far. The movie was completely different. Much better.
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Definitely sounds that way 😉
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Hi Rob. I haven’t heard from you since, so I’m wondering if you’ve decided on your topic for the Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon in January. I’m going away on Thursday night and am adding more participants up, so let me know? Here is the link.
https://crystalkalyana.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/announcing-the-remembering-barbara-stanwyck-blogathon/
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Still gonna join in, but I haven’t had the time to research and decide. I’ll let u know soon. Tnx Crystal for following up. Enjoy ur vacation!
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