Movie Review: Key Largo (1948)

Key Largo (1948) directed by John Huston

Drifter Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) travels to Hotel Largo on the Florida Keys to visit the owner, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore). Temple is the father of George, one of McCloud's war buddies who died in Italy. George's widow Nora (Lauren Bacall) lives with Temple and helps to run the hotel. It's the summer, so no tourists are visiting with all the heat and bugs and such. But when McCloud arrives, some men are at the hotel, claiming it's closed and that they are staying there for a fishing trip. Their group includes one women, a former singer named Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor). The leader of the group is upstairs in his room, only coming down at night. The guys are a bit rough on McCloud but once he explains he'll only be there for an hour or so, they let him see Temple. Temple and Nora have a heartfelt discussion about George, especially his death. They convince McCloud to stay overnight. Trouble brews as it becomes clear the men are mobsters there for a meet-up. Also, a hurricane comes in. Additionally, some local Native Americans show up at the hotel since they trust Temple. A couple of the boys broke out of jail and he counsels them to go back with the cops when they show up. That would be okay but the local deputy has words with the mobsters and gets knocked out by them. The mobsters want to keep things quiet till they've done their business, which means keeping everyone in line.

This noir classic has a bit of a convoluted plot. The Indian subplot's purpose seems solely to get the cops to the hotel. McCloud is a bit hard and a bit pessimistic, unwilling to fight the mobsters even when Temple, who is old and in a wheelchair, is itching to take down the head mobster, Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson). The singer is Rocco's former girlfriend, though now she is an alcoholic and more needy. These disparate elements come together to make some very dramatic moments and give McCloud some character arc. The cast is all around good. Huston's direction delivers the story well, giving it enough tension and excitement to stitch together the complicated group of characters. 

Recommended, especially for noir fans.

Movie Review: Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca (1942) directed by Michael Curtiz

Refugees from all over Europe flee the Nazi advance, coming to Casablanca with the hope to continue on to Lisbon and then on to the Americas. Casablanca is hard to get to and even harder to get out of. Officially it's still Free French but the Germans have a strong influence on the local French government, especially Captain Renault (Claude Rains). The situation becomes more intense when two German bureaucrats, who had open letters of transit (which are basically "get out of Casablanca free" cards), are killed. The letters are worth a lot, maybe even more than money can buy. Ugarte (Peter Lorre) has the letters and plans to sell them to Victor Laslo (Paul Henried) and his traveling companion Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman). Ugarte is arrested in Rick's Cafe Americain, a local nightclub and gambling joint run by Rick Blane (Humphrey Bogart). Ugarte was wily enough to have Rick hide the letters. Rick is tough as nails and quite callous, not helping Ugarte who begs for help. When Victor and Ilsa show up after the arrest, Rick recognizes her as his former lover in Paris. Their breakup is part of why Rick is so hard-hearted and cynical. Laslo is a famous Nazi resistance leader who has led many groups and left a trail of escapes across Europe. The couple starts negotiating for the letters so they can escape while the French and the Germans put pressure on to get the letters or, better yet, get Laslo.

The movie is a classic in many ways. Most of the script is highly-quoted ("Here's looking at you, kid", "We'll always have Paris", "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", and on and on). The song As Time Goes By was an old jazz standard when the movie came out but is now always linked to the movie, much like Thus Spake Zarathustra is forever linked to the opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie deftly blends comedic moments, romance, and drama, while depicted the chaos at the beginning of World War II. Most nationalities are represented as are all sorts of people, from idealists to opportunists, from the good to the evil, though most everyone is a mixture of both. The cast is uniformly great in their roles, from the main stars to all the bit players. 

The heart of the movie is Rick trying to sort out his situation. He runs his bar with intelligence and smoothness. He's not above bribing officials to get what he needs. He also takes care of his own people, though he is very particular about who fits into that category. He has sentimental moments but often downplays them or hides them. Ilsa's return sends him into an angry and self-centered spiral. He rises to the occasion at the end, remembering the bigger issues involved and, more importantly, the welfare of the other people. 

Highly recommended.

The movie is discussed in A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast #259., the inspiration for rewatching this beloved classic.

Movie Review: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) written and directed by John Huston

Two drifters, Dobbs and Curtain (Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt), try to get work in a small Mexican town. After getting ripped off by an oil rig contractor, they decide to go prospecting for gold. They met an old codger named Howard (Walter Huston) who knows all about prospecting. He loves the search and has done it many times. He is happy to go, though he is very chatty and has some interesting opinions about human nature, especially as it relates to finding gold. According to Howard, a lot of people change for the worst when they first make a find. Beforehand, a guy may tell himself he only needs ten or fifteen thousand dollars' worth to be happy; as he works a mine, he gets greedy and wants more and more. People's souls are corruptible, a fact that comes out when they search for wealth together and have to share.

His opinion turns out to be true in Dobbs's case, who has already demonstrated a certain amount of harshness and selfishness in the Mexican town. Dobbs is quick to assume the worst about others and he wants to get more from the gold mine (of course they find one) than he originally agreed on with the others. Curtain's character is a little more complicated. He goes along with Dobbs's plans in many situations, though he does have qualms with Dobbs's ideas and decisions. Howard is mostly a happy-go-lucky guy who is more interested in adventure and making the best of the situation as it is. He's both tougher and more experienced in the ways of the world than the other two, making him a mentor to the others. He also has a good understanding of the other two.

In addition to being an exciting adventure (the trio goes through a lot of hardships, including a confrontation with bandits who utter the classic line, "Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!" which is commonly shortened to "We don't need no stinking badges!", the parody line in Blazing Saddles), the story makes for an interesting morality tale. Curtain seems to be torn between living a life like Dobbs or like Howard. The movie definitely shows one way as better.

Highly recommended.

The movie is discussed on A Good Story is Hard To Find podcast #240.