CONNECTION TO PREVIOUS ENTRY: Lauren Bacall
SOURCE: Personal Collection: Warner Bros Bogart & Bacall: The Complete Collection Blu Ray
STARRING: Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall
CO-STARS: Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor, Thomas Gomez
DIRECTOR: John Huston
COMPOSER: Max Steiner
STUDIO: Warner Brothers
SUMMARY: Frank McCloud (Bogart) arrives at the Hotel Largo in Key Largo, FL to visit the family of his Army colleague, George Temple, who was killed during the war a few years prior. Frank had been George’s superior. Upon Frank’s arrival at the hotel, he meets George’s widow, Nora (Bacall), and her father-in-law (George’s father) James (Barrymore). They own and operate the hotel. Because it is winter, there aren’t many tourists, there is also an approaching hurricane. The Temples were planning on closing up the hotel, but were offered a large sum of money by gangster Johnny Rocco (Robinson) to remain open for a week. Johnny and his gang, Toots, Curly (Gomez), Ralph, Angel are all holed up in the hotel. Also with Johnny’s gang is the alcoholic singer, Gaye Dawn (Trevor). She was discovered and renamed by Johnny and was a big star until her alcoholism affected her looks and voice. Johnny resents her alcoholism and is trying to keep her from drinking. As the hurricane gets closer and closer, Johnny holds Frank and the Temples hostage–stating that he’s waiting for his Miami contact to arrive to conclude a deal.
FAVORITE PART(S):
1) Gaye’s incredibly awkward and uncomfortable performance of “Moanin’ Low” all for the sake of a drink. A drink she so desperately craves as she’s experiencing tremors due to alcohol withdrawls. Johnny forces her to perform a cappella then cruelly denies her the drink, because she was terrible–though he knew she’d be terrible. John Huston purposely put Claire Trevor on the spot to perform, unprepared, unrehearsed, in front of Bogart, Robinson, Bacall, and Barrymore. The lack of preparation, plus the presence of her A-list co-stars, led to Trevor delivering an incredibly nervous rendition–and won her the Oscar.
2) The entire hurricane scene is a lot of fun and I love seeing the strings pulling the trees. Oops.
3) The ending sequence with Bogart so effortlessly eliminating the gang, even Johnny.
4) Lionel Barrymore’s triumphant and intense attempt to take a swing at Toots. By this time, Barrymore was stricken with severe arthritis and was more or less wheelchair bound. For him to stand, walk, and attempt to punch Toots before falling to the ground was a very powerful moment in the film.
5) The entire creepy scene between Edward G. Robinson and Lauren Bacall where he’s undoubtedly whispering vulgar things in her ear, culminating with her spitting in his face.
BEST QUOTE(S):
GAYE DAWN: It’s better to be a live coward than a dead hero.
FRANK MCCLOUD: You don’t like it, do you Rocco, the storm? Show it your gun, why don’t you? If it doesn’t stop, shoot it.
FRANKMCCLOUD: When your head says one thing and your whole life says another, your head always loses.
JAMES TEMPLE: Are you thieves or what? You want money, is this a robbery?
TOOTS: Yeah, Pop, we’re gonna steal all your towels.