Reviews of movies with Humphrey Bogart.
Monday, March 10th 2008
Grade: D
Synopsis: Two career inmates (Spencer Tracy and Warren Hymer) escape from prison to help a buddy (Humphrey Bogart).
Up the River is notable for several reasons: it marked the screen debut of stars Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy, as well as their only collaboration, it was also Bogart’s only collaboration with director John Ford, and it was only Ford’s sixth talkie. Unfortunately, Up the River isn’t notable for being very good.
Littered with title cards and short cuts, this comedy falls victim to the awkward transition between silents and talkies. While Tracy and Bogart exude the charisma and stage presence that would serve them so well through their careers (and look fast for Ford-mainstay Ward Bond), the film itself lacks any significant story or character development and many of the scenes feel like padding. There are moments, here and there, when things click, but these are few and far between. MORE »
Posted at 3:55 PM in Movie Reviews, Humphrey Bogart and John Ford.
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Monday, March 10th 2008
Grade: D
Synopsis: An attorney (Humphrey Bogart) builds a sob-story defense for a young man (John Derek) accused of murder.
Knock on Any Door is a preachy melodrama from director Nicholas Ray.
Ray, who’s probably best known for directing James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), takes something of a warm-up lap here, treading into the same teen angst and disaffected youth pool that defined the James Dean film.
Unfortunately, like most pre-Graduate films meant to portray the angst of an emerging generation, Knock on Any Door doesn’t age well at all. What might have been edgy in 1949 just seems corny now, likely, because the motion picture code wouldn’t allow the filmmakers to be honest. Kids couldn’t curse, nobody could get away with murder, and topics like abortion were completely off-limits. What’s left comes across as preachy and disingenuous. MORE »
Posted at 1:16 PM in Movie Reviews and Humphrey Bogart.
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Friday, January 25th 2008
Grade: C+
Synopsis: With the help of a district attorney (Humphrey Bogart), a clip-joint hostess (Bette Davis) testifies against her mobster boss.
Marked Woman is loosely based on the story of mobster Charles “Lucky” Luciano, who was convicted on prostitution charges in 1936, though the script by Abem Finkel and Robert Rossen isn’t really concerned with historical accuracy as much as playing off the newspaper stories of the day.
To their credit, however, Finkel and Rossen deliver a fairly edgy script for their time. Women are beaten and killed, and despite the protagonists being designated as “hostesses,” there are clear hints of prostitution. Further, they resist the urge to tack on any kind of romantic sub-plot for Davis’ character, thus upping the film’s credibility. MORE »
Posted at 4:17 PM in Movie Reviews and Humphrey Bogart.
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Wednesday, January 16th 2008
Grade: C+
Synopsis: After joining San Quentin’s prison guard, an ex-Army officer (Pat O’Brien) falls for the sister (Ann Sheridan) of one of the inmates (Humphrey Bogart).
San Quentin is a fairly routine melodrama, elevated by a quality cast.
O’Brien, Bogart, and Sheridan all radiate charisma, with O’Brien in particular feeling custom tailored to the part of the stern, but well-meaning prison guard. Even the supporting cast is above par, with Barton MacLane and Joe Sawyer giving fine turns as a corrupt guard and hardened criminal, respectively.
Director Lloyd Bacon keeps the running time down to a lean 70 minutes, moving through a lot of plot in an efficient manor while still allowing his stars to shine. This is a popcorn movie, to be sure, but one that doesn’t wear out its welcome. MORE »
Posted at 6:43 PM in Movie Reviews and Humphrey Bogart.
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Wednesday, January 9th 2008
Grade: B-
Synopsis: A war hero (Humphrey Bogart) investigates his buddy’s disappearance following their return to the states.
Dead Reckoning isn’t a very original movie; but that’s okay because it steals from the best. Take the cast for instance: Humphrey Bogart’s performance is really an amalgam of his characters in The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Big Sleep (1946) – two of his finest films– ; as his foil, Morris Carnovsky’s fills Sydney Greenstreet’s shoes admirably; and finally there’s the love interest, Lizabeth Scott, who’s appearance and character bear a more than passing resemblance to Lauren Bacall’s in The Big Sleep.
Unfortunately, while Scott may look and sound somewhat like Bacall, she’s not the genuine article. Scott simply can’t hold her own against Bogart, a fact that becomes more and more apparent as the film unfolds, and the chemistry between her and Bogart is marginal at best, which robs the film’s ending of much of its emotional impact. MORE »
Posted at 2:38 PM in Movie Reviews and Humphrey Bogart.
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