Rate Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall movies

On a huge Bogey/Bacall kick lately. Been rewatching all their 4 movies and to my surprise now find To Have or Have, it's chemistry and all being merely a starter for their duet magic. With probably Dark Passage taking the first place, movie wise. What's your take? How do you rate 'em?

 

Dark Passage. Bogart .. acting too marvelous for words
To Have and Have Not ? Bacall looked great in this.

 

To me the "The Big Sleep" is the weakest because of adding additional scenes between the two of them at the expense of story development. Great story sacrificed to add box office appeal. That was also a tough story to tell on the screen at that time. The "original cut" works better. The remake was absurdly set in England by Micheal Winner, making it seem silly. A wasted opportunity again, even more upsetting because "Farewell My Lovely", also with Robert Mitchum as Marlowe, was darn good despite him being too old for the part.

"Key Largo" is my favorite thanks to Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Lionel Barrymore. It's then a toss up between "Dark Passage" and "To Have and Have Not", depending entirely upon my mood.

 

1. The Big Sleep
2. Key Largo
3. To Have and Have Not
4. Dark Passage

 

They're all good but the Bogey/Bacall dialog and sexual tension are so cracking in To Have and Have Not. My favorite for those reasons, plus you get Hoagy!

 

As I have a particular interest in "film noir," my board name reflects this, I've used it on message boards etc., for over 20 years. The best Bogart and Bacall film in my opinion is "The Big Sleep."
It has a complicated plot that even the writer Raymond Chandler, is on record as saying it was hard for him to understand.
However, the best actress in the film, again in my opinion, wasn't Bacall it was Martha Vickers who played Carmen.



It is said her best scenes ended up on the cutting room floor as they were removed as on it's release the studio wanted to promote the career of Bacall.

Also better performances were from, again in my opinion.

Sonia Darrin who played Agnes.

Then Dorothy Malone, who played the bookstore assistant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqoxk3SrZRw

Even Joy Barlow who played the taxi driver seemed more like a "real" person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sNhPdJFZcQ&t=9s

It's a fact that the restaurant scene between Bogart and Bacall with the racehorse analogy was added after the film was completed, six months after the pair married, and before the film was realeased. This was because the studio wanted to take advantage of this headline making union.

Further Bogart and Bacall films were made just to ride on the bandwagon and were inferior and unremarkable, in my opinion.

I don't think she was his best co-star, Ingid Bergman, in, Casablanca and Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon, I consider better, as was Katharine Hepburn in the African Queen.

A bit of trivia. Over twenty years ago, when I was managing big retail stores, one of a number of teenage college girl joined the company as a part time assistants. Her name was Carmen.
I said, "That's an unusual name, your parents aren't fans of "The Big Sleep" are they?
This startled her and she replied, "You're the first person who has ever made the connection, it's my mother who's the fan. but I love my name."

This film continues to have a lot of admirers.

My tag-line below comes from the first meeting between Bogart and Bacall in The Big Sleep. It is what he says in response to her telling him that she didn't like his manners.

 

@Maranatha5585

 

My favorite movie of the four is “ The Bud Sleep”. I had not heard the earlier criticism concerning the added dialogue. Next time I watch the movie I’ll pay more attention.

I prefer Bogart as a hard bitten private eye. As a PI he seemed a natural. As far as Bacall, she’s I fine actress in her own right, but not equal to Bogart. He had a presence that “stole” scenes.

 

1. Dark Passage
2. The Big Sleep
3. Key Largo
4. To Have and Have Not

Finally got enjoyment out of Big Sleep through watching the original version without the romantic padding. It still isn't quite as much silly fun as Dark Passage though. Key Largo always bored me a bit in its filmed play kinda way (despite my love for Robinson) and recently found To Have and Have Not as Casablanca lite. Not a big Bogie fan in general.

 

That is my list, in that order with a sizeable gap between Key Largo and To Have and Have Not.

 

ahhh.. the list is about the way I see it, some of my all-time favorite films period.
Was following you - until you fully lost me at the end thoughts. So,.. What gives ? For Full disclosure.. I admit Bogart is my favorite actor of all time. I agree with the AFI: best male actor .. Still can talk film, an have, and do . Makes for some lively, salty conversation.. Of course, If someone claims it's Edward G. Robinson, or James Cagney I give it up.. Love them more than words, and the trifecta they form.. they are my celluloid heroes.

 

I would go with this:
1. The Big Sleep
2. Key Largo
3. To Have and Have Not
4. Dark Passage

And if I am going thru the channels I watch any time I find them on.

 

Of course with "The Big Sleep" Bogart's laconic character had some great lines written by Raymond Chandler.
But I couldn't imagine Bogart playing Marlowe as well as Dick Powell, in "Murder My Sweet." each of them "own" the films in which they appear as Marlowe.

"The Big Sleep" had a lot going for it, particularly the "Incidental music." A term not used much these days, the art seems to have been lost. We get "In your face music," instead. In the film the music never got in the way of the acting as it was muted during dialogue. No one complains they can't understand what the actors were saying in films of this era.
A common feature of such films were "love themes" which you notice if you've seen the film often enough. Watch for scenes with Bogart and Bacall together, the same theme is used. The music was written by Max Steiner, the master of music written for films.

Someone made the effort to put it on YouTube. Ignore the Casablanca image.




For what it's worth, this is the added scene in the Big Sleep filmed six months after the rest of the film was completed. I think the dialogue is really corny. I've not read the book, but I can't imagine that Chandler wrote it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF_chuSy9G4&t=3s

 

That album recorded in the 70's has recently gotten the SACD treatment by UK label Dutton/Vocalion and it offers both the Stereo and Quadraphonic mixes. Highly recommended and the price is really sweet.



As for my picks, I love all 4 films equally. Yeah, I'm a big Bogey fan. I do find Dark Passge unique and more like a typical Fim Noir, which I love. Agnes Moorehead is at her best in this type of role.

 

A couple things stood out in Key Largo for me. Bogart having to admit, though he was a veteran that he couldn't tell if the gun was loaded by the weight, and that great prayer by Lionel Barrymore. Can't think of Barrymore without that coming to mind.

 

Thanx! I only recently discovered that my favorite George Harrison song Baltimore Oriole (as well as Hong Kong Blues) is a cover of To Have and To Have Not Hoagy Carmichael tune.

 

Tough choice, but I'd go with Key Largo; the entire cast is fantastic. For some reason I find it hilarious when Bogart asks the gangster to check the propeller for kelp.

 

Here's the YouTube video I posted earlier, from where the photo comes.

She certainly knew how to wear shorts!



Sad early death from cancer at 46 in 1971

 

Ditto.

 

All four of these films have been on TV many times and for the last twenty-odd years I've had them on VHS, together with dozens of others of the genre including many more of Bogart's, I still keep a VHS recorder player under a TV so I can watch any if I choose. Some of his films have yet to be shown on TV or repeated, or if they have, I've missed them., so I haven't got them like the rest on my Humax HDR

The licencing of these old films can change from channel to channel over time.

Back in the day of early satellite TV when we had a "squarial," "Ted Turner TV," broadcast several "colourised" versions of films, including a couple of these,. I can't remember which, as they were awful, the monochrome versions are far more watchable.

Lauren Bacall was still appearing in films until shortly before her death in 2014. She appeared in "The Forger" (2012). This has been on TV at least three times in the last few years.

 

Having spent some time in Florida Keys, I will go for Key Largo.

1. Key Largo
2. The Big Sleep
3. Dark Passage
4. To Have and Have Not

 

She was one of Mickey Rooney's eight wives.

 

It’s difficult to pick the best make actor. My fav is Bogart. I’m the 70’s he Vi was what we thought was cool.

He had the ability that all great actors have. To just take over a movie. Ready a great actor.

 

Digressing a bit

As a paired couple also in four films, I've always liked Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.

In this order

This Gun For Hire.
The Blue Dahlia
The Glass Key
Saigon

They both could sing a bit too.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8wJZbeVfDU

Well, I like to think it was her singing, but it was dubbed.