Humphrey Bogart Movies

In Key Largo, Humphrey Bogart stars as a war veteran who individually tries to save a group of people in a hotel. The hotel, located in the Florida Keys, is held hostage by a crook (Edward G. Robinson) while a storm was brewing. Lauren Bacall plays the role of one of the hostages. Directed by John Huston (The Maltese Falcon), the film is an intelligent thriller a little similar to To Have and Have not by Howard Hawk and intriguingly, both films feature Bacall and Bogart as well. Key Largo’s moody disposition captured a specific despair cancelled out by the link between two people unified by a common goal. Robinson’s alcoholic girlfriend (Claire Trevor) won an Academy award for her role.

–Tom Keogh

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is one of the greatest masterpiece film ever made. It was ranked No. 30 on the list of 100 all-time greatest American films, according to the American Film Institute. Ironically, it was a failure at the time it was released to the box-office in 1948. Perhaps the reason for this is that viewers did not appreciate Humphrey Bogart playing a role that intentionally lacked appeal but through time, it was proven that this is one of Bogart’s best performances. It is after all an advanced character study and a voyage revolving around ageless themes of moral corruption and greed. Adapted from the novel of the enigmatic writer B. Traven and directed by John Huston, the film transformed into a classic treatment of chance and vainness in the obsolescent pursuit of affluence.  The story unfolds with Fred C. Dobbs (Bogart), a Mexican worker who was inspired to risk what little earnings he had to lead a journey to the Sierra Madre Mountains with hopes of finding gold. Accompanying him is an old prospector played by Walter Huston the director’s father, and an eager young partner. However, when they did find what they were looking for, the film becomes an attentive study of deplorable human behavior. Bogart is powerfully mad as his character grew more violent and paranoid. On the contrary, Huston brings the believable act of an experienced miner who has witnessed how gold transforms men to monsters.

From the films exciting opening scenes which features a young Robert Blake selling lottery tickets as a boy, to its concluding picture of momentous irony The Treasure of the Sierra Madre imprints a very memorable story of truth and tragedy into viewers minds. With specific scenes etched into cultural consciousness (who can forget the Mexican bandit who snarls “I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!”) and much deserved Oscar awards for both father and son (John and Walter Huston) this movie is one of the classics that can still throw a good punch.

–Jeff Shannon