Key Largo - 1948
Cats: Set Your Recorders, Film Noir, Drama, Bogart|This was the fourth and final film pairing Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and it is great. Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) travels to a run-down hotel on Key Largo to visit the family of a friend who died bravely in his unit during WW II. His friend’s widow, Nora (Lauren Bacall) and wheelchair bound father, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore) manage the hotel and the three of them soon find themselves virtual prisoners when the hotel is taken over by a mob of gangsters led by Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) who hole up there to await the passing of a hurricane. They are prisoners of the weather and organized crime. Having become disillusioned by the violence of war, Frank is reluctant to act, but Rocco’s demeaning treatment of his alcoholic moll, Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor), and his involvement in the deaths of some innocent Seminole Indians and a deputy sheriff start to motivate McCloud take action.
The character of Johnny Rocco was obviously modeled on Al Capone (with shades of Lucky Luciano), who had moved to Florida after his stay in prison. His glory days behind him, he died there of complications due to advanced syphilis a year before this film was made.
The character of Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor) was based on real-life gangster’s moll Gay Orlova (gangster Lucky Luciano’s girlfriend), allegedly executed by a German firing squad. Miss Trevor’s performance (she was always great) and her particularly painful rendition of “Moanin’ Low” won her a much deserved Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
The boat on which the final scenes take place is named Santana. This was the name of Humphrey Bogart’s yacht, which he purchased from June Allyson and Dick Powell. An avid sailor,Mr. Bogart loved sailing since the days his father had taught him on Seneca Lake in the Adirondacks. He loved the Santana so much he named his production company after it.
Shot in a remarkably quick 78 days on the Warner Brothers back lot, Key Largo was the fourth (out of six) collaborations between John Huston and Humphrey Bogart. Based on a Maxwell Anderson hit play that had starred Paul Muni on Broadway. The movie version has little to do with the play however; the characters names, the time period and the setting were changed. This is a great picture that further perpetuated the Bogart / lone tough guy hero persona that we all came to love.
Tuesday April 22 at 11:15 AM on Turner Classic Movies
