This film is based on a 1995 German novel by Berhnard Schlink and the setting is post-war Germany. Michael Berg is a teenager, he becomes very ill and he is helped by Hanna. She works as a tram conductor and Michael is half her age. Michael has scarlet fever, he recovers and he looks for Hanna to thank her. They are quickly drawn into a passionate but secret affair. Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their relationship deepens. He reads The Odyssey, Huck Finn and The Lady with the Little Dog. Hanna has been promoted to a clerical job at the tram company’s office and she mysteriously disappears one day. Michael is very heartbroken and confused? Eight years pass and now Michael is a law student. He has been observing the Nazi war crime trials and he is stunned to see Hanna in the courtroom? She is a defendant believed to have committed war crimes and her past is revealed. She was a guard at a Nazi concentration camp and she is accused along with several other woman. They are charged with letting 300 Jewish women die in a burning church when they were SS guards. Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives.
This is a story about truth, reconciliation and how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another generation. Hanna has a secret and she will give up her freedom rather than admit the secret. There is testimony by Llana Mather, she is the author of a memoir about how she survived the camp along with her mother. She states that Hanna read to her in the evenings. Hanna is also accused of being the author of a report on the church fire event and the other women blamed the deaths on her. This is a deeply moving story and there is uncertainty about how it will end. 5* (I really liked this movie)
124 min, Drama directed by Stephen Daldry and written by David Hare and Berhard Schlink with Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Jeanette Hain, David Kross, Susanne Lothar, Alissa Wilms, Florian Bartholomai, Friederike Becht, Matthias Habich, Frider Venus, Marie-Anne Fliegel, Hendrik Arnst, Rainer Sellien, Rotsten Michaelis, Mortiz Grove.
Note: Imdb 7.,6 out of 10, Roger Ebert 4 1/2*, Rotten Tomatoes 63% critic 79% audience, The Guardian 1* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, DeepFocus 3 1/2* out of 4* Brian Eggert, Metacritic 58 out of 100 with 38 critics (19 positive, 17 mixed, 2 negative) 7.2 out of 10 with 175 user scores (120 positive, 40 mixed, 15 negative), Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 2933 reviews.
Special Note: Filmed in Saxony, North Rhine-Wesphalia, Lubelski, Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany. Originally David Kross did not speak English but he learned the language for this film. Bruno Ganz played Michael Berg’s Holocaust-surviving professor in this film. He famously played Adolf Hitler in the film Downfall of 2004. Producers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella both died before the completion of this film. Two producers Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris were nominated for Academy Awards. The Academy made an exception to their rule not to name more than three producers for a film. Because of this rare circumstance, four producers were honored with the award.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
The Prestige 2006
At the end of the nineteenth century in London. Robert Angier, his beloved wife Julia McCullough and Alfred Borden are friends. They are also assistants to a magician. Julie accidentally dies during one of the performances. Robert blames Alfred for her death and they become enemies. Robert and Alfred are both famous and rival magicians. They begin sabotaging the performances of the other on the stage. If Alfred performs a successful trick, Robert will become obsessed trying to disclose the secret of his competitor. All this pushing each other back and forth leads to tragic consequences.
This is a wonderfully entertaining film!! It will keep you thinking the entire run time. It’s very confusing but it is that way on purpose in order to keep you wondering. The story is twisty with very good acting and the period details are also very good. Some people complained that they didn’t like the ending? Since this is about magic tricks, I can’t reveal what happens and how things are done!! The photography is very beautiful and the period color tones are consistent with this time period. Nicolai Tesla beings showers of discharging electricity into the mix. Tesla is a much more familiar word now since the Tesla car came on the scene!! 4* (I really liked this movie)
130 min, directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan with Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johnansson, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Samantha Mahurin, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Daniel Davis, Jim mPiddock, Christopher Neame, Mark Ryan, Roger Rees, Jamie Harris.
Note: Imdb 8.5 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 76% critic 92% audience, Roger Ebert 3*, Meticritic 66 out of 100 with 36 critics (positive 26, mixed 9, negative 1) 8.9 out of 10 with 1179 user scores (positive 1102, mixed 56, negative 21), Deep Focus 4* Brian Eggert, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1448 reviews, NowVeryBad.com 4*.
Special Note: Filmed in Telluride, Colorado; Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Downey, Koreatown, Mount Wilson, Pasadena, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios and Universal Studios. The word prestige originally meant a trick, from the Latin word praestigium meaning illusion. The scenes of Alfred Borden’s infant were played by one of Christopher Nolan’s children. Ricky Jay played a magician in this film and he coached Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale with their sleight-of-hand techniques. The initials of the main characters spell ABRA (Alfred Borden Robert Angier), as in abracadabra, a common world used by magicians.
This is a wonderfully entertaining film!! It will keep you thinking the entire run time. It’s very confusing but it is that way on purpose in order to keep you wondering. The story is twisty with very good acting and the period details are also very good. Some people complained that they didn’t like the ending? Since this is about magic tricks, I can’t reveal what happens and how things are done!! The photography is very beautiful and the period color tones are consistent with this time period. Nicolai Tesla beings showers of discharging electricity into the mix. Tesla is a much more familiar word now since the Tesla car came on the scene!! 4* (I really liked this movie)
130 min, directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan with Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johnansson, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Samantha Mahurin, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Daniel Davis, Jim mPiddock, Christopher Neame, Mark Ryan, Roger Rees, Jamie Harris.
Note: Imdb 8.5 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 76% critic 92% audience, Roger Ebert 3*, Meticritic 66 out of 100 with 36 critics (positive 26, mixed 9, negative 1) 8.9 out of 10 with 1179 user scores (positive 1102, mixed 56, negative 21), Deep Focus 4* Brian Eggert, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1448 reviews, NowVeryBad.com 4*.
Special Note: Filmed in Telluride, Colorado; Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Downey, Koreatown, Mount Wilson, Pasadena, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios and Universal Studios. The word prestige originally meant a trick, from the Latin word praestigium meaning illusion. The scenes of Alfred Borden’s infant were played by one of Christopher Nolan’s children. Ricky Jay played a magician in this film and he coached Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale with their sleight-of-hand techniques. The initials of the main characters spell ABRA (Alfred Borden Robert Angier), as in abracadabra, a common world used by magicians.
The Illusionist 2006
The setting of this film is the late nineteenth century in Vienna. Eisenheim is a renowned illusionist and he is reunited with the Duchess von Teschen. She volunteered from the audience to participate in an illusion during one of his performances. Eisenheim and the Duchess have not seen each other in fifteen years and at that time they were teenagers. They recognize each other as Eduard Abramovich and Sophie von Teschen. They had a doomed romance because of their class differences. The Duchess is soon to be wed to the Crown Prince Leopold. For the Crown Prince this will be a marriage in pursuit of power. He could overthrow his father Emperor Leopold. He could also overtake the Hungarian side of the empire. The Crown Prince is well known to use violence against women if it suits his needs or purposes. The Duchess realizes that she still loves Eisenheim and he also realizes he is still in love with the Duchess. It would jeopardize her life to leave the Crown Prince. Eisenheim humiliates the Crown Prince at a private show and this results in an incident between the Crown Prince and the Duchess.
The story is fictional but some details are based on the life of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf. He was the only son of Emperor Franz Josef. The character of Eisenheim is closely based on magician and supposed clairvoyant Erik Jan Hanussen. He was famous in Vienna in the early 20th century and he was murdered by Nazi soldiers in 1933. There is great attention to detail with the most beautiful fashions, the details in sets and costume designs plus stunning cinematography. There is a dream-like glow and it is possible to see something extraordinary out of the ordinary in this film!! 3 1/2* (I liked this movie)
110 min, Drama directed by Neil Burger, wirier by Steven Millhouser and Neil Burger with Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan, Jake Wood, tom fisher, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Eleanor Tomlinson, Karl Johnson, Vincent Franklin, Nicholas Blane, Philip McGough, Erich Redman, Michael Carter.
Note: Imdb 7.6 out of 10, 3 1/2* Roger Ebert, Metacritic 68 out of 100 with 37 critics (positive 29, mixed 8) 8.7 out of 10 with 554 user scores (positive 482, mixed 47, negative 15), Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs, age 14+ 3* out of 5*, 3* violence, sex, language and 3* drinking drugs & smoking, Letterboxd 3.3* out of 5*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1246 reviews.
Special Note: The setting is Austria but filming was primarily done in the Czech Republic. Norton received intensive training in sleight of hand and other stage magic techniques from British magician James Freedman and American magician Ricky Jay. This was done so the crew would not have to use CGI to take the magical illusions. Liv Tyler was originally cast in the role of the Duchess. The Illusionist is one of three 2006 films to feature both the topic of magic and magicians as main characters in 2006. The others are Scoop and The Prestige. Rufus Sewell has recently been in the series The Man in the High Castle.
The story is fictional but some details are based on the life of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf. He was the only son of Emperor Franz Josef. The character of Eisenheim is closely based on magician and supposed clairvoyant Erik Jan Hanussen. He was famous in Vienna in the early 20th century and he was murdered by Nazi soldiers in 1933. There is great attention to detail with the most beautiful fashions, the details in sets and costume designs plus stunning cinematography. There is a dream-like glow and it is possible to see something extraordinary out of the ordinary in this film!! 3 1/2* (I liked this movie)
110 min, Drama directed by Neil Burger, wirier by Steven Millhouser and Neil Burger with Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan, Jake Wood, tom fisher, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Eleanor Tomlinson, Karl Johnson, Vincent Franklin, Nicholas Blane, Philip McGough, Erich Redman, Michael Carter.
Note: Imdb 7.6 out of 10, 3 1/2* Roger Ebert, Metacritic 68 out of 100 with 37 critics (positive 29, mixed 8) 8.7 out of 10 with 554 user scores (positive 482, mixed 47, negative 15), Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs, age 14+ 3* out of 5*, 3* violence, sex, language and 3* drinking drugs & smoking, Letterboxd 3.3* out of 5*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1246 reviews.
Special Note: The setting is Austria but filming was primarily done in the Czech Republic. Norton received intensive training in sleight of hand and other stage magic techniques from British magician James Freedman and American magician Ricky Jay. This was done so the crew would not have to use CGI to take the magical illusions. Liv Tyler was originally cast in the role of the Duchess. The Illusionist is one of three 2006 films to feature both the topic of magic and magicians as main characters in 2006. The others are Scoop and The Prestige. Rufus Sewell has recently been in the series The Man in the High Castle.
Inherit the Wind 1960
B.T. Cates is arrested for teaching Darwin’s theories in his classroom. He is taken to the local jail and famous lawyer Henry Drummond is set to defend him. The prosecutor will be fundamentalist politician Matthew Brady. This film is a thinly disguised rendition of the 1925 film Scopes Monkey Trial. There are debates between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan. Their comments are taken largely from the original transcripts.
This film was made almost 60 years ago and the court case was from nearly 95 years ago!! Spencer Tracy portrays a crusty liberal and he believes an idea is more important than a monument. Frederick March doesn’t think about what not to think about. Director Kramer doesn’t beat up the audience with preconceptions. There is some mild swearing and the movie does raise questions and issues about the theory of creationism versus evolution. These themes could lead to interesting conversations about the two views and their presentations by the film. Plus these topics are still debated today. 3* (This movie was OK)
Note: Imdb 8.1 out of 10 with 25,291 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 92% critic 91% audience, Roger Ebert 4*, Common Sense Media Ellen MacKay age 12+ with 5*, 1* violence 1* language, Amazon 4.6* with 516 reviews, Letterboxd 3.9*.
128 min, Bio directed by Stanley Kramer and written by Nedrick Young, Harold Jacob Smith with Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Dick York, Donna Anderson, Harry Morgan, Claude Akins, Paul Hartman, Philip Coolidge, Jimmy Boyd, Noah Beery Jr., Normal Fell, Gordon Polk, Hope Summers.
Special Note: The final summation by Spencer Tracy was filmed in a single take to heighten the tension in the courtroom. In real life, Clarence Darrow asked the jury to find John Thomas Scopes guilty so that he could appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court. This action would put an even bigger dent on the law. There was criticism directed at producer Stanley Kramer by the American Legion for hiring Nedrick Young. The Legion considered him a subversive. Moss Hart, the President of The Authors League of American sent Kramer a telegram. This council has always opposed any form of blacklisting of writers. They unanimously voted at a meeting to commend and applaud Kramer for his courageous stand. Kramer had rejected publicly the effort to interfere on pseudo-patriotic grounds the right of writers to work. This was the first in-flight movie ever shown on TWA.
This film was made almost 60 years ago and the court case was from nearly 95 years ago!! Spencer Tracy portrays a crusty liberal and he believes an idea is more important than a monument. Frederick March doesn’t think about what not to think about. Director Kramer doesn’t beat up the audience with preconceptions. There is some mild swearing and the movie does raise questions and issues about the theory of creationism versus evolution. These themes could lead to interesting conversations about the two views and their presentations by the film. Plus these topics are still debated today. 3* (This movie was OK)
Note: Imdb 8.1 out of 10 with 25,291 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 92% critic 91% audience, Roger Ebert 4*, Common Sense Media Ellen MacKay age 12+ with 5*, 1* violence 1* language, Amazon 4.6* with 516 reviews, Letterboxd 3.9*.
128 min, Bio directed by Stanley Kramer and written by Nedrick Young, Harold Jacob Smith with Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Dick York, Donna Anderson, Harry Morgan, Claude Akins, Paul Hartman, Philip Coolidge, Jimmy Boyd, Noah Beery Jr., Normal Fell, Gordon Polk, Hope Summers.
Special Note: The final summation by Spencer Tracy was filmed in a single take to heighten the tension in the courtroom. In real life, Clarence Darrow asked the jury to find John Thomas Scopes guilty so that he could appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court. This action would put an even bigger dent on the law. There was criticism directed at producer Stanley Kramer by the American Legion for hiring Nedrick Young. The Legion considered him a subversive. Moss Hart, the President of The Authors League of American sent Kramer a telegram. This council has always opposed any form of blacklisting of writers. They unanimously voted at a meeting to commend and applaud Kramer for his courageous stand. Kramer had rejected publicly the effort to interfere on pseudo-patriotic grounds the right of writers to work. This was the first in-flight movie ever shown on TWA.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Nothing Left Unsaid 2016
Gloria Vanderbilt and her son Anderson Cooper discuss their notable family’s history. Gloria Laura Vanderbilt was born February 20, 1924 and she died June 17, 2019. She was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress and socialite. During the 1930’s she was the subject to a high-profile child custody trail. Her mother Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt and her paternal aunt Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney each sought custody of Gloria and control over her trust fund. When Gloria was a young girl, she was cared for by a beloved nanny Dodo. She didn’t really have contact with her mother. During the trial, her motherless the custody battle and Gloria went to live with her aunt Gertrude. Gloria was married four times and divorced three times. She had four sons, two with Leopold Stokowski and two with Wyatt Emory Cooper.
Her son Anderson Cooper is looking though Gloria’s art and they are talking about her life. Anderson also wanted to connect more openly with his mother. She is 91 years old at this time and he needs to do this now. Some aspects of their lives are still not talked about and not at this time either. Gloria’s life is very fascinating and even though she has had ups and downs, she is still positive about her life. She died from stomach cancer at the age of 95. I thought this was well done and interesting. 4* (I really liked this movie)
108 min, Doc directed by Liz Garbus and written by Dan Cogan with Anderson Cooper, Pearson Marx, Stan Stokowski, Alfred Vanderbilt III.
Note: Imdb 7.9 out of 10 with 591 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 67% critic 74% audience, Metacritic 80 out of 100 with 5 critics (4 positive, 1 mixed), Amazon 4* out of 5* with 104 reviews, Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5*.
Special Note: Anderson Cooper is the primary anchor of the CNN news shows Anderson Cooper 360. He also published a memoir for HaperCollins in May 2006 titled Dispatches from the Edge. It details his life and work in Sri Lanka, Africa, Iraq and Louisiana over the previous year.
Her son Anderson Cooper is looking though Gloria’s art and they are talking about her life. Anderson also wanted to connect more openly with his mother. She is 91 years old at this time and he needs to do this now. Some aspects of their lives are still not talked about and not at this time either. Gloria’s life is very fascinating and even though she has had ups and downs, she is still positive about her life. She died from stomach cancer at the age of 95. I thought this was well done and interesting. 4* (I really liked this movie)
108 min, Doc directed by Liz Garbus and written by Dan Cogan with Anderson Cooper, Pearson Marx, Stan Stokowski, Alfred Vanderbilt III.
Note: Imdb 7.9 out of 10 with 591 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 67% critic 74% audience, Metacritic 80 out of 100 with 5 critics (4 positive, 1 mixed), Amazon 4* out of 5* with 104 reviews, Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5*.
Special Note: Anderson Cooper is the primary anchor of the CNN news shows Anderson Cooper 360. He also published a memoir for HaperCollins in May 2006 titled Dispatches from the Edge. It details his life and work in Sri Lanka, Africa, Iraq and Louisiana over the previous year.
The Man in the High Castle Season Four 2019
This series is based on a novel by Philip K. Dick. There are four seasons in this series and the years are 2015 to 2019. The setting is a dystopian America in 1962 dominated by Nazi Germany on the East coast and Imperial Japan on the west coast. In the middle of the two zones is a neutral zone. Everyone believes that the Allied Powers lost WWII. The Man in the High Castle character is Stephen Root as Hawthorne Abendsen. He is the head of the American antifascist resistance. He has created films set in other worlds. The resistance wants to view all the films to learn the truth about the Nazi and Japanese occupations. The Nazi and Japanese Governments believe nothing in these films is true. When they discover a film, they burn it, arrest and usually kill the person in possession of the film.
The previous three seasons have been complicated and season four may be more complicated than the others!! There is a LOT going on and there is the added purpose of presenting the conclusion. Many characters have fallen by the wayside but there are plenty left!! I did not know how each season would end!! 5* (I really liked this series)
Each episode is one hour long, Drama created by Frank Spotnitz with Alexa Davalos, Joel de la Fuente, Rufus Sewell, Chelah Horsdal, Brennan Brown, Gracyn Shinyei, Genea Charpentier, Arnold Hun, Quinn Lord, Jason O’Mara.
Note: Imdb 8.1 out of 10 with 70,813 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 89% critic 68% audience, Amazon 2.9* out of 5* with 1047 reviews.
Special Note: Filmed in Monroe, Washington. Extensive research was done for the cultures. Particular attention was given to the areas of costuming, technology and music. The opening theme song is Edelweiss from the musical Sound of Music. This would never have been written if the Nazis had won the war. Hohenwerfen Castle in Austria was used for the Fuhrerhauptquartier, Hitler’s personal castle, stronghold and command center. The castle had previously been used as a Nazi stronghold in the film Where Eagles Dare 1968.
Titles for Season Four: Hexagram 64, Every Door Out, The Box, Happy Trails, Mauvaise For, All Serious Daring, No Masters But Ourselves, Hitler Has Only Got One Ball, For Want of a Nail, Fire from the Gods.
The previous three seasons have been complicated and season four may be more complicated than the others!! There is a LOT going on and there is the added purpose of presenting the conclusion. Many characters have fallen by the wayside but there are plenty left!! I did not know how each season would end!! 5* (I really liked this series)
Each episode is one hour long, Drama created by Frank Spotnitz with Alexa Davalos, Joel de la Fuente, Rufus Sewell, Chelah Horsdal, Brennan Brown, Gracyn Shinyei, Genea Charpentier, Arnold Hun, Quinn Lord, Jason O’Mara.
Note: Imdb 8.1 out of 10 with 70,813 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 89% critic 68% audience, Amazon 2.9* out of 5* with 1047 reviews.
Special Note: Filmed in Monroe, Washington. Extensive research was done for the cultures. Particular attention was given to the areas of costuming, technology and music. The opening theme song is Edelweiss from the musical Sound of Music. This would never have been written if the Nazis had won the war. Hohenwerfen Castle in Austria was used for the Fuhrerhauptquartier, Hitler’s personal castle, stronghold and command center. The castle had previously been used as a Nazi stronghold in the film Where Eagles Dare 1968.
Titles for Season Four: Hexagram 64, Every Door Out, The Box, Happy Trails, Mauvaise For, All Serious Daring, No Masters But Ourselves, Hitler Has Only Got One Ball, For Want of a Nail, Fire from the Gods.
Friday, November 22, 2019
To Have and Have Not 1944
This film is based on a novel by Ernest Hemmingway. Harry Morgan and his alcoholic sidekick, Eddie, are based on the island of Martinique. They are a crew and a boat available for hire but World War II is happening around them. Their business has suffered because of the war. They take a customer out and he owes them a large sum of money. The customer had planned to sneak away and take a plane before it was time to pay Harry. Eddie and Harry are forced to violate their preferred neutrality and take a job for the resistance. They will transport a fugitive on the run from the Nazis to Martinique. Unexpectedly, they learn that the man’s wife is also going with them. There is some gunfire and the man is wounded in the shoulder. Another plot twist is that Harry has met Marie “Slim” Browning. She is a resistance sympathizer and a singer in the club where Morgan spends a lot of his time.
Harry was almost able to get his money but the customer was shot in the club and Capt. M. Renard and his bodyguard took Harry’s money for themselves. To put pressure on Harry about the fugitive, they pick up Eddie and they are holding him to get information. They tried letting him drink but that didn’t work. The next step is to withhold alcohol and Eddie won’t be able to take that kind of abuse. Eddie deserved better treatment from the Martinique authorities!! I expected a more powerful plot from Hemmingway? 3 1/2* (I liked this movie)
100 min, Adventure directed by Howard Hawks and written by Ernest Hemingway and Jules Furthman with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan, Lauren Bacall, Delores Moran, Hoagy Carmichael, Sheldon Leonard, Walter Szurovy, Marcel Dalio, Walter Sande, Dan Seymour, Aldo Nadi.
Note: Imdb 7.9 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 97% critic 90% audience, Three Movie Buffs average 3 1/2* out of 4*, Letterboxd 3.9* out of 5*, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 548 reviews.
Special Note: Filmed on Stage 28 and Stage 28A, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, Burbank, California, Laguna Beach and Balboa, Newport Beach, California. Lauren Bacall wrote in here autobiography that it was in the third week of filming that the friendly banter with Humphrey Bogart become something else. Bogart was 44 years old an in an unhappy marriage. Their onscreen chemistry was obvious but Director Howard Hawks was furious. He warned Bacall away and threatened that the relationship could damage her career. In reality, Hawks was jealous and had designs on Bacall himself. Hawks warned that Bogart would drop Bacall after filming was completed. Nothing like that happened!! Bogart divorced his wife and married Bacall in 1945. They made three more films together and they were married until Bogart’s death from cancer in January 1957. Bacall was 20 at the time of filming and Bogart was 45, he was 25 years older. The location in the novel changed from Cuba to Martinique under Vichy to make the film more timely.
Harry was almost able to get his money but the customer was shot in the club and Capt. M. Renard and his bodyguard took Harry’s money for themselves. To put pressure on Harry about the fugitive, they pick up Eddie and they are holding him to get information. They tried letting him drink but that didn’t work. The next step is to withhold alcohol and Eddie won’t be able to take that kind of abuse. Eddie deserved better treatment from the Martinique authorities!! I expected a more powerful plot from Hemmingway? 3 1/2* (I liked this movie)
100 min, Adventure directed by Howard Hawks and written by Ernest Hemingway and Jules Furthman with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan, Lauren Bacall, Delores Moran, Hoagy Carmichael, Sheldon Leonard, Walter Szurovy, Marcel Dalio, Walter Sande, Dan Seymour, Aldo Nadi.
Note: Imdb 7.9 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 97% critic 90% audience, Three Movie Buffs average 3 1/2* out of 4*, Letterboxd 3.9* out of 5*, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 548 reviews.
Special Note: Filmed on Stage 28 and Stage 28A, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, Burbank, California, Laguna Beach and Balboa, Newport Beach, California. Lauren Bacall wrote in here autobiography that it was in the third week of filming that the friendly banter with Humphrey Bogart become something else. Bogart was 44 years old an in an unhappy marriage. Their onscreen chemistry was obvious but Director Howard Hawks was furious. He warned Bacall away and threatened that the relationship could damage her career. In reality, Hawks was jealous and had designs on Bacall himself. Hawks warned that Bogart would drop Bacall after filming was completed. Nothing like that happened!! Bogart divorced his wife and married Bacall in 1945. They made three more films together and they were married until Bogart’s death from cancer in January 1957. Bacall was 20 at the time of filming and Bogart was 45, he was 25 years older. The location in the novel changed from Cuba to Martinique under Vichy to make the film more timely.
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