BOGART
& BACALL - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
TO
HAVE AND HAVE NOT - Co-starring Walter Brennan, Dolores Moran,
Hoagy Carmichael. Directed by Howard Hawks. (1944/100 min).
THE
BIG SLEEP - Co-starring Martha Vickers, John Ridgely, Dorothy Malone. Directed
by Howard Hawks. (1946/114 min).
DARK
PASSAGE - Co-starring Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead, Tom
D'Andrea. Directed by Delmer Daves. (1947/106 min).
KEY
LARGO - Co-starring Edward G. Robinson, Lionel Barrymore, Claire
Trevor, Thomas Gomez. Directed by John Huston. (1948/100 min).
ON
BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Mr. Pawsđ¸
Funny
thing about Humphrey Bogart...he was never a traditional leading man.
Bogey always looked like he'd be more at-home teaching high school
biology, his distinctive voice eliciting chuckles from the class.
But, damn, he was cool. With that kind of charisma, who the hell
needed to look like a matinĂŠe idol? Kinda gives hope to the rest of
us ordinary schmoes.
I
highly doubt I could ever muster enough charm to hook up with the
likes of the sultry Lauren Bacall, but Bogey's characters always made
it look effortless. While their pairing must have looked awful on
paper, their chemistry was indisputable (both on and off the screen).
The four films they made together are all classics, of course. Bogart
himself did better films before and afterwards, but these are
arguably the highlights of Bacall's career and you'd be hard-pressed
to name another screen duo who played off each other so well.
 |
| Upon seeing the check, Marlowe decides they're gonna Dine 'n' Dash. |
What
that means is every film in Bogart & Bacall - The Complete
Collection is a gem. Forced to choose, Key Largo would be
my personal favorite because there's the added bonus of the great
Edward G. Robinson, chewing up scenery in full gangster mode.
Interestingly, this is also the only film bereft of a romantic
subplot between the two leads. I'd never seen Dark Passage
until reviewing this set and was surprised by the ample use of
first-person point-of-view. As prison escapee Vincent Parry,
wrong-convicted for killing his wife, we don't even see Bogart for
nearly half the film. Still, it's a cleverly plotted story with film
noir touches, particularly Bacall's turn as Irene, whose motives for
helping him are ambiguously intriguing.
 |
| "It's one hotel towel, lady. What's the big deal?" |
Speaking
of plots, the one in The Big Sleep is so complex and puzzling
that I always feel like I'm watching it for the first time, which is
part of the fun. As cynical private detective Philip Marlowe, this is
Bogey at his coolest, nearly unflappable until he locks horns - and
lips - with Vivian Rutledge (Bacall). Of the four films, To Have
and Have Not is probably the least essential, mainly because it
travels the same road as Casablanca. Still, its two stars make
an entertaining pair of morally questionable opportunists whose
empathy for the French resistance during World War II grows over
time.
Each
of these classics have been individually available on Blu-ray for a
few years, all with great transfers and the same extras
first-included with the original DVD releases. This set from Warner
Archive Collection doesn't throw in anything new, but it's
attractively packaged and a lot less expensive than purchasing them
separately. A must-own for any classic movie lover who's missing a few of them
from their collection.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
TO
HAVE AND HAVE NOT - "A Love Story: The Story of To Have and
Have Not" (featurette); Lux Radio Broadcast (radio
adaptation); "Bacall to Arms" (Looney Tunes short and
pretty un-PC by today's standards); Trailer.
THE
BIG SLEEP - 1945 pre-release version (longer, with quite a few
different scenes); Intro the the 1945 version by Robert Bitt;
"1945/1946 Comparison" (also with Robert Gitt); Trailer.
DARK
PASSAGE - "Hold Your Breath and Cross Your Fingers"
(featurette); "Slick Hare" (Bugs Bunny cartoon...the one
where Bogart wants fried rabbit for dinner); Trailer
KEY
LARGO - Trailer
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE TAUNTING A MOUSE TO DEATH
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