Stunning entertainment with twisted intrigue , thrills , realist frames and dramatic happenings . The big main star , Bogart , Bacall , Robinson , is backed by a host of fine support cast . It begins when a man visits his old friend's hotel and finds a a mob of gangsters running things . As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other . As a storm of fear and fury in the sizzling Florida Keys and the events go wrong . It is starred by Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) who travels to a run-down hotel on Key Largo to honor the memory of a friend . The dead soldier's father, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore was severely disabled by arthritis and was confined to a wheelchair) runs a hotel in Key Largo with the help of his now widowed daughter-in-law Nora (Lauren Bacall) . But the motel is taken over by a bunch of mobsters led by Johnny Rocco (Edward G Robinson, his role was modeled on Al Capone, who retired to South Florida shortly after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and died there of complications due to advanced syphilis) and his hoodlums (Thomas Gomez , Harry Lewis , Marc Lawrence) . Rocco is accompanied by his drunk moll (Claire Trevor , her role was based on real-life moll Gay Orlova , gangster Lucky Luciano's girlfriend).
Exciting and thrilling picture with a complex intrigue , nice character studio , suspense , a lot of killings and interesting deeds . One of the most grueling of even Bogart's mobster movies all done in gripping realism and well shot by the great John Huston . Interesting and moving screenplay by Richard Brooks , John Huston and based on the play by Maxwell Anderson . However , the film version of "Key Largo" has very little to do with Maxwell Anderson's original play , all the characters in the play had their names changed in the film version. This was very unusual for a play written by Anderson, who was then one of the most highly regarded American playwrights, and whose best-known plays had, on the whole, been filmed faithfully . The picture has a Noir treatment though excessively stagy , but stars can quite compensate for some claustrophobic moments . This first-rate but slow-paced picture draws its riveting tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles as well as drama and emotion . Twisted film Noir about gangsters , robbing , forgery , treason , troubled relationships and dark secrets . It is a tough and tortuous thriller that has a good realization , an original script , haunting atmosphere , intriguing events ; for that reason madness and murder prevail . Exciting as well as rare film , possessing a mysterious and fascinating blend of gripping thriller , serenity , baroque suspense in which especially stands out the portentous performances , attractive cinematography in black and white by Karl Freund and magnificent musical score by the classic Max Steiner . This is pure cinema from the first to the last shot, where there's nothing left and each image has its sense and meaning . Stirring ending , in fact the final confrontation on a boat is actually the ending to the book "To Have and Have Not" which wasn't used in the film version . The ramshackle hotel where most of the drama unfolds was constructed on the Warner Bros lot along with the beach area. Exterior shots of the hurricane were actually taken from stock footage used in Night unto night (1949).
Here Bogart is extraordinary and as cool as ever , his scenes with Lauren Bacall are awesome though underplayed compared to those they shared in The Big sleep , Dark passage and To have and to have not . This was fourth and final film pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , a fifth film was planned several years later, but Bogart died before it could be made . Additionaly , the subjective camera record Humphrey's impressions giving a top-drawer acting . It's splendidly played by Humphrey Bogart ; he was in his best period of the late 40s and early 50s when he starred classic movies such as ¨The Caine Mutiny¨, ¨Sabrina¨, ¨Beat the devil¨, ¨The African Queen¨, ¨Sirocco¨, ¨In a lonely place¨, ¨Chain lightning¨, ¨Knock on any door¨ and ¨The enforcer¨. Supporting cast is frankly well , such as Lionel Barrymore , Claire Trevor , Thomas Gomez , Harry Lewis , Marc Lawrence , Monte Blue and uncredited Jay Silverheels , famous Indian Tonto of Lone Ranger .
The motion picture produced in enough budget by Jack L. Warner and Jerry Wald was well directed by John Huston , though being extremely theatrical. The main character, Frank McCloud/Bogart describes having served in the WWII battle at San Pietro, Italy similarly to director/co-screenwriter John Huston had been involved in that battle as the creator of the documentary film San Pietro (1945) while he was in the U.S. Army's motion picture unit . Nice work by John Huston in demonstrating his skill at all areas : as technical , using all kind of resources for illustrating the interesting as well as dramatic story with an engaging screenplay , adding great actors , adequate filmmaking and enjoyable narration . The movie was filmed in only 78 days, virtually all on the Warner Bros. lot, except for a few shots in Florida used for the opening scenes . This film ¨Key Largo" or "Huracán de Pasiones" or ¨Cayo largo¨ is absolutely recommended . Rating : Above average , it is a nice tale with enough drama , thrills and turns to keep you guessing .
Exciting and thrilling picture with a complex intrigue , nice character studio , suspense , a lot of killings and interesting deeds . One of the most grueling of even Bogart's mobster movies all done in gripping realism and well shot by the great John Huston . Interesting and moving screenplay by Richard Brooks , John Huston and based on the play by Maxwell Anderson . However , the film version of "Key Largo" has very little to do with Maxwell Anderson's original play , all the characters in the play had their names changed in the film version. This was very unusual for a play written by Anderson, who was then one of the most highly regarded American playwrights, and whose best-known plays had, on the whole, been filmed faithfully . The picture has a Noir treatment though excessively stagy , but stars can quite compensate for some claustrophobic moments . This first-rate but slow-paced picture draws its riveting tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles as well as drama and emotion . Twisted film Noir about gangsters , robbing , forgery , treason , troubled relationships and dark secrets . It is a tough and tortuous thriller that has a good realization , an original script , haunting atmosphere , intriguing events ; for that reason madness and murder prevail . Exciting as well as rare film , possessing a mysterious and fascinating blend of gripping thriller , serenity , baroque suspense in which especially stands out the portentous performances , attractive cinematography in black and white by Karl Freund and magnificent musical score by the classic Max Steiner . This is pure cinema from the first to the last shot, where there's nothing left and each image has its sense and meaning . Stirring ending , in fact the final confrontation on a boat is actually the ending to the book "To Have and Have Not" which wasn't used in the film version . The ramshackle hotel where most of the drama unfolds was constructed on the Warner Bros lot along with the beach area. Exterior shots of the hurricane were actually taken from stock footage used in Night unto night (1949).
Here Bogart is extraordinary and as cool as ever , his scenes with Lauren Bacall are awesome though underplayed compared to those they shared in The Big sleep , Dark passage and To have and to have not . This was fourth and final film pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , a fifth film was planned several years later, but Bogart died before it could be made . Additionaly , the subjective camera record Humphrey's impressions giving a top-drawer acting . It's splendidly played by Humphrey Bogart ; he was in his best period of the late 40s and early 50s when he starred classic movies such as ¨The Caine Mutiny¨, ¨Sabrina¨, ¨Beat the devil¨, ¨The African Queen¨, ¨Sirocco¨, ¨In a lonely place¨, ¨Chain lightning¨, ¨Knock on any door¨ and ¨The enforcer¨. Supporting cast is frankly well , such as Lionel Barrymore , Claire Trevor , Thomas Gomez , Harry Lewis , Marc Lawrence , Monte Blue and uncredited Jay Silverheels , famous Indian Tonto of Lone Ranger .
The motion picture produced in enough budget by Jack L. Warner and Jerry Wald was well directed by John Huston , though being extremely theatrical. The main character, Frank McCloud/Bogart describes having served in the WWII battle at San Pietro, Italy similarly to director/co-screenwriter John Huston had been involved in that battle as the creator of the documentary film San Pietro (1945) while he was in the U.S. Army's motion picture unit . Nice work by John Huston in demonstrating his skill at all areas : as technical , using all kind of resources for illustrating the interesting as well as dramatic story with an engaging screenplay , adding great actors , adequate filmmaking and enjoyable narration . The movie was filmed in only 78 days, virtually all on the Warner Bros. lot, except for a few shots in Florida used for the opening scenes . This film ¨Key Largo" or "Huracán de Pasiones" or ¨Cayo largo¨ is absolutely recommended . Rating : Above average , it is a nice tale with enough drama , thrills and turns to keep you guessing .