Key Largo (1948)

Directed by John Huston. Starring Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart, Lionel Barrymore, Lauren Bacall, Thomas Gomez, Claire Trevor, Harry Lewis, John Rodney, Dan Seymour, William Haade, Monte Blue.

Al Capone-like gangster Johnny Rocco (Robinson) holds the occupants of a small hotel on Key Largo hostage as a hurricane bears down upon them. Fine script by Huston and Richard Brooks (adapted and revised from a Maxwell Anderson play), superb cast, and limber direction from Huston that nullifies the stagy nature and limited space of the production. Talky at times, and a little slow in introducing Robinson’s dynamic heavy, but often gripping when he’s onscreen. Trevor won a Supporting Actress Academy Award playing a boozy, dispirited moll; her raw, a cappella rendition of “Moanin’ Low” is noteworthy. Fourth and final film pairing of Bogie and Bacall, not to mention the fifth and final film pairing of Bogie and Robinson.

82/100