Beat the Devil (1953)

Director: John Houston
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Robert Morley, Gina Lollobrigida
Plot: On their way to East Africa a group of rogues meet a seemingly innocent British couple. They meet and things happen...

Quite funny and deservedly a  cult classic. High-point: Jennifer Jones wearing a blond wig and showing an unexpected flair for comedy. Too bad the whole is less than the sum of all parts. The script is witty and acting very good, but film looks very low budget and several scenes lack energy and/or make no sense. Based on the Novel by British Communist Claud Cockburn. Houston knew Cockburn in Ireland and persuaded Bogart to pay Cockburn $10,000 for the film rights. Capote was hired to fix the script and did a marvelous job.  Others that shine include Robert Morley and Ivor Barnard. Bogart simply plays it straight. Gina Lollobrigida is quite sexy.

Best Quote:
-Harry, we must beware of these men. They are desperate characters.
-What makes you say that ?
-Not one of them looked at my legs!

The Desperate Hours (1955)

Plot: Glen, Hal and Sam are three escaped convicts who move in on and terrorize a suburban household.

Stars: Bogart, Frederic March, Arthur Kennedy

Based on the Tony Award winning best play. Bogart had been outbid for the film rights by William Wyler and wanted March's role but was willing to settle for the supporting role of "Glenn" - the elderly leader of the 3 convicts. Much less impressive on 2nd viewing, "Desperate Hours" flaws become evident when seen twice. Take out the suspense, and there's not much to the story. The 3 crooks are rather standard archetypes, as are the "typical American" suburban family. The acting is excellent, although everyone is repeating parts they've done before (especially Bogart). The whole story suffers from being copied ad nauseam on TV/movies for the last 55 years. Wyler does an excellent job of disguising the movie's play origins,  but its still a talky 112 minutes.

Summary: Not really a Bogie movie, March is the star. Too predictable to be other than a well done movie of its type. Rating **1/2

Sirocco (1951)

Plot: A cynical American expatriate (Bogart) runs guns in 1925 Syria
Stars: Bogart, Lee J. Cobb, Everett Sloan, Marta Toren

Produced by Bogart's "Santana Pictures", Sirocco is a backlot rehash of previous Bogie movies. This time its French Syria instead of Casablanca and Bogie's running guns instead of a saloon. As usual, he's cynical and playing both sides against the middle. The biggest flaw is the supporting cast. Lee J. Cobb is as French as Pastrami and no one else  makes an impression.  The script is average -the pace often slow. Bogie makes it bearable.

Summary: Not bad, an average Bogie movie that's been done before and done better. Rating **

San Quentin (1937)

Good guy Pat O'Brien is as the reform minded prison guard trying to help Bogart - a con who wants to go straight but can't. Ann Sheridan (11 years his junior) plays Bogie's older sister (!). The film zips along and at 70 minutes doesn't outstay its welcome. Summary: A good little WB prison drama, nothing special except for the strong cast. Enjoyable. Rating **1/2

Dark Passage (1947)

292. Dark Passage (1947) - Delmer Davis.  Co-stars Bogart and Laureen Bacall. 106 minutes. Bogart's an escaped prisoner framed for murder with Bacall as his sole ally. Bogart plays the first part of the movie off-camera, we see the movie from his point of view, then has plastic surgery to become - ta da - Humphrey Bogart. Pluses include: Agnes Morehead as an evil harpy, location shots of San Francisco, and the Bacall/Bogart chemistry. However, the script is routine and having Bogart off-camera doesn't really add anything. Summary: Enjoyable, but should have been better given the talent involved.  Rating **1/2

Passage to Marseilles (1944)

Stars Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre B&W 109 minutes.
Plot: WW II Propaganda film. Prisoners on Devils Island escape in order to return to France and fight the Germans. 

Half Papillion, half 2nd rate Casablanca. WB reunites the director and most of the cast of "Casablanca" but the script is nowhere as good. Filmed in Hollywood, the film does a good of job of portraying Devils Island, a merchant ship and France. Other positives, the action scenes and acting. But there's a lot of WW II propaganda and some absurdities. Silly items include: Bogart as a Frenchman, Bogart dropping love notes to his wife in occupied France from a night bomber going 200 MPH, a German FW Condor attacking a merchant ship with one machine gun, Bogie murdering 4 defenseless German airmen, Bogie's Parisian newspaper being sacked by an angry mob for criticizing Munich. 

Summary: A mixed bag, enjoyable on DVD where the WW II propaganda can be skipped. Rating **

Action in the North Atlantic (1943)

311. Action in the North Atlantic (1943) - Bacon. Co-stars Humphrey Bogart, Alan Hale, Raymond Massey 127 minutes. WW II Propaganda film. about the US Merchant Marine. Bogart is First Officer Joe Rossi, who helps Captain Massey steer his ship through U-Boat and Luftwaffe attacks and deliver the cargo to Murmansk. Hale provides excellent comic relief. Not really a Bogie film, his role is generic, little time is spent on shore, and the focus is on the action. The ensemble acting is quite good but everyone is a typical WB archetype. For 1943, the special effects of the ship on fire and various explosions/attacks are well done. Bacon also has the U-boat crew speak only German. Also has the expected propaganda scenes. Summary: An above-average WW II action movie about our boys in the Merchant Marine. Some good acting and special effects. A little too long at 2 hours. Rating **