Travis Simpkins: Lauren Bacall

Showing posts with label Lauren Bacall. Show all posts

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Key Largo (1948): Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Edward G. Robinson

Directed by John Huston, Key Largo (1948) would be the final on-screen pairing of husband-and-wife actors Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. With a Film Noir style, the plot focuses on a group of people held hostage by gangsters in a Key Largo hotel during a hurricane. The mood and tense atmosphere, along with spot-on direction and stark cinematography by Karl Freund, make the film an all-around solid masterpiece. The whole cast is great, including Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson and Lionel Barrymore.

Key Largo. 1948

Key Largo. 1948: Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

Key Largo. 1948

Key Largo. 1948: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

Key Largo. 1948

Key Largo. 1948: Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

Key Largo. 1948

Key Largo. 1948: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

"Key Largo"- movie trailer

Dark Passage (1947): Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

Written and directed by Delmer Daves, Dark Passage (1947) was the third of four films to pair real-life sweethearts Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The film is technically notable due to it's use of POV camera shots, as if seen through the eyes of the main character. The story concerns an escaped convict and the woman who decides to help him. Great performances by Bogart and Bacall anchor this superb Film Noir production.

Dark Passage. 1947: Lauren Bacall

Dark Passage. 1947: Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

Dark Passage. 1947

Dark Passage. 1947: Lauren Bacall

Dark Passage. 1947

Dark Passage. 1947: Lauren Bacall

"Dark Passage"- movie trailer

To Have and Have Not (1944): Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

Directed by Howard Hawks, (co-written by William Faulkner) loosely based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway, To Have and Have Not (1944) was Lauren Bacall's first film... and the one in which she first fell for Humphrey Bogart, the love of her life. The story concerns a reluctant fishing boat captain's involvement with the French Resistance in Fort de France, Martinique. The chemistry between Bogart and Bacall is irresistible, obviously showing signs of their real-life romance. The other performances are great all around, including Walter Brennan. Hoagy Carmichael provides the music.

To Have and Have Not. 1944: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

To Have and Have Not. 1944: Lauren Bacall

To Have and Have Not. 1944: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

To Have and Have Not. 1944: Lauren Bacall

To Have and Have Not. 1944: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

To Have and Have Not. 1944: Lauren Bacall

To Have and Have Not. 1944: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

"To Have and Have Not"- movie Trailer

The Big Sleep (1946): Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

Although the plot can be confusing at times, The Big Sleep (1946) remains one of the great classics of Film Noir. Directed by Howard Hawks, and grounded by excellent writers (William Faulker scripted based on Raymond Chandler's novel), the film is crisp and full of great atmosphere and dialogue. And, of course, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are simply wonderful together.

Private Detective Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) is hired by a dying General to investigate and put to rest an attempt to blackmail him. The case leads Marlowe to a rare book dealer who is subsequently murdered, with the General's loose daughter sitting woozily beside the dead body...

The Big Sleep. 1946

The General's eldest daughter, Vivian Rutledge (Lauren Bacall) gets involved, and Marlowe falls in love with her despite his inherent mistrust. Each turn in the case opens up a new mystery, with one detail remaining constant: the disappearance of the General's former friend/bodyguard...

The Big Sleep. 1946: Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

More complexity comes with the involvement of a crooked gambler and his henchmen. More blackmailers...

The Big Sleep. 1946: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

And guys trailing Marlowe...

The Big Sleep. 1946

Each new detail brings more danger and increases Marlowe's desire to see the case through, and to see more of Ms. Rutledge...

The Big Sleep. 1946: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

Murder on the Orient Express (1974): Albert Finney, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall

Based on Agatha Christie's 1934 novel, the producers of Murder on the Orient Express (1974) had difficulty, and required diplomatic intervention, in bringing the story to film. Agatha Christie had disliked the previous film adaptations of her works, and by the late 1960's, had decided not to grant any further permissions. However, when the prospective film makers for Murder on the Orient Express convinced British Royal, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, to request permission on their behalf, Christie naturally agreed... and by all accounts, was pleased with the results, and happy that she did. For assembling the ensemble "Old Hollywood" cast, director Sidney Lumet had the theory, "If you get the biggest star, the rest will come along." He asked Sean Connery first, and once confirmed, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Albert Finney, Anthony Perkins, Richard Widmark, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Jaqueline Bisset and Martin Balsam all enthusiastically agreed to participate.

A group of passengers board the Orient Express train in Istanbul. Renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) is a last-minute passenger, but thanks to his fame, he is accommodated...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974: Albert Finney

When the train is halted by a snow drift, one of the passengers, rich American businessman, Mr. Ratchett (Richard Widmark), is murdered. With Poirot on the case, he quickly discovers that Ratchett, was in fact a criminal responsible for the famous kidnapping and death of Daisy Armstrong (inspired by the real-life baby Lindbergh case), five years previous...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974: Richard Widmark

The list of suspects is confined to the 12 passengers on the car, but Poirot must deduce who wanted Ratchett dead, and why...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974: Anthony Perkins

These suspects include Mrs. Harriet Hubbard (Lauren Bacall)...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974: Lauren Bacall

Colonel Arbuthnott (Sean Connery)...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974: Sean Connery

and Greta Ohlsson (Ingrid Bergman, in an Oscar-winning role)...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974: Ingrid Bergman

The murderer was shrewd, but they were not expecting Hercule Poirot to be on the train...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974

He will surely solve the case...

Murder on the Orient Express. 1974

Saturday, October 20, 2018

The Shootist (1976): John Wayne's Final Film

Directed by Don Siegel, The Shootist (1976) would prove to be John Wayne's final film role. The casting of Wayne as an aged gunfighter dying of cancer had a tragic irony, when Wayne himself succumbed to stomach cancer three years later. There was some trepidation about casting John Wayne in The Shootist to begin with, due to concerns about his health. Wayne insisted, however, and made it a stubborn point to not only see the movie through, but take a large role in the decision-making process during production. John Wayne contributed greatly to the finale, and the cast was chosen based on his suggestions, including Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Ron Howard, Scatman Crothers, John Carradine and Harry Morgan. A powerful film, The Shootist is an amazing Western and a fitting farewell to John Wayne.

1901: aging gunfighter J.B. Books (John Wayne) arrives in Carson City, Nevada...

The Shootist. 1976: John Wayne

Having received some bad news from another doctor, Books goes to see E.W. "Doc" Hostetler (James Stewart) for a second opinion. Hostetler's diagnosis is the same: Books has advanced cancer and a very short time to live...