BOGART REVISITED

     Way, way back, in fact 1981 in November I discussed in the first issue of Classic Films, the Special Interest Group of the Mensa Organization devoted to movies, the best films of Humphrey Bogart..  Bogart was a really big name in those days among people who particularly liked films and of course to many today he remains a really liked source for entertainment whether it be in mysteries, comedies or whatever the genre.  At that time I tried to narrow my selection down to just five films but found it impossible.  So I modified to include ten which resulted in a few that easily could have been in the best five list but weren't included.  Perhaps I should have just picked the ones I liked best and had not tried to be specific as to number.  Regardless, I thought it might be valuable to revisit the list, since it is 33 years later and see how my selections compared with ratings over time.

      At that time I put Beat the Devil at the top of the list a selection that really did not gather a lot of enthusiasm.  Roger Poulson from Denver, Colorado noted that even Bogart didn't like the film.  Well Roger was certainly right. but in Bogart's case he had invested in the film and since it initially didn't do well at the box office, he had to deal with lost funds.  But time's change and what was a flop at the time resulted in a change later one and it became some what of a cult film.

     I think part of it was due to some unusual casting particularly in the two female leads, Jennifer Jones and Gina Lollobrigida.  In those days both these ladies put out certain images.  With Lollobrigida it was a reputation in films as a sexpot with great physical attributes.  Jones on the other hand was perceived as a more gentle and genuine type of woman.  In Beat The Devil she comes across as a rather erotic and interesting and rather screwy woman on the make with Bogart her target.  Lollobrigida is Bogart's wife and present's a rather conservative woman who delights in British polite behavior.  She greets Jones's English husband when they manage to get together with, "TEA FOR TWO, AND TWO FOR TEA."

 .  Well I seem to have drifted from my subject the comparison effort.  There are lists of Bogart's  films available on the internet with various rankings.  On one list CASABLANCA is listed among the 250 best films of all time at #30.  This is from an IMDB survey of all users for this internet information source for movies.  Only three other Bogart films make this all time favorites list.  They are TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE, THE MALTESE FALCON and THE BIG SLEEP at positions 103, 162 and 237 respectively.
   
     Another lists deals onlywith the greatest Bogart films.  It's number 1 is TREATURE OF SIERRA MADRE.  This list puts BEAT THE DEVIL in 17th place which isn't bad since a third list I consulted listed all of Bogart's films more that 70 in all and noted my favorite as number 41.  I was disappointed in this list because it noted several films of what to me were lesser qualities as ahead o my favorite.

     Well enough of lists, what I really intended to do was provide capsule reviews of my list of next best five Bogart films.  If you are interested it will provide you with an opportunity of seeing them if you haven't before and also snicker at my list.  These were numbers 6 to10 in my original list in the order I listed them.

     The Caine Mutiny - Bogart was the villain in this film though one you could sympathize with.  He played a destroyer ship captain operating in the Pacific theater during World War II.  He displayed a bit of cowardice which resulted in his being dubbed Old Yellow Stain.  The trial relative to his behavior then and still later during a storm at sea features the judgment arrived at by the military court.  Other featured stars in the film include Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, and Jose Ferrar.

     High Sierra  - Bogart as a really harsh criminal in this one with his criminal activities resulting in a hideout in California and his eventually  being brought to justice by law enforcement members.  Ida Lupino is particularly memorable as his love interest.

      Key Largo - Bacall and Bogart united again in this another criminal story.  This time it's set in the Florida Keys and unites Edward G. Robinson with Bogart as well.  Robinson is a gangster trying to make a getaway from the United States and plans to use Bogart to transport him out.  It ends up with a confrontation on Bogarts boat with Robinson trying to kill Bogart.

     Tl Have and Have Not - War time again and Bogart on a French island in the Lesser Antilles.  He's a sports fishing boat captain who takes big time fisherman out for big time fish.  It's wartime and involves the French Nationalists with the Vichy French rulers at the time.  And incidentally it is the first staging of Bacall and Bogart particularly noteworthy for her query, "you know to whistle, don't you...just put your lips together and blow..."

     Treasure of Searra Madre - Sierra Madre in this case is Mexico not Southern California and the effort of Walter Huston with the help of Bogart and Tim Holt to wrestle gold out of the mountains.  Bogart is a personal loser in this film and  a bit neurotic if not psychotic.  He ends up on the losing end in an unfortunate encounter with some Mexican peon gangsters.

     That's the story of the second five.  All of these are
worth a first a second or even more viewings to see and hear little touches that may have escaped you when you first saw the film.