The Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest
Released Date: February 8, 1936
Director: Archie Mayo
Actors: Leslie Howard, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Genevieve Tobin, Dick Foran, Joe Sawyer, Porter Hall, Charley Grapewin, Paul Harvey, Eddie Acuff, Adrian Morris, Nina Campana, Slim Thompson, and John Alexander

     I have enjoyed Bette Davis my entire life and got to see this great movie staring my favorite actress just last month. The handsome Leslie Howard and mans man Humphrey Bogart also star. Both men, Howard and Bogart, were in the stage version of this film. Warner Brothers, the studio that made this movie, wanted to keep Leslie Howard in his stage role but wanted to replace Humphrey Bogart. But after Howard said that he wanted to do the movie only with Humphrey Bogart, they decided to keep Bogart in his role as well. Later in life, Humphrey Bogart named his second born child with Lauren Bacall Leslie, after Howard due to his credit in Bogart's fame. Bogart plays Duke Mantee, whose character was inspired by the famous bank robber, John Dillinger.

     Gabrielle Maple (Bette Davis) is hard at work at her father's diner/gas station. Gabrielle is dating a man that works at the diner, but does not seem too interested in him. But when Alan Squier (Leslie Howard), a poor man who has traveled a lot and has many stories enters the diner, it is love at first sight. Alan is talking about where he going and when a couple comes in with the same destination, Alan heads off. While Alan and his company are on the road, they get stopped by Duke Mantee (Humphrey Bogart) and his gang. Duke and his gang are heading straight for the diner, Alan follows them right back to Gabrielle. But what will happen with a diner full of nervous people, a waitress, and a killer? Find out the outcome by watching this great movie and enjoy watching a young Bette Davis light up the screen. Clearly to be a big star, you have Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart's young star quality to make this movie a must see!

Dark Passage

Dark Passage

Released Date: September 27, 1947

Director: Delmer Daves

Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead, and Tom D' Andrea

     Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall met two movies before this one. They appeared together, and fell in love during To Have and Have Not, their first movie together, Lauren Bacall's first movie as well. The first movie my grandpa saw too. Then they returned together for The Big Sleep, this movie was their most popular film. This time was during the forties. Lauren Bacall was very young, while Humphrey Bogart was rather, should I say older? She was 23, my age. And he was 48. But they made a great pair, and she stayed with him, married till his death in 1957. 

    This movie is about a man named Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart), he has escaped from prison for the murder of his wife. The first twenty minutes of the movie is in his view. Meaning you never see his actual face, until you see a newspaper with Vincent Parry on the cover. Then Vincent meets Irene Jansen (Lauren Bacall), who believes his innocents. He then meets a cab driver, who also believes he did not kill his wife... Long story short, Vincent ends up with a new face, a new woman, and also new friends. This movie may just keep you on your toes. It is very fast and very good. 

     Lauren Bacall, in 1995, was chosen as number six of the 100 sexiest stars in film history. She had two children with Humphrey Bogart, and also a third child with another man. Lauren Bacall was also in the same apartment building as John Lennon, when he was killed. She later said, during an interview, that she thought it was a car tire bust, or a car backfiring.