Key Largo

I stepped back into the black and white world of classic Noir and watched:

Key Largo (1948).

Directed by the prolific John Huston who also directed The Maltese Falcon and starring Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore and Claire Trevor this is a simple premise and a superb study in tension at the same time.

Frank McCloud (Bogart) a retired army major travels down to the Florida Keys to visit James Temple, the father of a good friend, George, who died at Monte Cassino during WWII. There he also meets George's widow Nora (Bacall). They run a hotel which is currently closed as it is the off season. Despite that fact, a small group of shady people are staying there, ostensibly to do some deep sea fishing. Every synopsis of the movie informs us that this group are gangsters, led by the vicious but charismatic Johnny Rocco (Robinson), so no spoiler warning needed. With a brutal hurricane hurtling towards the Keys, tensions rise to an almost intolerable level.

Key Largo is listed amongst the classic noir films, but is not a regular noir. If Rocco and his gang weren't in it, it would be hard to call it noir. There are no private detectives, no mysteries to solve, no mcguffin to retrieve etc. This however doesn't mean it isn't good. Key Largo is in fact excellent.

The cinematography and sound are good. Huston knew what he was doing, and there is a scene that took me by complete surprise technically speaking. First class for 1948, and still laudable in this day and age.

However, it is the actors that make the film. Bogart is unusually vulnerable but with hidden strengths and a deep sadness, Bacall is poised and classy but still manages to portray both fear and hopelessness and then swing it over to hope and joy with style. The legendary Lionel Barrymore who by the way is the great uncle to Drew Barrymore, does a standout job. Confined to a wheel chair due to crippling arthritis (both for real and in character), he still manages to be a strong presence in every scene he is in, but it is Edward G. Robinson who steals the show. He is amazing as the cruel gangster boss Rocco. If you have ever seen a gangster parody, maybe Bugs Bunny, maybe someone else, that goes “Nyaa, we're going to rob the bank, see. Nyaaa, they'll never take me alive, see?” That is Robinson being parodied. As Rocco he doesn't chew the scenery but he takes over every scene he is in, and as the principle danger to the other characters, that makes sense.

The final character I want to mention is Gaye Dawn (Trevor). She won an academy award as the alcoholic former lounge singer and love interest to Rocco. They had a thing back in the day before he was exiled and now that he is back so is she. However, he is disgusted by her drinking and is consistently spiteful and cruel towards her. Claire Trevor did an amazing job portraying Gaye.

So do I recommend this movie? Absolutely! Key Largo grabs you and will not let go until it is all over. The tension is almost too think to cut at times without ever getting melodramatic. I would even go so far as to call it a masterpiece in its simplicity. I guess you might have to be in the right mood for it, but I urge any cinema fan to give this a go if you haven't seen it already, just be aware that the neckties of the 40's were horrendous. Almost as wide as they were long, I'm grateful that fashion has changed.

That is that and all that. Join me again next time, and until then, have a great and safe week!