Dark Passage (1947)

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers:

Delmer Daves (screenplay)
David Goodis (novel)

Release Date:

27 September 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

Two Of A Kind ! Tough . . . Torrid . . . Terrific !

Plot:

Bogart plays a man convicted of murdering his wife who escapes from prison in order to prove his innocence...

Plot Keywords:

Escape From Prison | Plastic Surgery | First Person Camera | Police | Peru

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Vincent Parry
Lauren Bacall	...	Irene Jansen
Bruce Bennett	...	Bob
Agnes Moorehead	...	Madge Rapf
Tom D'Andrea	...	Cabby (Sam)
Clifton Young	...	Baker
Douglas Kennedy	...	Detective Kennedy
Rory Mallinson	...	George Fellsinger
Houseley Stevenson	...	Dr. Walter Coley

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Germany:16 | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12248) | Canada:PG (video rating) | UK:15 (1988) | UK:A (1947) (cut) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Filbert Steps, Filbert Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

When Humphrey Bogart is riding in the car with Clifton Young during his escape, the voice on the radio is supplied by Dane Clark, another Warner's player.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the beginning of the movie, part of the canvas over the truck is attached. Next shot it is all free.

Quotes:

Cabby: You're a guy with plenty of trouble.
Vincent Parry: I don't have a trouble in the world.
Cabby: Don't tell me buddy, I know. Your trouble is women.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Big Lebowski (1998)

Soundtrack:

Someone to Watch Over Me

Solid, If Offbeat, Crime/Noir Feature

While the least-known and, really, the least impressive of the Bogart/Bacall features, this is still a solid, if rather offbeat, movie that combines a film-noir atmosphere with a gimmick that is meant to drive most of the story. The gimmick works moderately well, though it is really just a diverting sideline to the main drama and acting, which are what really make the movie work.

The premise is interesting enough, at least for a while, and it is interesting to see just how long they can go without showing the face of Bogart's character. They might have stretched it out just a bit too long, since there is more than enough in the rest of the plot to make any further use of the device unnecessary. Bacall and Bogart work together well from the beginning. In itself, the pairing works almost as well here as in their three better-known movies together - it's just that here there is a less for them to work with.

The two stars do get plenty of help from Agnes Moorehead, who plays her role with relish. Tom D'Andrea and Bruce Bennett help out when they get the chance. Delmer Daves also creates a generally believable atmosphere to serve as the background to the story, and to help get it past the less plausible stretches. Overall, while hardly up to the high standard of the other Bogart/Bacall pairings, "Dark Passage" is a solid if unspectacular feature that is worth seeing if you like the stars and/or the genre.