Key Largo (1948)

A man visits his old friend's hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Richard Brooks (screenplay), John Huston (screenplay),

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Frank McCloud
Edward G. Robinson	...	Johnny Rocco
Lauren Bacall	...	Nora Temple
Lionel Barrymore	...	James Temple
Claire Trevor	...	Gaye Dawn
Thomas Gomez	...	Richard 'Curly' Hoff
Harry Lewis	...	Edward 'Toots' Bass
John Rodney	...	Deputy Clyde Sawyer
Marc Lawrence	...	Ziggy
Dan Seymour	...	Angel Garcia
Monte Blue	...	Sheriff Ben Wade
William Haade	...	Ralph Feeney

Storyline

Frank McCloud travels to a run-down hotel on Key Largo to honor the memory of a friend who died bravely in his unit during WW II. His friend's widow, Nora Temple, and wheelchair bound father, James Temple manage the hotel and receive him warmly, but the three of them soon find themselves virtual prisoners when the hotel is taken over by a mob of gangsters led by Johnny Rocco who hole up there to await the passing of a hurricane. Mr. Temple strongly reviles Rocco but due to his infirmities can only confront him verbally. Having become disillusioned by the violence of war, Frank is reluctant to act, but Rocco's demeaning treatment of his alcoholic moll, Gaye Dawn, and his complicity in the deaths of some innocent Seminole Indians and a deputy sheriff start to motivate McCloud to overcome his Hamlet-like inaction.

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Plot Keywords:

hotel | hurricane | key largo | gangster | death | 

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Taglines:

TROPICAL FURY! (original ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

31 July 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Huracán de pasiones

Filming Locations:

Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fourth and final film pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. A fifth film was planned several years later, but Bogart died before it could be made.

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Goofs

Frank says that Rocco's boat anchored just offshore "ought to be away from those reefs with this blow coming up". The coral reefs are much farther offshore.

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Quotes

Nora Temple: Charlie! Charlie Winook and his family, Crawfish Island. Charlie's a prince of the Seminole Nation. His ancestors go back to the gods. He sells sea shells by the sea shore.

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Connections

Referenced in Let's Go to the Movies (1949)

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Soundtracks

"Moanin' Low"
(uncredited)
Music by Ralph Rainger
Lyrics by Howard Dietz
Sung by Claire Trevor

User Reviews

The genius of John Huston on display!

John Huston was a remarkable man who was an excellent director, as well as a superb adapter of other people's materials, as he clearly shows in "Key Largo". This movie, based on Maxwell Anderson's play, is a triumph for Mr. Huston, who co-wrote the adaptation with Richard Brooks, another man who would go on to direct his own movies.

Mr. Huston had an uncanny way to get the best people in the business in his projects. Karl Freund's black and white cinematography is wonderful, as is the haunting music provided by Max Steiner, a man who was a genius in his own right for always giving that special touch to the scores he was hired to do.

"Key Largo" has been compared with "The Desperate Hours", in which Humphrey Bogart also appeared. In fact, both were theatrical plays, and perhaps that's the basis of the comparison. As much as Mr. Huston tried to open "Key Largo", it still has a certain feeling of the drama one would get in a stage production.

This is a film that has Humphrey Bogart playing a good guy, Frank McCloud, not his usual bad guy from other movies. Also, we see a rather quiet Lauren Bacall as Nora Temple; in her other films with Mr. Bogart she played more sultrier roles. Edgar G. Robinson is perfect as the crooked Johnny Rocco, the gangster that has decided to take over the Largo Hotel to do his business. In a great performance, Mr. Robinson shows an ugly side. Claire Trevor plays a gangster moll Gaye Dawn and has a great opportunity. Also Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Gomez and Harry Lewis are seen in supporting roles.

"Key Largo" will not disappoint because it shows a tense situation in which at the beginning seems a hopeless cause, but the hurricane will change things around and justice and sanity will prevail.