To Have and Have Not (1944)

During World War II, American expatriate Harry Morgan helps transport a French Resistance leader and his beautiful wife to Martinique while romancing a sensuous lounge singer.

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Ernest Hemingway (novel), Jules Furthman (screen play)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Harry Morgan
Walter Brennan	...	Eddie
Lauren Bacall	...	Marie 'Slim' Browning
Dolores Moran	...	Mme. Hellene de Bursac
Hoagy Carmichael	...	Cricket
Sheldon Leonard	...	Lt. Coyo
Walter Szurovy	...	Paul de Bursac (as Walter Molnar)
Marcel Dalio	...	Gerard aka Frenchy
Walter Sande	...	Johnson
Dan Seymour	...	Capt. M. Renard
Aldo Nadi	...	Renard's Bodyguard

Storyline

Harry Morgan and his alcoholic sidekick, Eddie, are based on the island of Martinique and crew a boat available for hire. However, since the second world war is happening around them business is not what it could be and after a customer who owes them a large sum fails to pay they are forced against their better judgment to violate their preferred neutrality and to take a job for the resistance transporting a fugitive on the run from the Nazis to Martinique. Through all this runs the stormy relationship between Morgan and Marie "Slim" Browning, a resistance sympathizer and the sassy singer in the club where Morgan spends most of his days.

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Plot Keywords:

fishing | alcoholic | stray bullet | sidekick | fishing boat | 

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Taglines:

Humphrey Bogart...with his kind of woman in a powerful adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's most daring man-woman story!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

20 January 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ernest Hemingway's To Have and Have Not

Filming Locations:

Laguna Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$3,650,000, 31 December 1945

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

When Howard Hawks discovered Lauren Bacall, he gave her the choice of working with either Cary Grant or Humphrey Bogart. She was very tempted to work with Grant, but Hawks ended up casting her with Bogart in this film, and one of Hollywood's greatest romances was started.

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Goofs

Just before Harry dumps water on Eddie's head, we see the scene from the side, and Eddie's mouth is open. It then cuts to an overhead shot and Eddie's mouth is closed.

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Quotes

Title Card: [first lines]
Title Card: Martinique, in the summer of 1940, shortly after the fall of France.
Title Card: Forte de France
Steve: Morning.
Officer at port: Good Morning, Captain Morgan. What can I do for you today?
Steve: Same thing as yesterday.
Officer at port: You and your client wish to make a temporary exit from the port?
Steve: *That* is right.
Officer at port: Name?
Steve: Ha - Harry Morgan.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Thank You for Smoking (2005)

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Soundtracks

Baltimore Oriole
(uncredited)
Written and performed by Hoagy Carmichael

User Reviews

When Harry met Slim

This film has nothing to do with the Ernest Hemingway's book, which is not one of his best novels. Howard Hawks took a big gamble in trying to have the great Hemingway write the screen treatment, but Papa didn't comply with the request. Instead, Mr. Hawks hired two other writers to work on the scenario for this movie, William Faulkner and Jules Furthman, not too shabby a combination! Mr. Hawks had an enormous talent for giving the American public films that were entertaining, as well as well crafted. Mr. Hawks is responsible for discovering Lauren Bacall, a young model from New York with no experience in the cinema. Well, Mr. Hawk's instinct paid handsomely as Lauren Bacall went to have a fabulous career of her own.

This film is interesting as well, for it marked the beginning of the romance between Mr. Bogart and Ms. Bacall. Their love is there in front of the viewers to see. This movie shows us a Bogey with a heart. He was an actor that excelled in this type of picture and under Mr. Hawks's direction, his Capt. Morgan makes a remarkable impression.

The story has all the right ingredients to keep us interested in what is going on with all these characters in Martinique. World War II makes a detour and comes to the island.

The cast for this movie is first rate. Humphrey Bogart is a tough Capt. Morgan who falls head over heels for young and lovely "Slim" Browning, a mysterious young woman who loves adventure. Ms. Bacall has a way to sing a song that makes it unique because of her sense of style. Both these stars smolder the screen in their love scenes.

Walter Brennan plays Eddie, the drunken sailor that helps Morgan take tourists on fishing junkets. Marcel Dalio, is Frenchy, the owner of the local hotel; he is the one responsible for putting Morgan in touch with the partisans operating in the island. Dolores Moran and Walter Szurovy are the De Bursac, who are smuggled into the island by Morgan, at his own risk; they are sought by the local branch of the Gestapo.

Hoagy Carmichael, the great musician puts an appearance as Cricket, a pianist that entertains at the hotel lounge. The three musical numbers are done flawlessly. Mr. Carmichael's rendition of "Hong Kong blues" stays in one's mind forever. Also we hear two other of his songs, "Am I blue?", and a sultry rendition by Lauren Bacall of his hit, "How little we know". Hearing sung by Bacall makes any other interpretation superfluous.

This is a film to see to enjoy great acting under the magnificent direction of Howard Hawks.