Key Largo (1948)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Maxwell Anderson (play)
Richard Brooks (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

31 July 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

A storm of fear and fury in the sizzling Florida Keys !

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Hurricane | Gangster | Seminole Indians | Key Largo

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beulah Archuletta	...	Passenger on Bus (uncredited)
Luther Crockett	...	Ziggy's henchman #1 (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	The traveler (uncredited)
Felipa Gómez	...	Old Indian woman (uncredited)
Jerry Jerome	...	Ziggy's henchman #2 (uncredited)
John Litel	...	Dispatcher (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Skipper of Rocco's boat (uncredited)
John Phillips	...	Ziggy's henchman #3 (uncredited)
Rodd Redwing	...	John Osceola (uncredited)
Jay Silverheels	...	Tom Osceola (uncredited)
Joe P. Smith	...	Bus Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Maxwell Anderson		(play)
Richard Brooks		(writer) and
John Huston		(writer)

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Karl Freund

Film Editing by
Rudi Fehr

Art Direction by
Leo K. Kuter

Set Decoration by
Fred M. MacLean

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Betty Delmont	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Chuck Hansen	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Lueker	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dolph Thomas	....	sound

Special Effects by
Robert Burks	....	special effects
William C. McGann	....	special effects director (as William McGann)

Stunts
Allen Pomeroy	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Everett Dexter	....	grip (uncredited)
Ellsworth Fredericks	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Mac Julian	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leah Rhodes	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Jean Baker	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Key Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (nf) | South Korea:15 (2003) | Australia:G (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12932)

Filming Locations:

Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Claire Trevor sings "Moanin' Low" acapella. This song was popularized in the early 1930s by Libby Holman.

Goofs:

Factual errors: 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.

Quotes:

Frank McCloud: When your head says one thing and your whole life says another, your head always loses.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Watching the Detectives (2007)

Soundtrack:

Moanin' Low

Florida Storm Takes Place of Neon Lights in Huston's Noir Classic

Humphrey Bogart and John Huston must be considered the artistic equivalent of De Niro-Scorsese. Huston and Bogie made several films together, this being one of their best. But there is another combo that comes to an end in cinema's history: Bogie and Bacall appear on screen for the final time together. It is their finest collaboration. Edward G. Robinson, "Little Caesar" himself, returns to gangster form after years of playing the good guy (Wilder's DOUBLE INDEMNITY, Welles' THE STRANGER) and has one of the more memorable entrances in film villain history. We see him in a tub, smoking, a fan in front of him. He seems to be decaying in a way, but "Johnny Rocco" is still to be reckoned with. This is the Robinson we all love, demented and wise, sinister yet humorous. The Largo Hotel is the setting and a hurricane of drama, heroism, and rain is coming.

Huston stages the film much like the play it is based on, yet we never feel confined. There is enough colorful dialogue to go around. Surprisingly, much of it is not by Bogart, who plays probably his most quiet role, promoting his character through facial gestures more than words. He plays off Robinson and his posse of mobsters perfectly in this way, allowing Edward G. to dominate the majority of the film, which is the point. Lionel Barrymore plays the chair-ridden owner of the Largo and his daughter Bacall is falling in love with Bogart, naturally. They are at the mercy of Rocco and his boys, all of whom have some itchy trigger fingers. Bogart is just buying his time to make his move. The finale is extremely well done and foresees suspense endings to come.

Lauren Bacall is one of the most beautiful actresses to grace the screen, especially in black and white. Her perfect features look sculpted in this light and her sensual stare is enough to make you melt. Her smoky voice and attitude is an excellent match for Bogie's simple, heroic character. Film Noir becomes Florida Noir here, as the lightening outside the windows of the hotel play games with the shadows and atmosphere of events inside. Robinson murders an innocent man with the look of a terrifying ghost, lightening flashing on him and all. The thunder substitutes for the sound of cars and street-life normally heard in classic noir pictures. KEY LARGO is a very good film, dark and suspenseful, in the most pleasant of locales.

RATING: 8 of 10