Last night I streamed To Have and Have Not starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I saw this movie many years ago but I decided to stream it last night because I am enjoying reading Lauren Bacall's updated autobiography By Myself and Then Some.To Have and Have Not is Lauren Bacall's first movie made in Hollywood. Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart also fall in love while filming this movie.
The movie is based on the book of the same title written by Ernest Hemingway, however, much was changed to suit the movie version. Beside Bogart and Bacall, the cast includes Walter Brennan, Dolores Moran, Sheldon Leonard and Hoagie Carmichael.
Bogart plays fishing captain Harry Morgan who rents his boat out to customers who want to go fishing. Morgan's last customer owes him $825. but is shot and killed before he can pay Harry Morgan.
During an investigation Harry Morgan's passport and all his money is taken away from him by the police on the island. They are looking for members of the French Resistance and believe that Harry Morgan is involved. Morgan gets mixed up with the law when he is asked to transport two members of the French Resistance. At first Morgan refuses but then reluctantly accepts the job because he needs money.
Lauren Bacall plays Marie "Slim" Browning, an American who wonders onto the island and takes a shine to Harry Morgan. Slim knows how to work her charm on the male sex but she wants Harry. Harry does his best to try to get rid of her.
While Harry Morgan is transporting the two French Resistance members his boat is spotted and one of the two people that Harry is transporting gets shot. Harry is asked again to help by removing the bullet or else the man will die of his wounds.
Hoagie "Stardust" Carmichael plays Cricket the piano player.
Bogart and Bacall were paired up well in this movie. Originally Harry Morgan was supposed to fall for Dolores Moran's character but Howard Hawks decided to take advantage of the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall even though he wanted Bacall for himself and was jealous of Bacall's attraction to Humphrey Bogart. Howard Hawks who was married demanded that Bacall stop seeing Bogart. She didn't and had to start seeing Bogart in secret. Howard Hawks then had an affair with Dolores Moran as revenge for Bacall's rejection of him.n It was very interesting watching this movie knowing all the private behind the scenes shenanigans that were going on at the time.
Lauren Bacall was only 19 years old when she played opposite Humphrey Bogart who was 25 years older than she was. Bacall was very inexperienced in the area of relationships between a man and a woman and was quite innocent, but had to play a sophisticate in the movie.
I enjoyed watching this movie as I do most classic movies from back in the day. It had just the right amount of intrigue and humor to suit me and the storyline kept moving along at a good pace. To Have and Have Not was released on October 11, 1944 to rave reviews. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were married the following year on May 21, 1945.
2 comments:
That looks SO good. I have been craving old movies lately.
I really enjoyed this one and I think that you would enjoy it too.
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