Friday, November 25, 2005
JOHN, RAOUL AND BOGIE
Today's Best 1176 NYTimes Film was High Sierra (1941)
This melodrama about a crook with a soft spot in his heart was written by John Huston, directed by Raoul Walsh and starred (after the top line Ida Lupino) Humphrey Bogart. A winning combination, that.
It is standard gangster fare except for the soft spot in the heart and Bogart's tight performance as a guy with two sides who cannot win but might just lose well.
There are a host of B character actors in this film which held me from beginning to end.
There is a classic, no longer seen, eye rolling, black comic character which, I have to admit, is a guilty pleasure to watch; Willie Best playing along the lines of Butterfly McQueen.
And for the soft side, in addition to a girl with a bad foot who Bogie pays to get healed, there is a great dog who does it all; from tricks to pathos.
I liked it enough to give it a 4 out of Netflix5.
Guilty pleasures and melodrama are important.
