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Key Largo (1948) - ah, the Beach Boys



Except in this case it was Humphrey Bogart, Edward Robinson, Lionel Barrymore, and a really creepy performance by Thomas Gomez. We are talking John Huston’s version of “Key Largo” (1948)

For 1948, this is a weird amalgam of home invasion tension, and post WW2 molasses. I couldn’t quite decide if I was caught up in the thrilling drama or eye rolling at the hamfisted coward to hero journey we were supposed to be on. I would say the Huston & Richard Brooks’ screenplay sort of missed his set up at the beginning and so it was quite a short shallow valley through ‘contempt of coward’ to ‘person has to be true to their being … and this being is a hero’ - hence, who cared. It is based on a play about a deserter from the Spanish Civil war which Huston thought wasn’t any good - but I will have to see if I can find that screenplay to make up my mind about who wore it best.


I don’t think I have seen anything else with Edward G. Robinson - I most know him from Bugs Bunny impersonations. It was easy to see why he was a star. I forgot about Lionel Barrymore / Mr. Potter from “Its a Wonderful Life”, but you could see that curmudgeon tilted toward incensed and helpless victim. It is a good performance. He is on the screen enough (and doesn’t have as much makeup as in the Capra film) that you can see his niece Drew in there too. Lauren Baccall looked gorgeous, but 24 year olds are generally good looking - especially in a room full of 40~60 year olds.


The STAND OUT performance was Claire Trevor. She plays Robinson’s girlfriend (‘moll’ is probably the right word) - she is an alcoholic lush. In particular, the scene during the storm where she really wants a drink and Robinson won’t give it to her - then he tortures her by requiring an acapella song she used to sing in his clubs - and THAT song is a roman à clef for her life … and she realizes it on the last chorus and breaks … wowzer. Actually, if you JUST watched the 5 minutes before and after that 90 second song - that is a clip worth seeing

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