TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT

Howard Hawks made "To Have and Have Not" in 1944 and Bogie made it two years after he made "Casablanca", (his character and the plots of both films are very similar), and like "Casablanca"it's a masterpiece but like many masterpieces that came out of Hollywood during the studio years it's one almost by default. It's not deep or profound or particularly artistic but it's absolutely perfect; as good as movies are likely to get. The story goes that Hawks bet Ernest Hemingway that he could make a good film out of Hemingway's worst story and "To Have and Have Not" was what came up. There isn't too much of the original story left. The writers were Jules Furthman and William Faulkner and they expanded and greatly improved Hemingway's short story. In fact, "To Have and Have Not" has some of the best dialogue ever written and it's delivered by a dream cast.

This was the film that introduced a strapping 19 year old called Lauren Bacall to the world and introduced Bacall to Bogie. She's magnificent; she acts as if she was born into the role and maybe she was. Unfortunately she never got a part as good again but, at least, she got Bogie and kept him until he died a dozen or so years later, (you can see them falling in love). There's also Walter Brennan as the rummy; this, too, was probably his finest hour. The piano player is Hoagy Carmichael and the songs include "Am I blue" and "How little we know". It's similarity to "Casablanca" almost certainly did it no favours but in no way lessens it; it's greatness is definitely not in question.