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8/10
Bogie, Bacall, Movies & Politics
ccthemovieman-118 March 2008
"On a winter's day in 1946, a crowd of more than 1,500 eager fans gathered at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, hoping to get a glimpse of a movie star.....not just any star but filmdom's biggest: Humprhy Bogart."

So starts this "documentary," which is a bonus feature on the "Dark Passage" DVD. Bogie was in town to shoot a scene in this, his latest picture.

Most of the subject matter of this behind-the-scenes feature is divided between discussing Bogie, co-star and wife Lauren Bacall, and some history of the movie - who wrote it, who directed it, the supporting actors, etc. We also hear of some inside info on Bacall and her battles to get decent parts in films. She sounds a little like Bette Davis, in that regard but, like Davis, was the victor in the end in her battles with studio executives.

Anyway, I was glad to hear film critic Leonard Maltin say here what I've always thought about this movie: that "it's a good movie - not great, but good - and the best part about it is that all the characters are fascinating." That includes the four supporting roles, who were the most interesting.

The last few minutes are devoted to Bogart's ups and downs regarding his participation on "The Committee" and his trip to Washington during the Communist scare period of the late '40s. Whatever Bogart did in this situation - and he took both sides at various stages - turned out to be public relations disasters for him.
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7/10
Hold your nose and cross your eyes . . .
tadpole-596-9182566 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
. . . when you learn the truth about a craven American film icon with feet of clay from this DVD extra. Yep, it's "tough guy" Humphrey Bogart we're talking about, whose forte including sniveling cowards such as Capt. Queeg in THE CAINE MUTINY, to offset heroes such as Rick in CASABLANCA. Bottom Line: was Bogie a Rick, or was he a Queeg? The answer, as this DVD bonus feature makes clear, is: QUEEG!! Sad as it may be for Hump's fans to learn, the talking heads featured here note that while DARK PASSAGE was being filmed, Bogart suffered through his own trip down a murky rabbit hole in real life. Volunteering as the front man to save Hollywood from the rapacious depredations of crazed and delusional alcoholic Commie-hunter, U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy, R-WI, at the first sign of trouble Bogie sold out his comrades, coming off as a wishy-washy neurotic without an ounce of moral fiber. Ironically, Bogart's behavior in real life during the filming of DARK PASSAGE makes the me-centered San Quentin escapee he plays in the film look noble by comparison.
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