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Rating:  -
This film was adapted from a Broadway play and it shows. It begins with a car driving through the southwest desert. A lone man walks along a dry dusty road. There is a desert lunchroom and gas station. One customer comments on politics. The owner is a member of the local militia. There is a rumor about the bandit gang loose in the area. The hired man Bose likes Gabby, the daughter of the owner. A wanderer walks into the lunchroom. Gabby was born in Bourges France; her mother left the desert to return to France. Gabby dreams of poetry and a fantasy life in France. [Will she be disappointed by reality?] Mr. Squire seems to have a grand idea of himself. The talk reveals their characters. Is world chaos caused by nature? [An odd way of thinking.]
The Duke Mantee gang is in the area, what will happen if they reach the lunchroom? The talks suggests Mr. Squire seems doomed. The tension affects the people. Bose makes a wrong move. Mrs. Edith Chisholm doesn't have a bridle for her tongue. Did Mr. Squire have too much to drink? Is this story too fantastic to believe? Do the speeches seem unintentionally funny now? Like Edith's asking for a ride. [What did she drink?] The posse arrives at the lunchroom and the shoot-out begins. Will the outlaw gang escape? Will Squire do a far, far better thing that he has ever done before? Is there a moral to this story? Its success on Broadway tells something about the theatre audience of that time. The ending to the film seems tacked on to match the Hollywood Code. What happened to the hostages? I wonder what people read into this story. "Gramps" seemed like the star in his scenes.
One unbelievable part is the capture of the militia men. Being from that area they should have noticed something was wrong when they arrived. Squire's talent seems to have been smothered in the lap of luxury: too much too soon. If Gabby has talent she should practice, not travel like a tourist. Her fantasy won't match the reality. Entranced by the translation of a medieval poet? Grow up!
Rating:  -
I've never thought the Betty Davis stuff I've seen lived up to her "legend" status but I must say this one surprised me. She plays such a straightforward, cheerful, and likable character. She's actually pretty when she smiles! Chalk one up for Davis' versatility. I know nothing about Leslie Howard except apparently at the time he was the biggest star in this film and I liked how he played his character. The character himself is a bit sappy at times and could have been annoying if Howard wasn't as good as he is here. Of course the line on this movie is that Bogey stole the show and thereby got his foot in the door of filmdom. It's true! His fairly brief appearance and limited number of lines don't diminish his impact at all. Bogart is excellent and memorable as Duke Mantee. With this fine cast of interesting characters, it's easy to put aside the soundstage environment that fails to really impart the lonely desert atmosphere of the story's setting.
Rating: -
Although this golden oldie is often labeled a "gangster" movie when marketed on home video, it's not the most appropriate description of "The Petrified Forest," the Warner Bros. film based on Sherwood Anderson's talky, philosophical play. But if not for the dynamic presence of Humphrey Bogart as Duke Mantee, a "candidate for hangin'" who holes up in a desert diner while on the lam from the law, this "prestigious" production starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis would likely be relegated to the same vault that stores "She Loved a Fireman" (with Ann Sheridan) and other forgotten Warner Bros. films from the same period.
This is the kind of property that must have seemed ideal in the early days of talking pictures because talk is just about all anyone does. The dialogue is literate, and Howard is superbly cast as the poet whose gentle spirit is threatened in modern society. It's a "clash of cultures" kind of thing enlivened by Bogart who reprised his role from the Broadway play at Howard's insistence, and established himself as a valuable supporting player on the Warner lot, a position he would occupy until 1940's "High Sierra" made him a top star.
Brian W. Fairbanks
Rating:  -
Now I know why I never bought this; it looks boring and it is. A long, winding and unrealistic plot. How many times does a villian with a gun have to say, "Sit down, shut up, move away from that door" for the characters to respond..in the real world, all the hostages would be dead. There are no real high points and the plot does not really make sense. Leslie Howard's role is annoying and again unrealistic, and Bette Davis just rolls along on this disaster waiting to happen. I am typing this review as I am watching the DVD, for I couldn't wait until it was finished to say how bad it was....oops, it just ended; one would never guess that the ending would have been so rushed & anticlimactic. Do NOT buy this!!!!!!!
Rating:  -
This was one of the early Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart films. It has my praise for a number of reasons, one being it was shot using a very limited number of scenes. Two, the film gives us a real perspective of life through the "love is not enough" factor and does not lead the audience into believing all love stories have a happy ending. Three, you really get to see how GREAT of an actor Bogart really was. Although Bette Davis had a rather small role as a supporting actress of sorts in this film, her character is vital to the story. Any fan of either two actors should see this film and own it. I'm also impressed with the artwork and special features.
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