#159. Key Largo (1948) - The Films of John Huston

Directed By: John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall



Tag line: "A cast as explosive as its story!"

Trivia: In honor of its connection to Humphrey Bogart with this film, Key Largo, FL hosts a Humphrey Bogart film festival every year







The first time I saw John Huston’s Key Largo was in 1984, on a day I was home sick from school. As I sat watching the film, I found myself so caught up in its energy and feisty dialogue that I completely forget how bad I was feeling. Clearly, Key Largo was the perfect remedy for whatever it was that was ailing me that day.

Former Army Major Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart), a veteran of World War II, travels to Key Largo, Florida, to visit the relatives of a buddy who was killed in battle.

James Temple (Lionel Barrymore), his friend’s wheelchair-bound father, operates a first-class hotel on the Keys, and his widowed daughter-in-law, Nora (Lauren Bacall), helps him run it. Mr. Temple invites Frank to stay for the night. But unbeknownst to them, some shifty strangers have also checked into the hotel, a gang of thugs whose leader is none other than the notorious mobster, Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson).

A lifelong crook, Rocco had been exiled by the government and banned from ever returning to the mainland. So, Rocco plans to rejuvenate his criminal enterprise south of the border in Cuba, just outside of U.S. jurisdiction but close enough for him to run things in the States as well

Rocco's plans are put on hold, however, when a violent hurricane paralyzes the Keys, trapping he and his men, as well as McCloud and the others, in the hotel.

Aside from being the fourth and final pairing of Bogie and Bacall (after To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep and Dark Passage), Key Largo also marked the fifth film in which Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson appeared together, which might explain why the banter between them is so sharp. At one point, McCloud is filling the Temples in on Rocco’s criminal history, telling them how big Rocco was in the rackets back in the days of prohibition. McCloud then looks at Rocco and says he knows exactly what the gangster wants out of life: "More".

Upon hearing this, Rocco’s eyes light up. He does indeed want more, and realizes that "more" is all he ever wanted. Taken aback by McCloud’s accurate description of both his past and his ambitions, Rocco responds, “OK, smart guy, what is it you want out of life?” to which McCloud replies, “To live in a world where there’s no room for Johnny Rocco”.

Key Largo is chock full of spirited gives-and-takes such as this, and thanks to the superior work of its veteran cast, the dialogue never misses its mark.