Dark Passage -Keepcase-

Milder Bogart & Bacall Murder Mystery Film Noir!
Post World War II murder mystery which is best known for its film experimentation that did not go over very well with the audiences of the day, Bogart plays an escaped convict, on the lam from San Quentin. A young woman heard he was on the loose from a radio broadcast and decided to go pick him up, but not before he slugs some guy who recognizes him (as he hitched a ride).... wow, just writing this review shows how intricate, yet such an easy story to follow. The supporting cast really had depth and mystery attached: A cab driver who realizes who Vincent (Bogart) really is, hooks him up with a plastic surgeon, a now-disbarred doctor who performs plastic surgery on criminals as a sideline. The drug-induced delusions with the 5 lens view, maniacal laughter of the doctor is quite chilling. Agnes Moorehead, more than what she seems, has it out with Vincent in a climatic, though a bit melodramatic confrontation with Vincent .... The first person camera view did work to some degree in the beginning of the film but it's said that Jack Warner of Warner Bros. didn't like paying Bogart for only being seen in the last third of the film. Oops. Not as intense as Big Sleep, moderate yet well-made, solid entertainment. The DVD also had a Bugs Bunny cartoon (with Mel Blanc voice-overs) with Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart having cartoon images (several stars of the time as well). Trailer and some background info on Bogart's involvement with protesting the Committee of Unamerican Activities (anti-communist hysteria) gave a historical background to the film. 1940s San Francisco made a great backdrop, awesome photography. Rent this now! Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Maltese Falcon Three-Disc Special Edition / Across the Pacific / Action in the North Atlantic / All Through the Night / Passage to Marseille) Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Casablanca Two-Disc Special Edition / The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Two-Disc Special Edition / They Drive by Night / High Sierra)

Fantastic Supporting Actors Outshine Two Stars
Watching a "feature" on this DVD the other day after viewing this movie, it was interesting to hear that "Dark Passage" was never a popular film despite the headliners being Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. That was because studio head Jack Warner was displeased that Bogart's face wasn't shown for the first half of the film and so he didn't give the movie much publicity. The fact Bogey's face didn't appear for quite a while apparently didn't settle well with the public, either. That was their loss: this is a fine film. The stars of it, really - the actors who put the spark in the story - aren't Bogey and Bacall anyway but the supporting actors. I can't recall a movie where the supporting cast was so good, so entertaining, as in this film. Before naming them, let me preface by saying Bogart and Bacall still give good performances and Bacall still had a face in those early days that was mesmerizing BUT the people who make this movie click are: Tom D'Andrea as the cab driver; Houseley Stevenson as the strange and extremely interesting plastic surgeon; Clifton Young as the blackmailer; Tory Mallison as Bogart's old best friend and Agnes Moorhead as the villainous snoop. These people are fantastic. As an escaped convict on the run, we only see what Bogart sees until plastic surgery turns him into the familiar face we recognize. That sort of thing - seeing only what one character sees, using the camera as his eyes, was done in another noir, "Lady In The Lake," but not done as successfully as in this film. Here, it works as we meet these other weird characters as Bogart sees them. Actually, every character including Bacall's, is a bit odd. The script doesn't always make sense, either, to be honest, but it's fun to play along. It was a simple but effective story with some neat twists along the way and pretty good suspense here and there, too. I think it's a very underrated film noir and very glad the long-awaited DVD gave it a nice transfer. This is another example of a classic film that looks far better on DVD than it ever did on tape. I hadn't realized how well-photographed this movie was until I saw it on disc.

DVD Dark Passage
I bought item on Sept. 19 and as of Oct. 22nd I have yet to receive it.

The Romance is what gets me!
With characters dropping like flies, Bacall, blinded by love, refuses to believe what anybody would believe (and she's right!). The scene where he leaves, never to see her again is perfect. The call from the bus station, the way he stammers through his instructions. The scene in Pieta, Peru where they see each other and, without a word, she moves into his arms and they begin to dance. The convoluted plot twists and turns...but the romance of this movie is a beautiful thing.

A mystery with a love affair
The man in the bandaged face, the taxi cab driver with the quickie face job (plastic surgery) friend and the trash can escape from San Quentin. I didn't know how frail and thin the tough guy Bogart was until I saw this movie with older eyes. The acting, plot and 40's San Francisco made this very good viewing. The music wasn't as good as some of these films, but there is a chemistry her that time hasn't erased.