Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart star in the movie that brought them together beginning their romance.  In fact, this is Lauren Bacall’s movie debut…she was only 19 years old at the time.  (funny little side note, the wardrobe for Bogie in basically the same here as it is for his later flick The African Queen…just add a few more wrinkles to his face)

They fill the roles of a tough ex-patriate boat captain Harry Morgan (which I found hysterical at the thought that here was “Captain Morgan”) and a singer, stranded American Marie Browning (“Slim”) (Bacall), who fool Nazis on the island of Martinique.  Harry’s “rummie” friend Eddie (Walter Brennan) & hotel-keeper/Free French leader Gerard (“Frenchie”) (Marcel Dalio) frequent the screen as well.

Frenchie pressures Morgan to use his boat to service some “friends” of his…meaning smuggle in some fellows.  To which Morgan staunchly refuses to take part in the current political upheaval. Enter Eddie…and his question that just makes me laugh (I don’t know why):
Eddie: Say, was you ever bit by a dead bee?
Beauclerc: I have no memory of ever being bit by any kind of bee.
Slim: (interjecting) Were you?
Eddie: You’re alright, lady. You and Harry’s the only one that ever…
Morgan: Don’t forget Frenchie.
Eddie: That’s right. You and Harry and Frenchie. You know, you got to be careful of dead bees if you’re goin’ around barefooted, ’cause if you step on them they can sting you just as bad as if they was alive, especially if they was kind of mad when they got killed. I bet I been bit a hundred times that way.
Slim: You have? Why don’t you bite them back?
Eddie: That’s what Harry always says. But I ain’t got no stinger.

Shortly thereafter, chaos ensues at the bar with a shower of bullets from the street resulting in the demise of Morgan’s client of the week.  Resulting in a quick inquiry of Frenchie, Harry and Marie.  And here we learn that the police are tied in with the Gestapo, making them the Vichy-Gestapo.  During the interrogation we find out that Marie’s not one of those straight-and-narrow kinda girls…a pick-pocket, and a good one.

Eventually Morgan gives in to the pressure to run a little smuggling on the side.  A guy’s got to do what a guy’s got to do to make some money.

Here is the movie that tosses out Bacall’s most famous line: “You know how to whistle don’t you?  You just put your lips together and blow.”

Eddie has one of the funniest walks I’ve ever seen…but is one of the truest friends that have ever been written into a screenplay.  But one that I don’t think I could handle to have around too long.  He even manages to sneak back on board Harry’s boat because he can tell  his friend  is  in trouble.  Unfortunately for Eddie, he’s then roped into taking part in the smuggling mission.

Harry picks up his two passengers and gets dragged in deeper than he ever intended.  Paul & Helene De Bursac turn out to be nothing but problems for him.  Starting with Paul getting shot on the way to Martinique and then progressing into a situation where Harry is forced to play doctor and remove the bullet.

A scene that I particularly loved…when Harry has had enough and ends up shooting one Vichy-Gestapo officer and then pistol whips the other two to get his way.

Throughout the film’s high stress situations we get to see Harry & Marie’s sarcastic romance unfold…somehow it always seems so much more seductive in black & white.  It’s not Hollywood’s best film, but the opportunity to see the great find of the year’s first screen performance (Bacall)…it makes up for any shortcomings.