The first filmHumphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacallmade together is undoubtedly their best. The two actors would go on to become one of the defining movieactor duos of Hollywood’s Golden Age, collaborating on a total of four movies and falling in love with one another in real life.To Have and Have Notis Bogart and Bacall’s first film together, andit’s also Bacall’s first movie before becoming a Hollywood icon. Having starred in films likeHigh SierraandThe Maltese Falcon,Bogart was a certified film noir starby the timeTo Have and Have Notwas released.
The movie combines a medley of genres, such as romance and adventure, and features captivating performances by Bogart and Bacall. Though the film earned mixed critical reviews at the time and was heavily compared toCasablanca, it’s easy to see just how greatTo Have and Have Notis in hindsight. The chemistry beaming from the on-screen duo, and the real-life relationship and continued film collaborations that would follow, are only part of whyTo Have and Have Notis considered to beBogart and Bacall’s best movietogether.
To Have And Have Not Is Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall’s Best Movie Together
Bogart And Bacall’s On-Screen Chemistry Was Unmatched At The Time And Previewed Their Successful Careers
To Have and Have Notis loosely based on Ernest Hemingway’s 1937 novel and sees Bogart’s Harry Morgan aiding the French Resistance by transporting a few of its members to an island after initially swearing to stay out of current political affairs. At the same time, Harry falls in love with American wanderer Marie “Slim” Browning (Bacall), adding a compelling element of romance to the film.With Harry and Slim’s romance being set against a political backdrop,To Have and Have Nothas earned several comparisons toCasablanca, which is often considered to bethe best war romance movie ever made.
As a result,To Have and Have Nothas been unfairly overlooked over the years and dubbed an inferior remake ofCasablanca. However, such a notion couldn’t be further from the truth as it diminishes just how exciting a filmTo Have and Have Notis. Howard Hawks' direction is stylish, and the changes from Hemingway’s novel, in which screenwriter William Faulkner chose to place a greater emphasis on the love story between Harry and Slim, ultimately end up being the film’s greatest strength.
With its themes of resistance and conflict, there is plenty of tension throughoutTo Have and Have Notto keep audiences hooked. The fate of Bogart and Bacall’s characters also gives audiences something to hold out hope for, with the strength of the actors' performances amplified by their overwhelming chemistry.Bogart and Bacall’s natural and alluring shared presence inTo Have and Have Notis unlike anything seen in narratively similar movieslikeCasablanca, and provides audiences with a promising look into their future as a Hollywood duo.
How Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall Became A Legendary Movie Pairing
Audiences Were Captivated By The Real-Life Romance And On-Screen Talent Of The Pair
The duo’s chemistry is significant to the legacy ofTo Have and Have Not, but in the years that followed,Bogart and Bacall proved that their strength as an acting pair wasn’t solely reliant on their romantic connection. AfterTo Have and Have Not, Bogart and Bacall soon married one another in real life and went on to star in three more movies together. The actors' real-life romance and continued chemistry on-screen certainly play a part in the audience’s interest in the pair, but their strength as individual performers can’t be denied.
To Have and Have Not(1944)
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Key Largo(1948)
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Bogart and Bacall’s combined talents elevated the formulaic narratives of films likeDark PassageandKey Largo, and they are well-suited to the complexity of a movie likeThe Big Sleep. While Bogart was already considered a star at the time,Bacall admirably came into her own as a performer during the actors' rise as a duo. Bogart and Bacall are skilled dramatic actors on their own, and their romantic relationship on and off-screen only adds to their appeal and influence in Hollywood at the time, cementing them as a legendary film noir duo.
