Ever wondered how one of classic Hollywood’s most famous couples got together?
Well, if you watch “To Have and Have Not,” Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall’s chemistry will jump straight out of the screen.
“To Have and Have Not” is Bacall’s first ever film and one of the greatest films she and Bogart made together. The 1944 film centers around Harry Morgan (Bogart) and his good friend Eddie (Walter Brennan), who work together on a fishing boat in Martinique shortly after World War II. Morgan is approached by a member of the Free French Resistance group, a political group during the Vichy regime of France, and asked if he can sneak two people from another Caribbean island back to Martinique.
Morgan, who is painted to be one of the good guys in this film, reluctantly agrees because he needs the money to get out of Martinique. Morgan picks up a husband and wife, Paul and Hellene de Bursac, and who must stay in the cellar of the hotel that Morgan lives in, due to an injury that Paul sustains. Morgan eventually helps them get out of town and on the way manages to get himself, Eddie, and “Slim” (Bacall) the funds to get them all out of Martinique for good.
The film, while maybe a bit confusing for those not familiar with the history, hits all the right notes throughout. Brennan provides comic relief, the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall supplies a great side story of romantic interest, and every scene is compelling.
The acting throughout “To Have and Have Not” is uniformly excellent. Despite being Bacall’s first film, she seems calm, cool and collected in every scene and plays different angles with precision. Brennan is also perfect in his role as Eddie, and even though Eddie is supposed to be a drunk, Brennan doesn’t let that deter him from making smart acting choices. Bogart is, of course, Bogart and is perfectly comfortable in his role as good-guy-making-bad-decisions-and-saving-the-day. Bogart is notorious for his roles as gangsters and tough guys, and Morgan is certainly a tough guy but appears to be good-natured toward the beginning of the film.
The film was originally a short story by Ernest Hemingway, and the film strays from the original plot quite a bit, but fans of the original story should still be satisfied with the end result.
To get more background information before the film, Google the Vichy regime to learn a bit more Vichy France and what territories were under what jurisdiction during the time period. The history is certainly interesting and provides the knowledge needed to comfortably follow the film’s logic.
But the background research isn’t always necessary — watching the film can be an enjoyable learning experience by itself.
For those new to the old movie scene or those who have always been curious as to why Bogart is listed as the number one greatest American screen legend by American Film Institute, “To Have and Have Not” is a great start.
Yes, it was released in 1944, and yes, it is in black and white, but those aren’t reasons a film can’t be appreciated and watched for all of the great things it contains.
Bogart is confident in his role and delivers a grade A performance, Bacall has a wonderful debut and the script, acting and directing are all witty and well-delivered.
When looking for a “throwback Thursday” film, maybe go a little further past other great films like “The Breakfast Club” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Step back into the ’40s and give black and white a chance. You might find yourself forgetting about that lack of color.
If nothing else, “To Have and Have Not” will have at least taught you how to whistle.