The Petrified Forest

source: The Petrified Forest

Of course I bought this on DVD (in the 'gangsters' set) because it is a classic starring my second fave actor (Bogie, second only to the great Cagney) and Leslie Howard, who I always liked very much. I haven't seen "Forest" in many years and remembered not liking it that much. Such a classic, with such great stars, and I didn't like it that much? Did I remember correctly? Upon watching this again, I sure did. "The Petrified Forest" is an over-dramatic film of a play with some great stars. It reeks of the "self-importance" that so many plays convey, so much so that it just gets downright tiring to hear the silly dialogue from these lame characters (especially Howard's and Bette Davis' characters). Even besides all that, as far as the actual cinematography, this just sucks. It literally is just a filmed play, as the soundstage it is filmed on couldn't be more fake looking, despite some promising shots of Leslie on a real desert road at the film's start. Talk about early Tim Burton syndrome - I'm shocked none of the stage equipment snuck in on screen, unless I missed it. Now of course, Bogie is excellent but really, his part wasn't that difficult to play, as he doesn't really have much to do. But he looks and sounds the part, and you can see a glimmer of the huge star he would become afterwards. He's fun to watch even if he does just sit there for most of the time. Bogie's doofy-looking partner in crime with the shotgun is actually more fun to watch because he is more animated, especially when he is at odds with the football guy. Leslie Howard (his character of course) comes across as a whiny blowhard. He's a scam artist too - he actually took a meal knowing full well he couldn't pay for it because he had no money, so he was a liar right from the start. But all the crap he talks, you just want him to shut his mouth. Sure a young and naive girl from some desert is going to listen and worship everything he says. But he just never shuts up. It never occurs to Bette's character that despite all of Howard's wiseness and experience, he's a bum walking in the desert with nothing. Meanwile, she has a job, although not much of as future, but it still beats what he has. But she still thinks he's wise and intelligent. When he gets too dramatic with the whole "kill me" thing, you want Bogie to shoot him just to shut him up. While it can be fun to watch Leslie Howard play this role occasionally, the character is just so unlikable, it's hard not to cheer for his eventual demise. Bette Davis looks nice, but she is obviously trying way too hard. I know many think she's this great actress, and she is good, I like watching some of her films. But here, she's just a bit too exhaustive and manic. She's acting as if she is indeed in a play, and not a movie, which is the whole mistake of virtually everything and everyone in this film. You want to make a movie out of a play, then do that. But movies that are simply plays with a movie camera aimed at the stage, suck. Like this. There are some really dumb things here too, like Mrs. Chism asking Bogie if she could go with him when he leaves. I mean, c'mon. Play or no play, "message" or no message, you have to kidding me. It's crap like that that really makes a bad film worse. I will say one thing, she was pretty hot, better looking than Bette Davis. Probably the most interesting scene in the film was when the two black characters interact after the black member of Bogie's gang asks Chism's driver if he'd like a drink. Even though he's still a "lowly driver" the gang member refers to him as "colored brother," still a brother. But then he teases him after the driver has to ask Mr. Chism if he can have a drink. And of course the film is just loaded with over-dramatic scenes that reek of typical "playness." Again, you want to make a movie out of a play, fine, but movies that are just plays shot on film suck. So despite the great stars in this film, especially Bogie and Howard, really, this film sucks.

A glorious movie based on a very wise and compassionate play. It is a savage indictment of a lifeless civilization. Confronted by death in a hostage situation, one elderly wife bitterly reproaches her husband of having stifled her personality: "You took my soul, you stenciled it on a card and filed it". Leslie Howard gives up his quest for bliss, and seeks to die in style for his beloved. Bogart represents nature lashing out against man. Alas, few movies from the thirties achieve this height of artistry. Hollywood makes a mistake when drawing plots from novels rather than plays. The concentrated compactness and intimacy of a play cannot be had from a sprawling novel.

"The Petrified Forest" is widely regarded as Humphrey Bogart's breakthrough film, which indeed it was. Bogey had made several forgettable films between 1930-34 before returning discouraged to the New York stage. There, he acquired the role of Duke Mantee in the stage version of "The Petrified Forest" in which Leslie Howard was the star. When Warner Bros. bought the film rights they wanted Howard but also wanted Edward G. Robinson for the Mantee role. Howard interceded on Bogart's behalf saying that if Bogey wasn't cast as Mantee that he wouldn't do the film either. Bogey never forgot this favor and years later named his daughter Leslie after Howard. The story takes place in a dusty road side cafe/gas station in the middle of a desert. The film is essentially about a bunch of life's losers with no real future except for the young waitress Gabrielle Maples (Bette Davis) who dreams of leaving the dusty desert for the bright lights of Paris. A wandering intellectual/writer Alan Squier (Howard) comes to the cafe broke and hungry. He strikes up a friendship with Gabrielle who admires his cultured manner and love of poetry much to the chagrin of would be boyfriend Boze Hertzinger (Dick Foran) a has been football player who now pumps gas. Inside the cafe we meet Gabrielle's father Jason (Porter Hall) who fancies himself as a war hero and Gramp Maples (Charlie Grapewin) a senile old timer who likes to tell stories of his encounter with Billy the Kid. Into this peaceful setting comes gangster Duke Mantee (Bogart) and his three pals Jackie (Joe Sawyer), Ruby (Adrian Morris) and Slim (Slim Thompson). The gang is on the lam from the law. Mantee holds all of the people in the cafe hostage including travelers the Chisolms (Paul Harvey, Genevieve Tobin) and their chauffeur Joseph (John Alexander). The rest of the film deals with the conflicts between the various characters and the growing love story between Alan and Gabrielle. Bogey reportedly patterned his Mantee after real life gangster John Dillinger right down to his speech and movements. In fact if you look at photographs of Dillinger, you can see the resemblance. This might explain Bogey's CP3O (the android from "Star Wars") like posture. Notice how he holds his arms and his walk. The two black actors (Thompson and Alexander) were also in the New York stage production. Dick Foran was appearing as a singing cowboy in a series of "B" westerns for Warners and welcomed this chance at a straight role in a major film. Although Bogart definitely dominated the film, one can't help but admire the performance of Leslie Howard as Squier. Bette Davis just emerging as a major star has little to do but stare wide-eyed at Howard. After this film, Warners signed Bogart to a contract. He would play mostly gangster roles in Cagney and Robinson films with the odd lead in a "B" picture such as "Black Legion" (1937) until 1941 when he became a major star after appearing in "High Sierra" and "The Maltese Falcon".

Based on the stunningly emotion play of the same title Petrified Forest is the tale that Acting great Leslie Howard will always be remembered for.He is at the heart of this film as a disillusioned intellectual whose personality never survived the war. Bette Davis is also strong as the waitress who Howard shares his secrets with. Humphrey Bogart made an impressive screen debut repeating the role of Duke Mantee at Howard's insistence. Howard and Bogart played the roles on stage and it is a treasure to see these two actors performances preserved for posterity. Those on this page who have questioned Howard's portrayal of his role are obviously missing the entire emotional through line of his role. Howard was far ahead of his time, an extremely naturalistic actor in a Hollywood obsessed by type casting. Watch this film and be moved by the story. you won't regret it.

Robert Sherwood's The Petrified Forest had a run in 1935 on Broadway for the first half of that year. Warner Brothers bought the film rights and shot it the following year. Leslie Howard and at his insistence, Humphrey Bogart, came west to repeat their stage roles. For Bogart it was a return to bigger acclaim than he had gotten in his first trip to Hollywood in the early Thirties. He hadn't made much of an impression then, but he was in Tinseltown to stay after The Petrified Forest and his frightening characterization of criminal on the run, Duke Mantee. The Petrified Forest takes place in a filling station/greasy spoon truck stop on the edge of the Arizona desert. About as desolate a place as you'll find. Three generations of the Maple family own and operate the place. Grandpa Charley Grapewin, Father Porter Hall, and daughter Bette Davis who dreams about the fact there's more to life than this nowhere place. Bette also has to contend with former college football star Dick Foran and his clumsy efforts at courtship. Along comes Alan Squier played by Leslie Howard who's a blase world weary vagabond who's seen better days. He and Davis hit it off and she comes to realize that there is a great big world out there. The first third of the movie involves the two of them and I have to say that in the mouths of players less skilled than these two, Robert Sherwood's dialog would have sounded like so much romantic drivel. For Davis, Gabrielle Maple is a unique part and not one she'd play later on as her features hardened. An intelligent and romantic young girl is not a typical Bette Davis part, but she does bring it off. As for Howard, Alan Squier is a typical part for him. Not too much different than Ashley Wilkes or Philip Scott from The 49th Parallel. The remainder of the film is when Duke Mantee and his gang take refuge at the filling station and hold captive anyone who's there or wanders in. A lot of souls are bared under Mantee's guns and the climax is spectacular. Two other actors who repeated their Broadway roles are Joseph Alexander who's the chauffeur of a rich couple who stop at the filling station and Slim Thompson a member of Mantee's gang. Both of these players are black. Joseph Alexander is a menial and Slim Thompson really rubs it in to him, telling him the day of liberation has come for some time now. In 1936 that was practically revolutionary. Alexander had a substantial career, but I have no idea what happened to Thompson. He had no other film credits and only one other stage appearance on Broadway in the original production of Anna Lucasta. Moviegoers of all generations should thank Leslie Howard for insisting on Humphrey Bogart being in this film and helping to create a screen legend.

This movie needs better spokespeople! So here goes: take Bogart, Howard, Davis. Classic story with modern undertones. Stage play that works on screen. Clever dialog. Bittersweet longing for a better place. Missed chances for love. Violent gangsters. Quaint desert cafes. Mix in blender: out comes a classic from 1936 which still tastes good today. Don't miss it. You can't talk about American cinema until you've seen this one, too.

Bogart plays a villain who is so mean he makes Al Pacino's "Scarface" look like an altar boy. Davis is young and gorgeous in this movie, with incredible eyes...this is long before she would become the middle-aged hag with the cigarette-smokers voice. In this movie she was 28 and an absolute doll. The character played by Howard is flawless. Of special interest is the portrayal of the two blacks in this 1936 movie, long before the civil rights movement. Slim the black outlaw, offers Joseph the black chauffeur, a drink. "Here's your drink colored brother." Joseph asks his employer, "Is it all right Mister Chisolm?" Then Slim mocks Joseph and his Uncle Tom attitude and says, "Listen to him, 'Is it all right Mister Chisolm.' Ain't you heard about the big liberation? Take your drink, weasel." This is very interesting dialog for its time period, because I never knew there was a "New Liberation" (of blacks) in 1936.

An Award Winning Play with Extremely Awkward, Dated Dialog and a Controlled Confinement renders little Payoff for Modern Moviegoers. The Attraction of Two Superstars (Howard, Davis) cannot save this from being Melodramatic with Heavy Doses of Melancholy, not only by Today's standards but the Verbiage probably started to Fossilize before the Patrons Exited in the Thirties. It is so Over Written and Corny that even Depression era Dreamers could see through the Silver Lining in this Clunky Cloud. Widely Considered the Movie that Made Bogart (his entrance is iconic). This is as Dusty as it gets and can really Only be Enjoyed by Film and Social Historians as a Slice of Literary and Cultural Pop. An empty, Pretentious, Commercially Driven Deterrent to the Woes of the Day. Populist Escapism. It was Wrapped in Plastic and Sold to the Suffering Masses, but did Not Cure the Neurosis ("nature has unleashed") and was a Placebo.

For people who like the stage and enjoy a lot of "talk," this film is right up their alley, but it is not a "gangster movie" as we know it, and as advertised and put out as such as part of a DVD set in January of 2005. Yes, there is a gangster (Humphrey Bogart) involved in the story, but really this is just a play where all the action is in one room and it is talk, talk, talk with just a little action in the end. The best part of the film, to me, was Bette Davis, who I have found very alluring when she was young. After 1940, she lost her physical appeal and began playing a lot of ruthless characters. Anyway, she looked good and her character was interesting. I enjoyed watching her. The worst part of film was the star of the movie: Leslie Howard, whose character just rambled on and on and on about his Liberal viewpoints of the world on numerous subjects. Some of the stuff he was interesting but most of his statements were just plain annoying and idiotic. This was Bogart's first "starring role," if you want to call it, as some have. The truth is he didn't enter the film until over halfway through and even then didn't have many lines. He was so primitive looking I almost didn't recognize him. His voice, however, gave him away. As usual, "Bogie,"" was riveting when on screen. In all, a liberal-feminist gabfest. For those who enjoy this sort of thing: great; for those looking for "gangster" movie, skip this one.