tohaveandhavenot

After Humphrey Bogart played Rick Blaine in “Casablanca,” his career was never the same again,
and for the better. Suddenly, studio execs saw Bogie as a viable romantic and dramatic actor, not
a gangster to be shot at by James Cagney. What Bogie lacked was a leading lady. When Lauren
Bacall was cast opposite him in “To Have and Have Not,” he not only found perfect chemistry
onscreen, but also found a wife off screen.

As the title suggests, this is an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel. Bogie plays a man who
charters a deep sea fishing boat and takes rich folk out on fantasy fishing adventures for marlin
and swordfish and the like. Walter Brennan plays Bogies hopelessly alcoholic friend Eddie in a
strangely powerful portrayal of addiction.

Bogie is caught up in a whirlwind of events out of his control when some French rebels on the
island of Martinique are trying to get around the Nazi-loyal Vichy French government and they need
Bogie to go pick up their leader in the middle of the night. Initially, he refuses, but when he meets
the conniving but beautiful Bacall, who has enough moxie for the both of them but not enough
money to get back to America, he takes the job to get the cash to send her home.

Of course, it’s not that simple and director Howard Hawks throws in enough wit and whimsy in the
dialogue to keep things interesting along the way. I was shocked to see just how similar this movie
is to “Casablanca” in story and structure. Bogie is once again a guy who sticks his neck out for
nobody, hangs out in a club and runs his own personal business while trying to stay neutral in
Vichy-held territory. Yeah, Hawks took a lot of liberties with Hemingway’s story.

Did I mention Bacall sings in the film? Well, she does and it's a little weird, as it is in all the movies
she sings in.

There’s a really fat guy that makes Sidney Greenstreet look like Adonis, and he makes life
miserable for both Bogie and the audience. Then there’s the Paul Henreid-type character, the
foppy freedom fighter with conviction and courage and a doting wife, who in her own way makes like
miserable for Bogie.

What saves this film from being a “Casablanca” clone is the chemistry between Bogie and Bacall,
the amazing and heartfelt performance by Brennan and the edge given to the story that
“Casablanca” lacks. The former movie is more stylish and romantic, the latter more gritty and
immediate. Bogie’s leading man in “To Have and Have Not” is a much tougher guy than Rick Blaine.

I wouldn’t say this movie is as good as “Casablanca,” but it comes close. The movie has its own
flavor and dramatic depth thanks to Hawks. An engaging movie experience during the apex of
Studio Hollywood.