Surprisingly incoherent and boring

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

"Key Largo" has that familiar stuck-in-a-room premise but also has just the right ingredients for a solid movie. It's an atmospheric potboiler pitting Bogart and the tenants of a hotel against mafioso Edward G. Robinson.Star power aside, it's the nicely appointed set design that keeps thing looking nice, despite the adherence to a soundstage. The swaying palms, sweaty inhabitants and rolling thunder go a long way in selling stormy South Florida. The real surprise is Robinson, who steals this thing with his menacing performance. 7/10

"Key Largo" is one of three Humphrey Bogart noir mysteries that have become classic films. The other two are "The Petrified Forest" of 1936 and "The Maltese Falcon" of 1941. Besides being intriguing stories, all three films have other things in common. Most notably are the sizable casts of leading and top-drawer actors. Besides Bogart, "The Falcon" had Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and others. "The Forest" also had Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and others. "Key Largo" had Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, Lionel Barrymore and Claire Trevor. She won the best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of Gaye Dawn. Bogart plays a former Army major who had served in Italy during WW and was a friend of James Temple's son, who was killed in the war. He has stopped by to see the senior Temple who is played by Lionel Barrymore. Bacall is his daughter-in-law Nora, who is the widow of his deceased son. Robinson plays Johnny Rocco a once big-time crime boss from the days of prohibition. He and his gang have taken over Temple's hotel in Key Largo where they are arranging an underworld trade. Trevor's Gaye Dawn is a one-time top club singer and girlfriend of Rocco. She has become an alcoholic in the years that Rocco has been away. He had been kicked out of the U.S. There are many tense scenes in this fine film. Local police are checking for two Indians who have escaped from jail. A hurricane is developing. The local Indians have come to the hotel for shelter in the storm, only to be turned out by the gangsters. A good supporting cast play Rocco's sidekicks, and the intrigue intensifies until the very end. The film has an ending that comes as a bit of a surprise. But this is one very good, superbly acted, and interesting mystery thriller.

Dear John Huston, Key Largo was a terrific thriller which revealed the ravaged psyche of citizens and general sense of doom in post-world war 2 America. A somber ex-soldier (Bogart) visits a hotel run by his dead fellow soldier's wife (Bacall) and father. He gets entangled in their predicament as a bunch of gangsters have taken over the hotel and are waiting for a hurricane to pass so that they could take a boat to Cuba.Edward.G.Robinson steals the show as Johnny Rocco - the leader of the gang. He is helped by the fact that both Bogie and Bacall are playing extremely submissive roles. His use of face expressions and posture helps distract attention from his short and portly demeanor. Even the cinematographer and the writer seemed to be in love with the character. He gets many close ups and obviously the best lines.The film foregrounded the sweeping power of evil as it renders everyone helpless and impotent. The film might as well be an allegory for the plight of the common man during the great war. The ending establishes the self-destructive nature of evil.A fine rollicking score by Max Steiner sets the mood for a tense night in a hotel during a hurricane attack.Brian De Palma was obviously inspired by the shaving scene in Key Largo for the opening scene in The Untouchables. A group of people forced to spend time together in a confined space due to the forces of nature ..... The Hateful Eight? The fact that the film completely ignores the outdoors of Key Largo is a drawback. There are shots of a few monstrous waves. That's it.Best Regards, Pimpin.(7.5/10)

I often feel like I don't fully understand these kinds of movies. Old ones basically, where there's lots of talking. Ways of life have changed so much. I don't get all of the social cues that are going on. I have no idea what the subtext of all the dialogue is. And yet, I've gotten used to certain patterns over time. I can tell when something's about to go down or if a character's lying or pushing buttons. Still, words aren't needed for certain facial expressions, you can immediately tell what someone is feeling or thinking.Most of this movie takes place in a hotel. Something comes up and some gangsters are forced to reveal themselves and take the guests and owners as hostages. They don't want any trouble. But then a hurricane comes and things get more complicated. Nobody can leave, at least for a while. Maybe someone will try to be a hero or talk smart. The tension builds.Johnny Rocco is a famous gangster (based on Al Capone and Lucky Luciano) who all the regular people despise. So much so that some of them can't keep it to themselves in spite of the harm it might bring to them. Edward G. Robinson really gets into the role alternating between brutal coldness and smarmy talking. He's confident but Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) begins to see weaknesses, giving him some leverage. Frank talks logic, he thinks ahead and explains things.Key Largo seems to have a bit of a theme about war veterans in contrast with gangsters, these two extremes of Americans. The really noble, brave kind Vs. the heartless, selfish, evil kind. Frank (like every Bogart character) announces that he only cares about his own business and it seems true. But even he has to morally conclude that stopping someone like Rocco by any means could only be a good thing. This means he's willing to take some risks to harm Rocco which puts himself and the others in danger. I think there's a bit more emotion here from Bogart than usual. He even smiles a couple of times.The finale was pretty riveting and satisfying. It's always good when you're actually rooting for the good guys and you want the bad guys dead (because they're that bad). And you're on the edge of your seat because you hope things turn out well but know that anything could happen. It shows that you believe in and care about the characters. Well, what a turbulent experience for all of them!