Saturday, September 27, 2014

Cheap All Through the Night (1941)

All Through the Night
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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This movie is an often ignored part of Humphrey Bogart's movie career. After all, this is the guy who was in The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, The Treasure of Sierra Madre and The Caine Mutiny just to name a few highlights. Some people might have trouble adjusting to the rather silly mood of this film. However, you will probably enjoy it more if you know what you're coming into.

Bogart plays a New York gambler with mob ties who always wears gloves and has a weakness for cheesecake. When his favorite baker is murdered, he sets out to discover whodunit and in the process uncovers a Nazi plot for terrorism.

But, to tell the truth, I wasn't interested in this movie for the plot. It was the cast that interested me. Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre and Judith Anderson play the Nazi villains and who can think of a better bad guy line-up? All of them are excellent although I had a bit of trouble accepting that small-framed Lorre as the strong-arm of the group.

Bogart is particularly amusing when he tries to bluff his way through a Nazi meeting when he has no idea what is going on and his knowledge of German is limited to two words! In fact, the entire cast seems to be enjoying themselves and as a result, the audience enjoys the movie even more.

While this is not a masterpiece, it is certainly enjoying for what it is: an action/comedy with propaganda elements that just happens to have some of the greatest actors of the time. The double talk is fast and funny, the plot doesn't make much sense but the script throws everything but the kitchen sink at you so you don't really notice.

Verdict:

You will like it: If you are a rabid Veidt, Lorre, Bogart or Anderson fan. If you want a fast, funny way to spend an evening.

You will not like it: If you expecting another Casablanca. If you are overly choosey about "serious" plots.

Enjoy!

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A nice change of pace for Bogie--still a shady character (with a soft spot for his Mom [Jane Darwell, who gets "a feelin'" that something isn't quite right, and sets Bogie on the case] and his favorite cheesecake, baked in the old neighborhood), but willing to take on the Nazis after they murder the baker....

As others have noted, the "double-talk" sequence with Bogie and Demerest is priceless, and director Sherman keeps the pace quick and snappy.

An overlooked gem in Bogie's films, and one you should check out!

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Humphrey Bogart stars as "Gloves" Donahue, who looks into the murder of a family friend, and the investigation gets him involved with a mysterious nightclub singer (Kaaren Verne), the art world, and Fifth Columnists (people in the US helping the Nazis during WWII). There's a lot of action and humour along the way as Gloves discovers that things aren't what they seem. This isn't a typical Bogart film from this time period, and it's a nice change of pace. Bogart is supported by a terrific cast. Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre, and Judith Anderson are properly menacing as the Fifth Columnists, while Frank McHugh, Jackie Gleason, and especially William Demarest are a lot of fun as Bogart's boys. The double talk sequence as Bogart and Demarest try to pass themselves off as Nazi sympathizers at a Fifth Column meeting is hilarious and memorable. I liked this film and I thought it was great that humour could be used in a film about an otherwise serious subject at a time when the world was at war.

Honest reviews on All Through the Night (1941)

Funny, charming, witty. Bogey is surronded by am all out star studded cast in this hilarous comdey. This is a must video to have.

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There are lots of reasons to love this film. The stellar cast, including Wm. Demarest, Jane Darwell, Phil Silvers, a young Jackie Gleason, Frank McHugh, Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre, Judith Anderson...well, it doesn't get much better. Consider the 1942 release...the war was at it's peak. Then there's Bogie, playing a likeable gangster who makes good with rival gangsters to beat up a Nazi infiltration in NYC. Add tons of humor and the beautiful Kaaren Verne, and you have a delightful mix of suspense, angst, intrigue and American triumph (as well as a cute love story). It may not be a great film, but I think it's my favorite Bogie film, if only because it's so much fun to watch. Where's the DVD? UPDATE: The Humphrey Bogart Vol 2 includes this fine film, and the resolution and presentation is crystal clear. "Let's knock those heels back on their axis..."

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