Thank you! Thanks, for the research you put into your response and the excellent insights about Bogie.
I had considered it a "B" picture because none of rest of the cast, including Dick Foran, were really big stars, back then or afterwards (as far as I know).
It would seem, however, that until his starring turn in "High Sierra," Bogie's career climb after BL was still slow-going with "B"-flicks, supporting roles in "A's," and mostly run-of-the-mill and forgetable productions, albeit sprinkled with noteable performances in such pictures as "They Drive By Night" and "The Roaring Twenties;" even his slightly miscast part as the Irish stablehand in "Dark Victory" was nothing to sneeze at!
Your quotation re: Bogie as Rhett Butler was very interesting. If Clark Gable had originally had his way, he would have turned down the part, and who'd've made a better understudy than Bogart as the cynical (but good-hearted) Rhett Butler in 1939? (I'd have nominated Gary Cooper third down the list for this part, and it probably would have been a toss-up between Cooper and Errol Flynn as Hollywood's choice in the scenario of Gable's rejection of the role.)
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gullwing592003
14 years ago
Yes despite all the excitement generated by Black Legion in 1937 it did not elevate Bogie to "movie star status". It must've been quite disappointing for Bogart. While Black Legion was a major hit for the studio, Bogart was still not a strong enough box office attraction yet. A Cagney, Muni, Tracy, Raft, Cooper & Gable picture would outgross Bogie every time.
Bogie was not popular enough yet to compete with the major stars for it would be another 4 years for that when Bogie became a force to be reckoned with. In the meantime it was back to the drawing board & more supporting roles in the Cagney, Robinson & Bette Davis pictures. Occasionally playing the lead in the B pix & programers like "Racket Busters" & "King Of The Underworld".
And thanks for educating me about the role of Rhett Butler, I never knew that Clark Gable didn't really want the role. That's very interesting, had he not accepted the role I would think the next actor on the list would be Gary Cooper or Errol Flynn? I don't think Bogart would've landed the role by default ahead of Cooper or Flynn. Although later in 1937 Bogie did get another good role in "Dead End" as gangster "Baby Face Martin" but only because George Raft turned it down.
George Raft would also turn down Roy Earle in "High Sierra" & Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" in 1941 & of course the rest is history.
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vinidici
14 years ago
George Raft wasn't terrible, but most of the time he was a bit wooden (no pun intended!) However, he might have done OK as Sam Spade because I can see him as a Hammett/Chandler-type "gumshoe." I think "The Maltese Falcon" would have been more in Raft's territory than it would have been for even his ordinarily superior in "the craft," James Cagney. Nevertheless, fate made the perfect choice with Bogie in the role of Sam Spade.
While we're on the subject, lots of what ended up in Bogie's lap had trickled on down first from Cagney and Edward G. Robinson, then Raft, and (once) even Ronald Reagan! Imagine a Hollywood universe that lacks all the iconic pictures of a world weary-countenanced Humphrey Bogart in fedora-and-trench coat--which is what it would be like today if the aforementioned other actors had opted to play in just three, maybe even TWO of the pictures our present reality bears out were thrown Bogie's way!
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gullwing592003
14 years ago
As great as Bogie was as Sam Spade & I mean he really fit the role of a private eye I can easily see George Raft also in the "gumshoe" role as well. Even Edward G. Robinson. But James Cagney as a private dick ? I'm going to say no on that for it just wouldn't have worked, not for a minute. A private dick was a little out of Cagney's territory.
I like the 2 movies Bogart & Raft did together in "Invisible Stripes" & "They Drive By Night". I thought they made a good team & they were even brothers in one of them & they were very convincing & believable. They did appear like they were related & from the same family.
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vinidici
14 years ago
Robinson probably wouldn't have worked as Sam Spade because of his age (in 1941) and, especially, because it's doubtful he could have passed as a WASP-ish PI; he does make an excellent insurance investigator in "Double Indemnity," though!
In "Falcon," Bogie's chemistry with co-stars Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor and Elisha Cook, Jr., was absolutely phenomenal. Raft, who would actually have been better than Robinson or Cagney in this (even though either of them could act circles around him), would have lacked the spark that only Bogie could have given this picture and the rapport among his co-stars.
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vinidici
14 years ago
Oh, make no mistake re: Clark Gable's initial reluctance to be in GWTW, I'm sure he was quite glad, afterwards, that he went through with fulfilling his commitment as Rhett Butler on what he originally thought would be his much-eschewed "women's pictures."
THAT, and the much-reputed reluctance on Gable's part to work with George Cukor, who was one from among a list of film directors who'd been assigned to make GWTW (and, I believe, some of Cukor's directorial work does survive in the picture) before producer David Selznick finally handed the rest of production over to Victor Fleming.
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marktayloruk (2378)
2 years ago
Ridiculous! Rhett was tall, dark, handsome, powerfully built, had a moustache . No way would Bogie have been accepted.
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