Barbara is stumbling about her locked bedroom, crying over Bogie's insanity, and turns to the window to see him bursting through the curtains?
That was the pinnacle of Humphrey Bogart's horrendous acting in this film...he was so miscast it isn't funny.
I thought the entire thing was a melodramatic mishmash that wasted two very talented people. And when he burst through the windows my first reaction was, this is Dracula breaking in! Not the right kind of story for Bogart -- pure crap!
A hydrocephalic takes pleasure in milking his cranial harp.
That moment when Bogart burst in through the curtains also reminded me of Dracula.
shareI thought he looked like Dracula also. The way he kept sneering was so over the top.
This type of love isn't rational, it's physical
Geez, never knew there were really Bogart Haters. Really? It never occurred to me in watching this film that he was miscast. because he wasn't.
shareI am formerly known as HillieBoliday....Member since May 2006
I agree Kenny-164! I think HB was just right for this role! He was an unstable man, who was starting to show visible signs of drifting in and out of stability. How those signs are going to manifest themselves, are not supposed to be predictable to the viewing audience....because we are meeting him for the first time...and starting to find out just how unbalanced he is. I can't see any other actor in this role.
"OOhhhooo....I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"
Yeah, I laughed! The ending kinda ruined the film. And the last line about offering the police milk was SO lame! But the film was entertaining over all, I'm glad I watched it. Alexis Smith made a great vamp, reminded me a bit of Angelina Jolie.
shareI watched it for the first time last night and really enjoyed it but do agree that that scene was a bit over the top when Bogie burst through the window and the curtains, he did remind me a bit of Dracula and then offering the arresting officers milk was a bit lame but apart from that little bit I thought Bogie was great and definitely not miscast.
share"And the last line offering the police milk was SO lame!"
That was hilarious - intentionally so as well, I'm quite sure. Bogieman was completely out of his tiny little mind by the end.
"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan
I ALSO thought of Dracula when Bogart burst through the window. Bogart was a great actor but totally miscast here. Stanwyck was wonderful but couldn't save the film. Seriously--the ending was so OTT I actually laughed out loud a few times! This was a serious misstep for Bogart and Stanwyck. It's easy to see why the studio waited two years before releasing it.
shareI liked it - Dracula reference included. Bogie, Stanwyck and Amy Carter, the daughter, are three extremely intelligent actors, and I think they all played off each other marvelously. The "discovery" scene between Carter and Stanwyck was just lovely; the balancing between acting "normal" and losing control from Bogie to Stanwyck and her handling of it, before and after suspicions arise, are delicious. Smith's cold temptress was an interesting contrast and it might have been worth seeing Geoffrey succeed if only to see if my suspicion would have been true - that Cecily could have given Geoffrey a run for his money.
To me, it was clear that portions of this story were being told to us tongue in cheek, and that there was a hint of parody going on, which I also enjoyed. As with a lot of Gothic tales, we aren't supposed to really place too much faith in reality or common sense; we're supposed to kind of sink back and let the tide take us. So for me, in fact, if Geoffrey had *not* Dracula'ed his way into Sally's bedroom who knows, I might have been disappointed! And that last little shrug after offering the milk was a nice, delicate little touch: Geoffrey is always the gentleman...
Bogart brings nice little touches to his role: the way he enjoys watching Nigel Bruce enjoy his liquor; his underlying regard for Amy Carter, even when he's yanking her book away from her; his wheels turning in times of stress.
Oh, and can we give an appreciative round of applause to Anita Sharp-Bolster as housekeeper Christine, Margaret Hamilton's sister from another mister, and her expert mingling of disdain and circumspection? She brought a lovely twist of acid to the proceedings.
I agree Stanwyck and Carter were great but I just could not take Bogart seriously. When you slowly see him go mad at the end I couldn't help it--I started giggling! He seemed SO uncomfortable in the role. Also it stretched believability that he was able to overpower Stanwyck. I mean come ON! In reality she would have wiped the floor with him! My main complaint is the film was too slowly paced. It's pretty obvious what's going on early on so you just have to wait for Stanwyck to catch up.
shareThat's what happens when a B Movie director is working with an A List cast.
shareI am formerly known as HillieBoliday....Member since May 2006
Not me...I think his decendency into further madness was suppose to look...Well...Crazy!
"OOhhhooo....I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"