MovieChat Forums > Deadline - U.S.A. (1952) Discussion > Bogie far from finished.

Bogie far from finished.

posted 10 years ago by fbm72751
3 replies | jump to latest

Its often quoted that this was one of his final films or near the end of his career. Far from it. He was as busy for much of of the 1950s as in the previous decade. Deadline USA (or anything post-African Queen) is considered the twilight of his career but after this he made two films in 1953 (plus a Jack Benny show appearance), three in 1954, three in 1955 (plus a tv version of The Petrified Forest) and one in 1956. The hoarseness in his voice starts showing itself in The Desperate Hours but he never missed a cue.

Bogart was such a professional. I've always said, had he lived, he probably would have retired somewhere around 1960-65 or maybe had done more television work. He hated to do what he thought was a bad film & had he lived I could not see him working a lot in the 1960s. Times were changing.

[–] nimstic 9 years ago

I haven't yet watched this film but your post was moving. Bogie always appeared a top notch professional to me. He had a class I could not see in anyone else in that era (maybe Spencer Tracy to an extend). His critics focussed only on the stereotypical characters he played but that was only because he was so good at it and it called for an encore! :)

I have got this title recently, will watch it soon and post back with my thoughts.

PS: In Caine Mutiny which came 2 years later, he was on top of his job like a boss. So I doubt if this seemed like an "end of days" film.

[–] hugh1971 9 years ago

Yes, he was a great actor, partly because he never came across as an 'actor'. There's one scene I particularly like, when Rienzi the mobster slaps Hutcheson across the face with a newspaper, you see that for a split second he is about to hit back but then smiles and says 'that's the Rienzi I like to see'.

'Monsters? We're British!'

[–] fbm72751 8 years ago

the final epitaph was in the end when Bogie tell Rienzi "that's the press baby....the press.....nothing you can do about it....nothing!"