Cheap To Have and Have Not (DVD) (Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall) (Howard Hawks) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of To Have and Have Not

This was one of Hollywoods immortal romantic couples along with Gable and Lombard and Tracy and Hepburn. One difference Bogart and Bacall's passion was forever captured on the silver screen. We would always see those first torrid moments of acting become real life love story.

Lauren Bacall was nineteen year old upcoming star who was mentored by Hawks, with a Vernoica Lake hair sytle, alluring eyes and the deepest sexiest voice. You could feel Humphrey Bogarts emotions and admiration for this new sultry siren star. Quickly they became involved and later married and did 5 more films together.

"To Have and Have Not" was the perfect launch vehicle for the Bogart - Bacall Phenomenon. Loosely based on Ernest Hemingways novel of the same name, Bogart is an American fishing boat captain in Martinique a French owned island during WWII. A similar story line to Casablanca except he gets the girl.

This is a classic movie and a must have for the DVD Bogart library.

Special Features include; Featurette "A love Story", The Story of "To Have And Have Not", vintage bogart & Bacall cartoon, a 1946 Lux Radio Theater Production starring Bogart and Bacall and Theatrical Trailer.

"You know how to whistle, don't you Steve?"
In 1944, director Howard Hawks (1896-1977, who directed "Sergeant York" in 1941 and many John Wayne films in the 1960's) directed the film version of Ernest Hemingway's novel, "To Have And Have Not", which was published in 1937. Starring the legendary Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) as Harry 'Steve' Morgan, the story takes place in 1940 on the Caribbean island of Martinique, a French colony, not long after France's surrender to Nazi Germany in World War II and the establishment of the infamous Vichy Republic. Harry Morgan owns and operates a private fishing boat and provides services to sports fishermen. His only interests are his personal well-being and his best friend & shipmate Eddie (Walter Brennan, 1894-1974, who won three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor between 1937 and 1941), who is also an alcoholic. Things begin to change for Harry when he meets the voluptuous Marie 'Slim' Browning (played by the legendary Lauren Bacall in her big-screen film debut) at a hotel/restaurant/nightclub owned by Gerard 'Frenchy' (Marcel Dario, 1900-1983). Marie is stuck on Martinique due to insufficient money, but uses her pick pocketing abilities to get cash, as well as sing in the nightclub with its pianist, Cricket (the composer Hoagy Carmichael, 1899-1981, best known for his songs "Stardust", "Ole Buttermilk Sky", "Georgia on My Mind"). Harry's life changes further when Frenchy gets him involved with several Free-French activists attempting to escape detection by Vichy officials, especially the head of the Martinique police, Capt. M. Renard (Dan Seymour, 1915-1993).

Sadly, "To Have and Have Not" did not receive any Oscar nominations, which may be in part due to Humphrey Bogart's starring role and nomination for Best Actor for the 1942 film "Casablanca". Though there are superficial similarities between "To Have and Have Not" and "Casablanca", viewers should remember that Ernest Hemingway's novel ("To Have and Have Not") was published 5 years prior to the production of "Casablanca", but the novel was altered slightly for film to incorporate aspects of World War II.

Other memorable characters in "To Have and Have Not" include Paul de Bursac (Walter Molnar, who also goes by the name Walter Szurovy), his wife Mme. Hellene de Bursac (Dolores Moran), Johnson (Walter Sande) and Lt. Coyo (Sheldon Leonard). Overall, I rate the film and DVD of "To Have and Have Not" with 5 out of 5 stars. The DVD includes a Warner Brothers "Merrie Melodies" cartoon entitled "Bacall at Arms" (1946), which was based upon the film "To Have and Have Not" and includes fun animations of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart.

An H & H production
The success of this picture was apparently a little embarassing to the legendary director Howard Hawks. He and author Ernest Hemingway cooked it up during a hunting trip, according to Hawks, in trying to make a picture out of the author's novel. They ended up with a story that ends where the novel begins, and a title that has no bearing at all on the movie. Hawks refused to admit the two of them had been influenced by "Casablanca," but that's baloney, the parallels are just too strong. Nevertheless it's a fine picture, like a variation on an earlier theme of music. Bogart and Bacall have their famous meeting, some Vichy French types on Martinique take the gaff, and what is there to say about Walter Brennan, the greatest character actor in American movies? Just another day's incredible work. The real novel was later converted into "The Breaking Point" with John Garfield.