Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Casablanca Two-Disc Special Edition / The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Two-Disc Special Edition / They Drive by Night / High Sierra)

ESSENTIAL MOVIE!!! High Sierra was the movie that finally catapulted Bogey into a major star. The role of Roy Earle was one he had campaigned to get but almost didn't. Bogey recognized the role as being one that was complex & challenging. Yhis was also the last film that Bogey didn't get top billing, Warner Bros. had decided to give Ida Lupino that distinction though her role was subordinate to Bogey's.Roy Earle is a bank robber that has done several years incarcerated. at the opening of the film we see Earle being released on a pardon. A friend, Big Mac (Donald MacBride) has worked hard behind the scenes to secure his release. But it's not just generosity, Big Mac wants Earle to go to California for a sure-thing heist. From the very beginning we see the complexities of the Earle character. Immediately upon his release he wants to "see if the grass is still green & if the trees are still growing."Earle meets up with an ex-cop, Jake Kranmer (Barton MacLane), who has the information, cash & car for Earle to get to California. Earle instantly dislikes & distrusts Kranmer & slaps him around. Here, we see the other side of the Earle character, the one who can be violent & vicious.On the journey across the country he happens to meet a family heading the same way & more than broke. Pa (Henry Travers) & Earle take an instant liking to one another, Pa even thinks he's one of the best men alive though he doesn't realize who Earle is. There's also Pa's wife, Ma (Elizabeth Risdon) & Pa's daughter by a previous marriage, Velma (Joan Leslie). The family is going to California because Pa's ex-wife & mother of Velma has invited them to live with her. Velma is a beautiful young lady but she has one problem: She has a club foot. Earle falls for her immediately though there's a big age difference. Once again, we see the good & caring side of the Earle character.When Earle arrives at his destination he finds the two men, Red (Arthur Kennedy) & Babe (Alan Curtis), at a cabin with a dime-a-dance woman with them, Marie (Ida Lupino). Earle doesn't want the woman there becuause he senses trouble. He tells Red to get rid of her. Later, Marie goes to Earle's cabin & convinces him to let her stay. Red & Babe are inexperienced, Red's in awe of him but Babe sees him as being over the hill. It's here at the dog, Pard, is introduced. He's a lovable & intelligent mutt that has taken up with other people previously. Algernon (Willie Best) informs Earle that Pard is bad luck, every person the mutt has stayed with has died. Now we have the harbinger of death. But Pard really takes a liking to Earle & it's mutual. We see the good side of Earle again; you can't be all bad if a lovable mutt takes a shine to you, can you?The heist has an inside man, Louis Mendoza (Cornel Wilde - in only his second movie), who works the counter at the rich resort Earle has been hired to rob. Once again, Earle suspects Mendoza as a snitch & sees him as being a weak link in the plan. Earle subtly threatens Mendoza with a story about another snitch who was killed with a machine gun which Earle has just produced in a musical case.Earle falls in love with Velma & feels that Velma should have an operation on her foot. He brings along Doc (Henry Hull) to examine her. Though Doc can't do the operation himself, he tells Earle it can be done & he knows the right doctor who can do it for $500! To complicate this Marie has fallen in love with Earle. When Earle confesses to Marie he'd like to marry her she rejects him but not without some regret. Earle rejects Marie, likewise, being honest with her about his feelings for Marie. After the heist Earle pays one more visit to the family & Velma because he had promised to see Velma after the operation. Velma is now happy & appears to be headed toward a life of partying. It appears that she's ungrateful & gets ugly with Earle.The heist goes terribly wrong; Earle shoots a night watchman, Red & Babe are killed during the escape but Mendoza survives the car crash That killed Red & Babe. Later, while in custody of the police, Mendoza fingers Earle as the escaped robber.The final scenes include an exciting car chase & Earle's demise at Mount Whitney.Bogart's interpretation of the Earle character is dynamic. He's able to play both sides of the character convincingly. Lupino is excellent as is Leslie. It's unfortunate that the movie didn't receive any Academy nominations though it did receive three nominations from the National Board of Review winning two; Bogart for best actor & Lupino for best actress, the other nomination was for best movie. The screenplay was by John Huston & W. R. Burnett, author of the novel. It was a rather faithful adaptation of the book which Huston had a reputation for. High Sierra was directed by the great Raoul Walsh, one of Hollywood's best.The disc has a bonus feature, "Roy Earle: The Story of High Sierra" that's a little less than fifteen minutes. In this feature we learn about the odds that Bogey had to overcome to secure the role of Roy Earle. The role was offered to every tough guy at Warner Bros., George Raft, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney & Paul Muni. Raft came the closest to gaining the role but balked at some points in the script. This event, & the later one where Raft turned down the role of Rick in Casablanca, led to Bogey becoming one of Hollywood's most loved & sought after actors. Thank you, George Raft!

High Sierra (1941) is considered by most to be Humphrey Bogart's first real, breakout role, playing a part that wasn't initially offered to him. Bogart, the fifth member of Warner Brothers famous 'Murderers Row', came into the role of Roy 'Mad Dog' Earle only after fellow 'Row' members Paul Muni and George Raft didn't accept the part, one disagreeing on the script and subsequent changes, and the other being talked out of taking the part by Bogart, respectively. Bogart, who hadn't quite reached the level of big name star by this point, as evident to second billing to costar Ida Lupino, wanted the role badly, as he knew the character of Earle was something he could really sink his teeth into, and showcase his talent to the world.As I said, Bogart plays Roy 'Mad Dog' Earle, a convicted bank robber serving a lengthy prison term, a life sentence, if I'm not mistaken, who has just been released. We soon find that Roy's early release isn't due to parole for good behavior, but strings pulled by his old boss, Big Mac (Donald MacBride). Seems Big Mac has a score in California that he wants Roy in on, so Roy leaves the Midwest to make the connection. Along the way, Roy has a chance meeting with Pa Goodhue (Henry Travers), a farmer who lost his farm, and is now traveling west with his wife and his clubfooted granddaughter Velma (Joan Leslie), who we will see again later. On reaching the Sierra mountains, Roy meets with the other members of the criminal enterprise Big Mac has arranged, two younger, hot-tempered men, Babe and Red, who have a have a female companion, Marie, played by Ida Lupino. Roy objects to having a woman around, as it's just an unnecessary complication. Marie manages to get Roy to change his mind, as she despises the thought of having to return to her previous career of dancing in a two-bit hall with men for a quarter a dance. Soon Roy learns of the score, and things seem easy enough, but even the simplest plans can go awry.Directed by actor/writer/director/producer Raoul Walsh, High Sierra is a rich, tense noir crime drama based on a novel by W.R. Burnett and adapted for the screen by Burnett and legendary director/actor/writer/producer John Huston. Bogart really adds depth to his character of Roy, presenting the duality of a seemingly cold-blooded killer who has a soft side. That certainly doesn't mean he's soft, especially when someone gets in the way of his plans. Presented is a character who knows his time is past, and is looking to make his way out, and having thoughts of a future that will never be...and then settling for less than he hoped for, not realizing that maybe that was even too much to hope for...the supporting cast was wonderful, but I found the sort of pseudo comic relief of the character Algernon, a black worker at the fishing camp Roy and his small gang hole up before the score, played by Willie Best, a bit awkward. At the time, it was probably more acceptable, but the stereotyping may chaff contemporary audiences. A minor point, but one I hope wouldn't sour potential viewers from seeking out this film. I just try to understand it for what it was and is, a form of ignorance that has, hopefully, long since past. Best to acknowledge it happened and move on. What I found really interesting was how the noir concept was flawlessly transplanted from dark city streets to the majestic Sierra mountains on the Neveda /California border. Another thing I really loved was the snappy exchanges and use of gangster colloquialisms. The dialogue zings along, just adding a real element of fun to the movie, despite the drama nature of the material.The picture quality here is beautiful, and the audio sounds wonderful. I was also pleased to see an excellent featurette called "Curtains for Roy Earle", which talks about how Bogart got the role in the movie, his minor skirmish with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and the film in general. Also included is a theatrical trailer for the film. If you're a fan of Humphrey Bogart, High Sierra is a must see film. If you like good movies in general, you won't be disappointed here. While the role of Roy `Mad Dog' Earle may not be the one most remember Bogart for, it certainly confirmed his status as an actor in every sense of the word, and served well to showcase his talent and made him a star. Another film soon to follow, The Maltese Falcon (1941) took the star and made him a legend.Cookieman108

High Sierra is not just a hard bitten gangster movie, (although that theme runs throughout the film) it also tells the poignant story of a man hankering after his younger, easier days before he fell into a life of crime, after a chance meeting with a family he feels an affinity with. The man (Humphrey Bogart) is sprung from prison to oversee one last job that'll make everyone rich, but time has marched on and Roy "mad dog" Earle is of another age! The granddaughter of the family, who he has an impossible crush on rejects him, the three gang members he has to team up with just aren't good enough and the job goes horribly wrong, a guard is killed and from then on he's on the run. Ida Lupino (Marie) is terrific as the archetypal gangster's moll who sticks with Earle through thick and thin after he protects her from her thuggish boy friend, although Earle doesn't seem to realise how lucky he is to have her! The movie also benefits from some good comedy moments from Willie Best and a stray dog("oh! no he aint my dawg") There are early screen appearances for Arthur Kennedy and Cornel Wilde(his first) and good support from Joan Leslie and Barton Maclane The film ends with Earle making his escape into the High Sierra mountains with the ever faithful Marie looking on. Great film!

This is a favourite Bogart film of mine. Finally got a copy and not disappointed. Delivery was ahead of time and a nice note from my package handle Neil. So thanks to all concerned and I'm well pleased. A+++

Like Bogie films and really enjoyed this one, good story line, well acted. Just the thing for a wet sunday.

One of my favourite films. Classic Bogart and good supporting cast, including Ida Lupino and a dog. Good photography.

Great classic movie. English audio plays fine with no problem. A must see for Bogart fans. Item arrived very quickly. No problems.