What It's About:

One of the brink of a huge storm, WWII vet Frank McCloud (Bogart) visits a disheveled hotel in the titular island town to pay his respects to Nora (Bacall), the widow of a deceased war buddy. Run by Nora's father James (Barrymore), the hotel is playing host to some pretty seedy urban types, and Frank soon discovers why: infamous mobster Johnny Rocco (Robinson) and his men have slinked back into the country and temporarily seized control of the establishment.

Why I Love It:

Based on Maxwell Anderson's play, Huston's "Key Largo" is a classic 1940s noir featuring taut direction and indelible performances from Bogart and Robinson as the menacing Rocco. In a cast that also boasts Bacall, Oscar-winner Claire Trevor as Rocco's drunken mistress, and Lionel Barrymore as the cantankerous hotelier, it's Rocco's sadistic, savage power that occupies center stage. Bogie is comfortably in star mode as the taciturn good guy who comes through in the clinch. Don't miss that ending on board a boat called the “Santana” (the name of Bogart’s own yacht and production company).