Wed 17 Sep 2025
DARK PASSAGE. Warner Bros., 1947. Humphrey Bogar, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead, Tom D’Andrea. Screenplay by Delmer Daves, based on a novel by David Goodis. Director: Delmer Daves.
A girl with money unaccountably helps a convict escape San Quentin, then gives him shelter while he is recovering from plastic surgery. Although he was convicted of killing his wife, she is convinced he got a raw deal.
What a team Bogart and Bacall made! When she looks at him in that special way she had, the screen nearly melts. The story here doesn’t match the magnitude of the stars, but it’s no slouch, especially when Bogart’s *evidence* goes tumbling out the window.
— Reprinted from Movie.File.1, March 1988.
September 18th, 2025 at 5:57 am
The film that gave David Goodis a fleeting sip of Fame, and cemented Bogie & Bacall’s status as a screen team.
September 18th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Hardly cemented Bogie and Bacall’s status, which had been done from the first, and Bogart is almost in support in this thing.
September 18th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
I love Bruce Bennett’s solid supporting role here, which always reminded me of his excellent turn in Mildred Pierce.
September 18th, 2025 at 5:37 pm
Great support from Moorehead, Bennett, and Tom DeAndrea. Love the opening sequence of this one.
September 18th, 2025 at 11:09 pm
Noteworthy because the early part uses the camera to “see” events through Bogart’s eyes. In The Lady in the Lake (also released in 1947 – which came first?) Robert Montgomery uses the same technique all the way through, which becomes irritating, but Delmer Daves doesn’t overuse it here – well, what’s the good of having Bogart as star if you only get glimpses in mirrors?
September 19th, 2025 at 7:39 am
I love Marlowe but loathe Montgomery, which for me was the fatal flaw in Lady, sadly the only adaptation to date of one of my favorite Chandler novels; surprised it’s never been remade with, in my opinion, so much room for improvement. You’d think not having to look at director/star Montgomery’s puss for 95% of the picture would help, but like you, I found the device annoying and pretentious. Thought it worked far better in the context of Passage.