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Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good movie but grossly overrated

Absolutely Brilliant!

The Petrified Forest, the 1936 film by Archie Mayo, was my introduction to Humphrey Bogart. Little did I know the impact that lone viewing decision would have on my life. As soon as I saw the haggard, sullen figure largely in the background of this film, I was hooked. I had to see as many Humphrey Bogart films as I could. The Petrified Forest, starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis reprising the roles they played so masterfully on stage remains one of my favorite Bogart movies. Displaying proficiency in the roles of a waitress with big ideas, a vagabond who refuses to conform, and a feared robber, The Petrified Forest remains a brilliant character study and a wonderful introduction to a more subdued role of perhaps the greatest actor of all time, Humphrey Bogart. Gabrielle Maple (Bette Davis) is a young woman who has long ago grown out of the small town in which she lives. Working as a waitress in her father's small-town diner, Gabby dreams of a life away from where she was born. Gabby loves to read and dreams of traveling and exploring the world, she is desperate to live with her mother who has left for France. Alan Squier (Leslie Howard), is a vagabond who has lost any will to live and mindlessly travels from place to place with no money or belongings to his name. Gabby is smitten by his disregard for social convention and wishes she shared his ability to drop everything and travel. The more they get to know each other, however, Gabby begins to realize that Alan is actually governed by a disregard for life, and has lost all will to live, rather than a desire to see the world. Duke Mantee (Humphrey Bogart) is a known killer and leader of a gang of outlaws who have taken over the Maple family diner as he waits for his girlfriend who has planned to meet him there. Watching the lives of the vastly different personalities intertwine, makes The Petrified Forest a fun film to watch as a great character study of three classic greats.Humphrey Bogart plays a tired, haggard criminal who seems to long for a break from his criminal ways. He doesn't seem to want to be anything to anyone, which is why he takes the quiet background approach to the diner takeover. Plotting their next move and being oddly praised by their most senior hostage, Duke is consistently pulled in one direction or another, and it seems as he sits back and takes in his situation he is in dire need of a break. The Humphrey Bogart Eyes moment I honed in on during The Petrified Forest was the look of quiet, calculating desperation Bogart used through nearly the entire film. Quite a different role than the ones he is most known for, there are still plenty of classic Bogart moments to enjoy making The Petrified Forest one of my favorite Humphrey Bogart roles.

This is one of Bogart's first roles and boy does he steal the film. He has a presence that dominates the film. His "Duke" character is gangster at gangster's best. The problem with this film is the irritating performance of Leslie Howard. His character is so repulsive and obnoxious. Not an ounce of reality or common sense to the character. I just kept saying, come on Duke, kill him already. Come to think of it, there were a a few unbelievable and irritating characters in this film that just made overall enjoyment of this film impossible. This is the classic example of a play trying to make the transition to the big screen and failing quite uncomfortably. However, the film reveals the early brilliance of the legend that is Humphrey Bogart.

I'm not sure about others, but I cannot watch The Petrified Forest and not compare it with Key Largo. Beyond the obvious (Humphrey Bogart), there are several plot similarities. And while I enjoy Key Largo more overall, there are a couple of areas where I think The Petrified Forest does a better job:1. I much prefer Bogart's Duke Mantee to Edward G. Robinson's Johnny Rocco. Both may be real "baddies", but Mantee is a much darker, more effective character. His entrance is fantastic and he comes across as the cold-blooded killer he is. In contrast, I don't find Rocco quite as threatening. Sure, he's a killer, but he has some comedic touches (whether intentional or not) that take away from the character's menace. The Petrified Forest may not be a Bogart movie, but there's no doubting how effective he is.2. Bette Davis is just so good in The Petrified Forest that Laureen Bacall pales in comparison. Davis' wide-eyed, full-of-dreams innocence is perfect. I like Bacall in Key Largo, but she's not in the same league as Davis' Gabrielle Maple.I'm sure other IMDb users will write about deep, philosophical ideas behind the film's desolate setting and heart-breaking ending, but I'm pretty simple. I watch movies to be entertained. And The Petrified Forest never fails to provide entertainment. An 8/10 from me.

An incredibly intriguing character-driven drama.The Petrified Forest tells the story of three disparate characters, whose lives cross paths for a brief time at a diner in the middle of the Arizona desert: a wandering philosopher, of sorts (played by Leslie Howard), a waitress (played by Bette Davis) and a gangster (played by Humphrey Bogart). There are other characters, of varying importance, but these three are a microcosm of society: the jaded pessimist, the idealist and the pragmatist, respectively.The interactions between these three are incredibly interesting, and symbolic. There is also a fair amount of action and intrigue: what will happen to all of them?Very thought-provoking.On the negative side, Leslie Howard's jaded philosopher can get overly pretentious, to the point of annoyance. He skirts the line between profundity and pretentiousness throughout the movie. His lines also make you think you're watching a play, rather than a movie.Bette Davis is delightful as the waitress: the wide-eyed zeal of her character is apparent throughout. An early-career role for Bogart - at the time he wasn't the big star he would later become - but already he shows all the traits we would know and love. Solid, swaggering, menacing performance by him.