The Petrified Forest (1936)

"The trouble with me, Gabrielle, is I, I belong to a vanishing race. I'm one of the intellectuals.", 12 November 2015

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.

8/10