Frank McCloud (Humprey Bogart) is on a bus to the Florida Keys. The bus is stopped by the police, who announce they are looking for a pair of Seminole Indians who escaped from jail. Frank gets off the bus at Hotel Largo and asks for Mr. Temple. The men who are there prove to be particularly unwelcoming and announce that the hotel is closed for the season. Frank persists and is finally told that Mr. Temple is out on the pier. Turns out that Frank was a Major in WWII and the commanding officer of George Temple. James Temple (Lionel Barrymore) is George's father and Nora (Lauren Bacall) is his widow. Frank tells stories about George during the Italian campaign where he died. Then warnings of a hurricane arise. The unwelcoming guests prove to be mobsters, led by the notorious Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson). They had come in from Cuba by boat in order to do a deal with another mobster who was to come down from Miami; the hurricane has complicated matters. Tension is high and emotions flare as the police are still looking for the escapees.
The story is great, the characters are well-developed and are giving opportunities to shine. Rocco's goons are each unique and are all given lines. These aren't nameless thugs like the men who surround a James Bond villain. Robinson is in top form as the exiled mob boss. He's a killer but he's also not stupid. He plays his hand well, but fails to account for Frank McCloud. Bogart gives a strong performance as a conflicted man. Sure, Rocco's a bad man but this isn't his fight. He had his fill in Italy. Some view him as a coward for his reticence to fight Rocco. The standout is clearly Claire Trevor, who won an Oscar for her role as Gaye Dawn, Rocco's girlfriend. With Rocco having been in Cuba for some time, their reunion is not what she had hoped.
This is the last of the Bogie & Bacall movies and a definite must see for any fan. Great popcorn fun and highly recommended.
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