Welcome back. No, I can’t say that the world is all better now. Not even close. But we’d still like to offer you something to listen to, and this is what we have to offer. This is how we approach the world, this is what we have to share, this is something we love. So we’re putting it out there for you.
We’re starting a new, short series this week: “A Few of Our Favorite Things,” where each week we take it turn to suggest, watch, and chat about one of the movies that we just never get tired of watching. Comfort is a little scarce these days, and these are movies that offer us comfort; they remind us of the remarkable things people are capable of creating. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I could use a little reminding these days. So this week, my choice is 1942’s Humphrey Bogart/Ingrid Bergman classic: “Casablanca.” I can’t really say that this is my favorite movie of all time, because I don’t really believe in having a single favorite movie. But if I had to pick a movie that checks all the boxes for me, this is it.
Come and listen. Also, below we’re including links to organizations that could use your help in these difficult days. Listing links may not be much, but it’s something we can do with this site, so we’re doing it.
George Floyd Memorial Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/
Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019
Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/
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Fabulous episode (asphalt PopTarts notwithstanding)! I respectfully disagree about Bogart’s acting talents. He came off as very Bogart in everything he did, yes, but unlike other actors (Gary Cooper, Kevin Costner) “Bogart” had a wide range. The scene you mention in Casablanca; NO ONE could have shown that pain the way he did. He carries it to a very different place in Maltese Falcon: when Mary Astor slaps him, his reaction is priceless. When he first sees Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not (one of my very favorites) you can feel the electricity between them. By the way, he was 45 at that point; she was 19. They were married until he died – and she never stopped missing him. Love blooms where it may. And in Key Largo he had to play a not tough guy, and he crushed it. So there.
I do have to say that I think we judge Bogey too quickly; he does show range, especially in the movies you mention, as well as “Treasure of Sierra Madre” and “The Caine Mutiny”, where he shows a disturbing level of psychotic intensity, and even in “Sabrina,” where he does pretty well at romantic comedy. Thanks for the kind words!
I think that Bogey mostly plays the tough guy, just in relative levels of toughness. In some, like Madre, he’s tougher and in others, like “Sabrina,” he’s less so, but I feel it even below the surface. This isn’t to put him on the level of, say, Kevin Costner but I doubt, for example, he could play a convincing Agadore Spartacus. So I still think he didn’t have a wide range, but what he did, he did very, very well. Not having a huge range isn’t necessarily a bad thing if one is good at it. That’s why I mention Harrison Ford; he does what he does very well and we like him. Perhaps I was a little harsh: I love Bogie. And I wouldn’t have anyone else in this role. Not even Bea Arthur. 😀
I would have loved to have seen him play Malvolio in Twelfth Night (if you don’t know the role, look it up). Bet he would have crushed it!