Remember these lyrics?
“We had it all
Just like Bogie and Bacall
Starring in our old late, late show
Sailing away to Key Largo”
On the movie set of To Have or Have Not the real-life romance between Humphrey Bogart and his then 19 year-old leading lady, Lauren Bacall sizzled. Howard Hawks, the director, had chosen Bacall (a former model) to be his next “star” and was not thrilled about these developments because he had designs on her himself. So he had to an affair with Dolores Moran, the supporting actress instead. (That’s showbiz!)
The best reason to see To Have or Have Not is the onscreen chemistry between Bogart and Bacall. It is palatable and exciting to watch the leads fall in love with each other. Lauren Bacall also has the best lines in the film; she calls Morgan “Steve” and he calls her “Slim” (These were the real-life pet names that Hawks and his wife has for each other.) And who can forget the famous line uttered by Bacall in the best sultry siren voice: “You do know how to whistle, don’t you Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.”
Hoagy Carmichael, called “Cricket” plays smoldering moody and spooky piano numbers. He and “Slim” do a smoky rendition of “Am I Blue?” Delightful!
To Have to Have Not is very loosely based on the Hemingway novel. According to legend, Hawks bragged to Hemingway on a boating trip that he could make a movie out of Hemingway’s worst novel. When Hemingway asked him which one he meant, Hawks replied, “That bunch of junk, To Have or Have Not.” Thus, a film adaptation was born.
Hawks was attracted to the novel because he liked the protagonist of the book, Harry Morgan. To adapt it to the big screen, substantial changes were made to Morgan’s character, the setting and many plot threads of the book. In the book, the Harry Morgan is a fishing boat captain running black market activities between Key West and Cuban due to the poor economy. It was meant to be social commentary on the Great Depression. However, in the switch to the big screen, the setting is changed to Martinique, and the villains are the Vichy (Axis) regime, not the United States government.
Harry Morgan is turned into a compassionate hero who helps a pair of French resistant fighters escape the treacherous Vichy local police. He rescues his friend, Eddie, the rummy being denied liquor to get him to talk. Jules Furthman and William Faulkner are the screenwriters who turn the book into a cheap version Casablanca.
But the enduring reason to watch To Have or Have Not are Bogey and Bacall because they had it all…
