A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Big Sleep (1946) -- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[RickardL]

Going by IMDB, these are the top 20 Bogart: (* = don't own on physical media)
1. Casablanca (1942) 8.5
2. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) 8.2
3. The Maltese Falcon (1941) 8
4. The Big Sleep (1946) 7.9
5. In a Lonely Place (1950) 7.9
*6. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) 7.9
*7. The Roaring Twenties (1939) 7.9
8. To Have and Have Not (1944) 7.8
9. The African Queen (1951) 7.7
10. Key Largo (1948) 7.7
11. The Caine Mutiny (1954) 7.7
12. Sabrina (1954) 7.6
13. Dark Passage (1947) 7.5
*14. The Petrified Forest (1936) 7.5
*15. The Harder They Fall (1956) 7.5
*16. Dark Victory (1939) 7.5
17. High Sierra (1941) 7.5
*18. The Desperate Hours (1955) 7.5
*19. Sahara (I) (1943) 7.5
*20. We're No Angels (1955) 7.4

I noticed that of the 13 Bogart movies I got on blu-ray, I also have Beat the Devil (1953) by John Huston but it came in at #54 with 6.4...

 

[David_B_K]

Thanks guys for the Bogart recommendations! I’ll let you know which I decide to see.

Late last year my wife and I did a mini Bogart festival like you did. After watching Casablanca and being blown away again by Bogie's coolness, we felt compelled to watch a few more Bogart films. We watched all the ones you did, but also a couple of others. One was Across the Pacific, a lightweight wartime spy caper that reunites Bogart with Mary Astor and Sidney Greenstreet. Also, Sahara, a gripping WW2 adventure with a great cast, including an Oscar nominated J Carrol Naish. I believe these two are only on DVD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

All Through the Night, an underrated Bogart film.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I'm not really a fan of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, my top 5:
Casablanca
The Maltese Falcon
The Big Sleep (hope this is next for 4k)
In a Lonely Place
The Caine Mutiny

Across the Pacific should be on blu ray by now.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Late last year my wife and I did a mini Bogart festival like you did. After watching Casablanca and being blown away again by Bogie's coolness, we felt compelled to watch a few more Bogart films. We watched all the ones you did, but also a couple of others. One was Across the Pacific, a lightweight wartime spy caper that reunites Bogart with Mary Astor and Sidney Greenstreet. Also, Sahara, a gripping WW2 adventure with a great cast, including an Oscar nominated J Carrol Naish. I believe these two are only on DVD.

Sahara is a personal favorite of mine.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks guys for the additional titles and that top 20 chart Rickard. Robert, since you are advocating Sahara, I looked that up. Interesting to read the wiki on it, it wasn’t originally a Bogart project. Another actor was to play the lead, but Bogart took the role. The other actor was going to do another film, but Cary Grant took that role over in the film called Once Upon a Time. I thought I knew all the Cary Grant titles. But not that one! So, I’ll have to see if that one was in Josh Steinberg’s Cary Grant viewing all his films thread.

I guess I might be adding a few more Bogart films!

 

[Walter Kittel]

Sahara is an excellent film, combining WWII action with survival elements. The film uses deserts in the American SW to good effect and the environment is almost another character in the film. I particularly enjoyed the plot element of the ragtag group of soldiers that become assembled; which works as a metaphor for the solidarity between the Allied nations during WWII. I think I first heard of this film around the time the DVD was initially released. Probably from Robert Crawford. I would love to see it get a proper BD release.

On the larger topic of Bogart and favorite performances, I would probably have to go with either The African Queen or In A Lonely Place. (Admittedly two very dissimilar roles.)

- Walter.

 

[Will Krupp]

The other actor was going to do another film, but Cary Grant took that role over in the film called Once Upon a Time. I thought I knew all the Cary Grant titles. But not that one!

I think you must mean Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942)?

EDIT: Nope! You, indeed, meant Once Upon a Time (1944) (just like you said!! lol)
I hadn't heard of it either! (sorry)

 

[Nelson Au]

Hi Will, yeah, Once Upon A Time is not a title I ever heard of. If I read it right, there is a Looney Tunes short based on it. The short is about a man who discovers a frog that sings and dances and he realizes it’s a gold mine. I’ve got that Cary Grant title in my cart too! I’m curious about that now.

Guys, regarding Sahara, I see two versions on Amazon. There is a Columbia Classic DVD and a French import that is a blu ray/DVD combo. Says it’s region A, B, etc. I thought I’d mention the French blu ray in case anyone has heard of it. It looks like it might be a legit release for France, but I’ll have to learn more. I’m leaning to getting the Columbia Classics DVD as it’s legit.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Guys, regarding Sahara, I see two versions on Amazon. There is a Columbia Classic DVD and a French import that is a blu ray/DVD combo. Says it’s region A, B, etc. I thought I’d mention the French blu ray in case anyone has heard of it. It looks like it might be a legit release for France, but I’ll have to learn more. I’m leaning to getting the Columbia Classics DVD as it’s legit.

I think many of us have the 2001 DVD. I have it, but I also have the HD digital that I purchased from iTunes for $4.99 back in 2018. However, the pricing hasn't dropped since then as it's $12.99 now and over at Vudu it's $13.99. Back in the day, around 2013-2014, Sahara was one of the first HD digitals I purchased from Amazon. For some reason, it wouldn't port over to iTunes, when MoviesAnywhere started up. When the iTunes price dropped on iTunes in 2018, I didn't hesitate to purchase it again as it's one of my favorite "War" and Bogart films. I prefer watching my digitals on either iTunes or MA. Matter of fact, all of this talk about it has me thinking about watching it again this week.

If I was you, I would buy the 2001 DVD to see it you like the movie. I have no info on the French Blu-ray so I can't help you there.

 

[David Weicker]

I think you must mean Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942)?

EDIT: Nope! You, indeed, meant Once Upon a Time (1944) (just like you said!! lol)
I hadn't heard of it either! (sorry)

Once Upon A Time is a charming film - sort of a live action version of One Froggy Evening

 

[Nelson Au]

Hi Robert, I’m in agreement that I’ll pick up the DVD first and see how I like the film. Thanks! And I’m not surprised theres no familiarity with the French blu ray.

David, thanks for your thoughts on Once Upon A Time.

 

[bujaki]

FWIW, Across the Pacific was originally released in sepia-toned prints. I know. I saw one such nitrate print at MoMA during the Warners retro in 1973. It was beautiful. Now as to why this film rated a sepia tone, beats me!

 

[PatrickDA]

Action in the North Atlantic (1943) is underrated.

 

[Nelson Au]

Guys, a few titles arrived today. The titles include: Sahara, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, High Sierra and In a Lonely Place. Across the Pacific should arrive tomorrow. This should keep me busy until I need to add more of the titles you guys have suggested.

Based on the feedback, I’m thinking of viewing Key Largo next.

 

[KPmusmag]

Key Largo is one of my favorites. Excellent drama, and the set design et al is beautifully done.

 

[Nelson Au]

I look forward to seeing it Kevin. . Based on what I know of the plot, there was a Magnum PI episode that draws from this film heavily.