High Sierra (1941)

I can really sympathize with the guy.

Humphrey Bogart's career as an actor with Warner Bros. studios wasn't all peaches and cream. He struggled with delayed stardom and languished at 3rd and 4th billing parts. Bogart got stuck many roles that were beneath him. It wasn't Bogie's fault. It wasn't really Warner Bros. either. They didn't know what it was they had with him or how to capitalize it. He did so well in The Petrified Forest (1936) as Duke Mantee that they just kept giving him similar parts in films for the next few years. Why mess with a sure thing, right? Besides, they had a lot of big stars like Paul Muni, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and George Raft who all had big money contracts and Warner Bros. had to use their talents in order to make those contracts worth their money.

Along comes W.R. Burnett's novel High Sierra, with Warner Bros. salivating over it wanting to make it a big picture. At first they wanted Paul Muni, but Muni didn't agree with John Huston's script and flat out said no. Then Warner Bros. considered George Raft but as my friend Paul from Art, Movies, Wood and Whatnot... says Raft didn't made several bad career choices that allowed others to thrive. Bogie read the novel, loved it, wanted the part of Roy "Mad Dog Earle" and sent this telegram:

Bogie saw an opportunity and seized the moment. This telegram reminds me very much of the e-mail I sent inquiring about a new position that I later applied for and acquired. Bogie was fed up and wanted to do something with his career. He sent the telegram, got the role (not sure exactly what happened in between) and slapped on some skunk stripes and off he was to the Sierra Nevadas. Even upstaging, first-billed Ida Lupino couldn't steal Bogie's thunder. High Sierra was his time to shine.

Invisible Stripes (1939) Screen Caps

This movie just lent itself to screen caps. I had several "WTF", "OMG" and "FTW" moments while watching the film and there were just way too many choice images I wanted to capture. And here they are! Enjoy.

Naked. I fully expect to get traffic from "George Raft Naked" and "Humphrey Bogart Naked" Google searches after this.

I beg your pardon, but aren't you Humphrey Bogart? 

Baby-faced William Holden and his pinch-able cheeks!

And the angels sing on high

You'll never see a bunch of teenagers fight this hard over going to work.

Eh. East Side Kid. No. Dead End Kid. No I got it! Bowery Boy! 

Hey Nancy, get your trusty wrench and hit this criminal over here on the head.

Just curious as to why Bogie got hit in the leg if the bullets were clearly aiming for his head.

Here's looking at you... tramp.

Invisible Stripes (1939)

The stripes are invisible because even though they are no longer in jail, they will never be free.

Invisible Stripes (1939) watches a lot like another Bogie movie that came out that same year: Roaring Twenties (1939). Instead of James Cagney and Bogie coming home from World War I you have George Raft and Bogie coming out of jail. The plight they face when they come home is the same. Any opportunities that were available before the left are not there when they come back. Bogie, in both roles, knows that going/staying bad is the only way to get by whereas both Cagney and Raft make a valiant effort at going straight. George Raft plays Cliff who tries everything he can to get a decent job but finds nothing but opposition. No one wants to have an ex-con from Sing Sing on staff. His little brother Tim (William Holden - wait, what? William Holden? OMG! That was him? I didn't even recognize him. He's so young. Why didn't anyone tell me...) wants to marry his longtime girlfriend Peggy (Jane Bryan) but he can't make ends meet enough to be able support a wife and a family. Tim is very tempted by the criminal life that people like Chuck (Bogie) lead; taking what they want, when they want and making no excuses. Cliff will do everything possible to give his little brother and his mother (Flora Robson) a good life, even if it means sacrificing a life for himself. Bogie is as well represented here as he was in Roaring Twenties. He's in a supporting role, has fourth billing but his part is significant enough that although another actor carries the movie you still get the Bogie experience.