tonyvmonte-54973

Just watched this extra of the DVD of Dark Passage. It discusses the making of the film using a new kind of camera for the point-of-view shots for the first hour, the history of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's courtship, the various supporting parts, studio head Jack Warner's not liking the fact that Bogie's face wouldn't be seen during that first hour, and the aftermath of Bogart's going to Washington to protest the Communist scare in Hollywood among other topics. I especially liked Leonard Maltin's takes on some parts of the documentary. So that's a recommendation of this short extra on the Dark Passage DVD.

This was the second film after Lady in the Lake, I've seen, that presents several point-of-view shots though this time, it's only for about 45 minutes since the reason is that the character Humphrey Bogart portrays is supposed to have a different face before his plastic surgery (as shown in some scenes with a newspaper). He plays someone escaping from San Quentin wanting to find the real killer of his wife after successfully being convicted. Lauren Bacall, in her third time teaming with her by-then husband, is the one who believes him and does what she can to hide him. Of the supporting players, I was most intrigued by Agnes Moorehead, who I mainly knew as Endora in "Bewitched", as a suspicious friend of Bacall who has a past with Bogie. While I highly enjoyed this one, I had to rewind several scenes to understand the dialogue when the plot gets to the complicated parts. But that's a high recommendation of Dark Passage.

This is one of two films using multiple point-of-view shots I'll be reviewing here. Except for when he talks to the camera and when looking at a mirror, we don't see the face of Robert Montgomery's Phillip Marlowe. He's the private detective who also is a writer who gets involved in a case involving the publishing company he sent his manuscript to. All I'll now say is this was quite interesting and a little entertaining especially when bad things happen. So that's a recommendation of Lady in the Lake.