
Frank McCloud travels to a run-down hotel on Key Largo to honor the memory of a friend who died bravely in his unit during WW II. His friend's widow, Nora Temple, and wheelchair bound father, James Temple manage the hotel and receive him warmly, but the three of them soon find themselves virtual prisoners when the hotel is taken over by a mob of gangsters led by Johnny Rocco who hole up there to await the passing of a hurricane. Mr. Temple strongly reviles Rocco but due to hi... (Full plot summary below)
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Frank McCloud travels to a run-down hotel on Key Largo to honor the memory of a friend who died bravely in his unit during WW II. His friend's widow, Nora Temple, and wheelchair bound father, James Temple manage the hotel and receive him warmly, but the three of them soon find themselves virtual prisoners when the hotel is taken over by a mob of gangsters led by Johnny Rocco who hole up there to await the passing of a hurricane. Mr. Temple strongly reviles Rocco but due to his infirmities can only confront him verbally. Having become disillusioned by the violence of war, Frank is reluctant to act, but Rocco's demeaning treatment of his alcoholic moll, Gaye Dawn, and his complicity in the deaths of the Osceola Brothers and a deputy sheriff start to motivate McCloud to overcome his Hamlet-like inaction.
Leave your thoughts about Key Largo.
| VarietyVariety StaffEmphasis is on tension in the telling, and effective use of melodramatic mood has been used to point up the suspense. |
| Cinema SightWesley LovellTrapped in a country estate by an impending storm, a mobster attempts to lay low before escaping from the police, but takes a risky gambit holding Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall hostage. |
| EmanuelLevy.ComEmanuel LevyClaire Trevor won a Supporting Oscar for playing the alcoholic mistress of Edward G. Robinson's gangster in John Huston's taut crimer starring Bogart. |
| Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)Ken HankeTaut Huston thriller with an unbeatable cast. |
| The Retro SetNathanael HoodIt's pure irony that perhaps the objective best Bogart and Bacall film has their least satisfying onscreen relationship. |
| Matt's Movie ReviewsMatthew PejkovicEdward G. Robinson steals the movie with his permanent grimace, heavy walk and intimidating presence. |
| Creative LoafingMatt BrunsonThis is surprisingly staid for a Huston film. Still, the top-notch cast punches it across, and the swirling storm raging outside the hotel provides an interesting backdrop. |
| LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenFirst seen soaking in a tub while chomping on a cigar, Robinson arises from the water to put a stranglehold on the film. |
| Chicago ReaderDave KehrA little windy and rhetorical for my taste, but still one of John Huston's best efforts. |
| Decent Films GuideSteven D. GreydanusLike the similarly sweaty, claustrophobic 12 Angry Men, Key Largo is a rare adaptation of a stage play in which the physical constraints of the stagebound source material are a strength rather than a weakness. |