Petrified Forest

‘Petrified Forest’ kicked up careers of Bogart, Davis

BETTE DAVIS, Leslie Howard (center) and Humphrey Bogart in “Petrified Forest.”

“The Petrified Forest” started as a stage play and became a celebrated film in 1936.
Imagine, this film stars Leslie Howard three years before “Gone With the Wind.”
Bette David is a young, upcoming actress.
Humphrey Bogart had bit parts and appeared in unimportant pictures before this. Howard insisted on Bogart appearing in this make-it-or-break-it picture.
Without this film, Bogart may have given up on a motion picture career. So indebted, Bogart named his daughter Leslie after Howard.
Davis plays Gabrielle Maple, who works in her father’s restaurant and gasoline station out in the desert. She sort of flirts with an employee and ex-college football player, played by Eddie Acuff.
She was born in Paris but left after only a few days. Still, she enjoys poetry and dreams of returning to France. She’s not your typical country girl.
Howard is Alan Squier, a depressed hitch-hiker and author who indeed spent time in France. He’s making his way to the Pacific coast.
Squier enjoys a meal with Davis. She charges only 30 cents for the food, but he can’t even pay that. She feels sorry for him and gives $1 “change.” She even arranges a ride with a rich family.
Unfortunately, out on the road the family meets up with cold-blooded Duke Mantee (Bogart) and his gang of killers.
They end up hold up back at the restaurant where the film turns, well, a bit too conversational.
This is where it gives away its stage-play origins. The earlier scene between Davis and Howard seems to go on forever, a sort of precursor to “My Dinner with Andre.”
A highlight is character actor Charley Grapewin, who plays an old man who Billy the Kid allowed to live and who met Mark Twain.
It’s easy to see why this is a breakout film for Bogart, with his pompadour haircut and grizzled, unshaven look. He’s a mean hombre with no scruples, ready to blast away at any moment.
One victim offers to pay for his freedom, to the tune of $200. Duke takes the money, but keeps him in captivity. He’s not such a bad guy though. Duke lets him keep his loose pocket change.
Two African-Americans play minor but interesting parts. One is a liberated gang member who looks down on the black servant of the rich family.
So depressed is the Howard character he signs over his life insurance policy to Davis’ character. He then asks Duke to kill him, since Duke has already killed, another victim won’t make a difference.
Gabrielle’s father is part of a cartoonish militia that meets regularly. The group is a holdover from the Great War but is fumbles its way until captured by Duke’s gang.
There’s a pretty good shootout with the cops at the end.
The whole tone of the film and the ideas exchanged seem far more contemporary than the Great Depression, when the film was made.
It also spotlights a diverse group of great actors early in their careers.
If you get the DVD, it includes an MGM night at the movies, with newsreel, short subject musical and a cartoon.
A little too talky, it is still worth watching 74 years later.

THE PETRIFIED FOREST • Directed by Archie Mayo • Written by Charles Kenyon and Delmer Davies • Runtime: 82 minutes • Not rated by violent shootout may be too intense for youngsters • 3 starts out of 4