Angels with Dirty Faces, 1938

Directed by Michael Curtiz
Written by John Wexley and Warren Duff
Starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, the Bowery Boys

This is a good (not great) gangster movie. I'm told it's a kind of response to The Public Enemy, which is evident from its moral/social pointedness and Pat O'Brien's tough and completely morally upright priest. That being said, it's a good story, and there are lots of good performances (and interesting to see Humphrey Bogart's supporting role as not what you think of from Casablanca or the detective movies). Cagney's a pleasure, of course. And, even if the ending comes off as a little contrived, it's still pretty interesting.

Angels with Dirty Faces at IMDB.

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Across the Pacific, 1942

Directed by John Huston
Written by Richard Macaulay
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet

Second-tier thriller/adventure fare with Bogie, Greenstreet, and Mary Astor all providing reasonable but not stunning performances. It was obviously sold as a kind of Maltese Falcon reunion (with both the cast and with Huston directing), but it's not nearly as good. Still, it's not a bad ride. 

Across the Pacific at IMDB.

Casablanca, 1943

Directed by Michael Curtiz
Written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

As if you needed any encouragement to see this, perhaps the best Hollywood movie ever...

Bogart is in peak form. Ingrid Bergman is wonderful. Claude Rains hits all the right notes. Paul Henreid does understated but excellent work. And Conrad Veidt is the perfect bad guy. (And, of course, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet are awesome, but that's like praising Curt Schilling's pitching.)

It looks great. Dooley Wilson's music sounds great. The story is compelling.

If you haven't seen it in a while, it's just as good as in your memory -- if not better. (Extra fun fact: Bergman and Bogart are people numbers 6 and 7 at IMDB, so somebody else obviously likes this movie.)

One of the few non-comedy members of the pantheon.

Casablanca at IMDB.

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Places to hear from me:
Food - josh lubarr food stuff
Geekiness - geekiness(josh lubarr)
Movies - Old Movies and New with Josh Lubarr
Places in the real world - Good Things around Boston (according to Josh Lubarr)
Politics - Progressive Politics (per Josh Lubarr)
Silliness and comedy - Le Repository du Silliness, avec Josh Lubarr

The Maltese Falcon, 1941

Directed by John Huston
Written by John Huston from the Dashell Hammett novel
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet

This a classic Bogart detective movie and there's a reason for it. He's great as the protagonist who's no hero; Lorre and Greenstreet are as satisfying as ever; Mary Astor does good work; and all the other players perform admirably. There are double-crosses, mickey finns, a femme fatale -- and everything else you'd want or expect. It's a real pleasure.

The Maltese Falcon at IMDB.