Key Largo

Released Jul 16, 1948

1h 41m

Crime

Drama

List

97%

37 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

This classic film noir by John Huston stars Humphrey Bogart as World War II vet Frank McCloud. Visiting Key Largo to pay his respects to the family of his late war buddy, McCloud attempts to comfort his comrade's widow, Nora (Lauren Bacall), and father, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore), who operate a hotel. But McCloud realizes that mobsters, led by the infamous Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson), are staying in the hotel. When the criminals take over the establishment, conflict is inevitable.

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Critics Consensus

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are at the mercy of Edward G. Robinson's menacing gangster -- and so is the audience in this enthralling chamber piece.

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John S

A very mature film for it's time. The characters are mindful and largely rational. It's odd to see a b&w film with intelligent leads without instant, undying love stories appearing out of thin air or bounty of ridiculous notions you need to excuse as included as a product of its time. Note that I'm not saying there's no chemistry and promise for love. And there's some (well-intentioned?) indigenous stereotypes. (Lacking perfect execution and consisting of false representation). It's entertaining AF though. Easily one of my favourite movies of the 40's era. I enjoyed it so much upon my very first watch I ordered the Blu-ray.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/02/24

Full Review

Jeff S

Bogart and Bacall are great in this tense drama facing off against classic bad guy Edward G. Robinson and his sidekicks, which include the talented Thomas Gomez. Director John Huston scores yet another hit.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/24

Full Review

Alec B

There are some great performances here, but the movie is filled with potentially interesting ideas about heroism and the nature of evil that are sidelined for some pretty dull gangster villains that even Robinson can't make all that interesting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

JJJJJJ J

Good enough to keep me interested through out. Though maybe a bit too direct at times this noir seemed to be more thoughtful in comparison to most other noirs of the time. The film is both shot, and acted beautifully and the plot was enough to keep me engaged throughout. Like I said the main critic comes from its less than stellar script. I think this film is a great watch for those that want to look back on previous American "values" and "ideals" or for any fan of the noir genre. Highly recommend.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/12/23

Full Review

Matthew B

Key Largo is a good demonstration of the value of star power, and how it can sometimes overcome the weakness of the original source material. The story was based on a script that had to be rewritten extensively, as the movie's director John Huston thought it was poor. The final script is presumably much better, but it does have its weaknesses. Lionel Barrymore draws the short straw here, and he is left to struggle with some insipid dialogue. The movie had other constraints. It was based on a play, and this accounts for its stagey settings. Almost all the action takes place in one hotel, and we have to wait until the end of the movie to see any real action. After his last movie ran over budget, Huston was kept in rein here. The storm scenes are obvious models and, as if that is not bad enough, they are stock footage lifted from an earlier Warner Brothers movie, Night Unto Night. And yet…and yet…Key Largo is an immensely entertaining movie that overcomes the limitations of its script, budget and setting. While a good cast and a good director cannot always redeem a bad movie, consider the talent that is on offer here. It has a great villain in Edward G Robinson. At the time Robinson's status was so high that his name had appeared above Humphrey Bogart's in all of their movies together. For this, their last time together onscreen, the two had equal status. Robinson's standing was still so strong that he is given a delayed entry in the movie, adding dramatic weight when he finally does appear. The movie also marks the final pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, the couple whose offscreen and onscreen chemistry added flavour to the four movies they made together. As the hero Bogart has more to do, and Bacall is often left to give smouldering looks at Bogart. However there are moments when we catch of a glimpse of Bacall's more spirited screen persona. She is ready to scratch or spit on Robinson's face, and to bitterly criticise Bogart for his seeming cowardice. We should also not forget Claire Trevor. Her performance as the faded lush, Gaye Dawn, adds pathos to the movie, and won her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She plays a singer who was the lover of Johnny Rocco (Edward G Robinson) before he was expelled from America. After not seeing her for eight years, Rocco is disgusted to find that she has slid into alcoholism and lost her singing talent. However the greatest star of all is John Huston, the talented director who made so many great movies over a number of decades. It is Huston who managed to paper over the cracks in the movie, and to tease good acting performances from his cast. The result is a movie that strains for a far greater significance than its gangster movie origins might suggest. I wrote a longer appreciation of Key Largo on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2017/09/19/key-largo-1948/

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/25/23

Full Review

Jonathan X

Edward G. Robinson really shows how good he actually is,as does the rest of the stellar cast,highly recommend.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/23

Full Review

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John Huston

Director

Humphrey Bogart

Frank McCloud

Edward G. Robinson

Johnny Rocco

Lauren Bacall

Nora Temple

Lionel Barrymore

James Temple

Claire Trevor

Gaye Dawn

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

A little windy and rhetorical for my taste, but still one of John Huston's best efforts.

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

Perfeclty tense atmosphere and performances, with the sparks flying between Bogart and Bacall.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Emphasis is on tension in the telling, and effective use of melodramatic mood has been used to point up the suspense.

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Key Largo manages to keep audiences on their toes or at the edge of their seat from start to finish.

Rated: 4.5/5

Feb 11, 2024

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Loosely based on Maxwell Anderson’s 1939 play, “Key Largo” took the form of a brilliant crime drama anchored by a great cast and superb performances.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 22, 2022

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The real stars of the film are mind games and manipulation, sharply brought to life by the restrained verbal feuding between Bogart and Robinson.

Rated: 9/10

Aug 13, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

This classic film noir by John Huston stars Humphrey Bogart as World War II vet Frank McCloud. Visiting Key Largo to pay his respects to the family of his late war buddy, McCloud attempts to comfort his comrade's widow, Nora (Lauren Bacall), and father, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore), who operate a hotel. But McCloud realizes that mobsters, led by the infamous Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson), are staying in the hotel. When the criminals take over the establishment, conflict is inevitable.

Director: John Huston
Screenwriter: Maxwell Anderson, Richard Brooks, John Huston
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, Key Video, Warner Bros., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 16, 1948, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 3, 2016
Runtime: 1h 41m

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