Warner Home Video presents

Dark Passage (1947)

"You know it's wonderful when guys like you lose out. It makes guys like me think maybe we've got a chance in this world."- Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart)

Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Agnes Moorehead, Bruce Bennett
Other Stars: Tom D'Andrea, Clifton Young, Houseley Stevenson, Rory Mallinson
Director: Delmer Daves

Manufacturer: Wamo
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (mild violence)
Run Time: 01h:46m:07s
Release Date: 2003-11-04
Genre: mystery

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
A-	B	B+	B	B

 

DVD Review

Of the four movies Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made together, Dark Passage is the forgotten stepchild. Sandwiched between The Big Sleep and Key Largo, Delmer Daves' innovative and suspenseful mystery-thriller caused barely a ripple at the box office upon its initial release. Maybe the gritty, post-war themes of isolation and paranoia hit too close to home, or the use of a subjective camera alienated audiences. Whatever the reason, Dark Passage got a bum rap from critics and public alike. And while it may not rank up there with the best of Hollywood noir, the film flaunts enough style and substance to merit appreciation.

After World War II, filmmakers found the subjective camera a slick gimmick to add realism and flair to crime dramas. Robert Montgomery even shot an entire film, The Lady in the Lake, from the first-person perspective, with his character's face appearing only in the reflection of mirrors, windows and water. Of course, by the mid-1940s Montgomery's star stature had faded, so audiences didn't particularly miss his physical presence. Not so for Bogart, who in 1947 was still at the peak of his popularity. Audiences came to see Bogie and felt somewhat cheated when the first third of Dark Passage offered only his inimitable voice. Still, Daves employs the subjective camera to superb effect. Love it or hate it, there's no denying the device quickly draws the viewer into Bogart's world and adds urgency, confusion and a sense of unease to the film.

Yet in Dark Passage, the subjectivity isn't all flashy technique—it serves a narrative purpose, and a clever one, too. Bogart portrays wrongly convicted wife-killer Vincent Parry, who stages a desperate escape from San Quentin prison, which we see through his frantic eyes. On a deserted roadside, he's rescued by sympathetic socialite Irene Jansen (Bacall), who identifies with Parry's predicament and believes him to be innocent. Parry hides out in Irene's San Francisco apartment, narrowly evading her busybody friend Madge (Agnes Moorehead) and casual boyfriend Bob (Bruce Bennett). Of course, he yearns to clear his name and root out the real killer of his wife, but to freely roam the city, he needs a new face. A helpful cab driver (Tom D'Andrea) refers Parry to a renegade plastic surgeon (Houseley Stevenson), who alters his features. When the bandages come off a week later (during which time his best friend also winds up murdered), Parry looks exactly like—surprise!—Humphrey Bogart.

The artistry of Dark Passage, however, extends well beyond the subjective camera. Daves filmed much of the drama on location in San Francisco, and the hilly landscape and majestic Golden Gate Bridge lend the story a coarse, realistic edge. He also favors the close-up to heighten tension and mood, as well as unveil a softer side of Bacall that her previous director, Howard Hawks, never explored. Hawks showcased Bacall's allure, but Daves photographs her like a glamorous movie star, with striking results.

Bacall must also carry the film's first third with her acting and presence, and quickly proves she's up to the task. While she never totally abandons the smoldering attitude that made her famous, she nicely tones it down in favor of a more sensitive image. Bacall's screen relationship with Bogart also evolves, becoming more mature and gentle. Gone are the wisecracks, nicknames and verbal one-upmanship that dazzled the masses. In Dark Passage, their romance is more about aching need and deep, abiding love than boozy good times and lusty passions. Personally, I find the change fascinating, although it left contemporary audiences cold.

Caught up in a Hitchcockian wrong man scenario, Bogart also displays refreshing vulnerability and at times a palpable fear that gives his screen persona new dimension. In Dark Passage, he's older, more weathered, a bit broken down, and although we know he'll rise to the occasion and eventually take control, there's now a seed of doubt buried inside us. Typical of the post-war attitude, nothing in life is a sure thing anymore, not even Humphrey Bogart, and that unsettling feeling helps fuel Dark Passage. The always-marvelous Moorehead also excels (though perhaps a bit too much), adding some Freudian complexity to her icy performance. Her magnetism steals every scene in which she appears—and that's saying something when you're up against the likes of Bogie and Bacall.

Unfortunately, Dark Passage will always be regarded as that "other" Bogart-Bacall film, despite the way it smoothly balances taut suspense and tender romance. Yet over time, Delmer Daves' stark, involving mystery has earned well-deserved respect, and holds up well today. The film provides terrific entertainment and the opportunity to savor one of Hollywood's most legendary love teams in its prime. It may remain the weakest of the Bogart-Bacall quartet, but in the company of To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep and Key Largo, that ain't half bad.

Rating for Style: A-
Rating for Substance: B

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Warner scores once again with a top-flight transfer of one of its catalog classics. Although age-related grit and speckles occasionally crop up (especially near reel changes), the print remains sharp and vibrant throughout. Excellent shadow detail and gray scale variance augment the noir photography, while faint grain compliments the atmosphere of mystery. For a largely neglected film, Dark Passage looks much better than expected.

Image Transfer Grade: B+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
Mono	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: The original mono track has been nicely cleaned up and provides clear, distortion-free sound. A very faint hiss is detectable, but you really have to strain to hear it, and any crackles or pops have been erased. Dialogue is always understandable and Franz Waxman's dramatic score (which incorporates the memorable "Too Marvelous for Words" theme) elegantly underscores the action.

Audio Transfer Grade: B 

Disc Extras

Static menu with music
Scene Access with 30 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, French, Spanish with remote access
1 Original Trailer(s)
1 Featurette(s)
Packaging: Snapper
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual
Layers Switch: 41m:38s

Extra Extras:

1. Looney Tunes cartoon: Slick Hare

Extras Review: The all-new featurette Hold Your Breath and Cross Your Fingers: The Story of Dark Passage kicks off the disc extras, efficiently presenting solid background information on the production. Clocking in at just over 10 minutes, the short film briefly chronicles Bacall's arrival in Hollywood under the aegis of director Howard Hawks and her subsequent struggle to find suitable parts at Warner Bros. We also learn about Bogart's interest in The Dark Road, the David Goodis book upon which Dark Passage is based, and how he and producer Jerry Wald needed to convince a reluctant Jack Warner to buy the "bleak" property. Cogent, if brief, examinations of the lives of Goodis and director-writer Delmer Daves are also included, as well as a discussion of the film's location shooting and innovative technique. Especially fascinating is a look at the involvement of Bogart and Bacall in The Committee for the First Amendment, a group of Hollywood activists that traveled to Washington in 1947 to lend support to the writers and actors harassed by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Despite the best intentions, Bogart himself became ensnared in political intrigue, and the fallout haunted him for the rest of his life. Film historians Leonard Maltin and Robert Osborne, and Bogart biographer Eric Lax offer perspective in this quick but satisfying featurette.

The very funny 1946 Bugs Bunny cartoon Slick Hare follows, and features an animated Bogart as a demanding nightclub customer who threatens to gun down waiter Elmer Fudd if he's not served a dish of fried rabbit in 20 minutes. Fudd frantically searches the kitchen until he happens upon that "wascally wabbit" Bugs munching carrots in a corner. Typical antics ensue, but it's the hilarious depictions of other famous restaurant guests, including Frank Sinatra, Ray Milland, the Marx Brothers (with Bugs as Groucho), Sydney Greenstreet, and Carmen Miranda that distinguish this Looney Tunes effort.

Finally, a beautifully restored original trailer shamelessly misleads viewers by playing up the Bogart-Bacall romantic angle in Dark Passage and ignoring the more potent and predominate murder mystery. The trailer opens with a theater usher referencing the duo's previous pictures, lulling the audience into the lie that Dark Passage will be a carbon copy— hard evidence of the studio's nervousness over the film's risky style and somber story.

Extras Grade: B
 

Final Comments

If you're looking for a Bogart-Bacall primer, check out To Have and Have Not or The Big Sleep first. Dark Passage is more for the connoisseur, but its style, depth, and entertainment value rival the duo's best work. A first-rate transfer and solid extras help make this misunderstood classic well worth a second look. Recommended.

David Krauss 2003-11-24