The Petrified Forest ***** (1936, Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart) – Classic Movie Review 2702

Robert Sherwood’s classic doom-laden and symbolic play is too reverentially and stagily shot in 1936 by Archie L Mayo, who is content to deliver it as a rather creaky movie museum piece of filmed theatre and not re-imagine it as a work of cinema. Despite that, The Petrified Forest is exquisitely acted by the ideal vintage cast (Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart) and still remains riveting.

Davis stars as an unhappy waitress Gabby Maple, who is attracted to a poet with a death-wish Alan Squier (Howard) in an Arizona desert service-station café, run by Davis’s dad Jason (Porter Hall).

Howard re-creates his acclaimed Broadway stage performance on film and fortunately insisted that Bogart also should repeat his role as a fleeing psychopathic gangster, Duke Mantee. The notorious killer leads his gang to the diner, where he plans to meet up with his girl, but ends up keeping everyone prisoner. 

The electrifying acting still grabs the attention: Davis and Howard are both extremely touching, but this time it is Bogart who steals the limelight and the show with a mesmerising performance.

Charles Kenyon and Delmer Daves write the incisive screenplay that compresses the play into just 82 minutes of screen time and keeps its romantic poetry and noirish drama potently intact.

So, despite its drawbacks as cinema, it remains vintage stuff as drama and performance. It proved a triumphant reunion for the stars of 1934’s Of Human Bondage and a major stepping stone in the early career of Bogart on his slow march to super-stardom.

Also in the cast are Genevieve Tobin, Dick Foran, Joseph Sawyer, Charley Grapewin (as Gramp Maple), Paul Harvey, Eddie Acuff, Adrian Morris, Nina Campana, Slim Thompson, John Alexander, Arthur Aylesworth, Jack Cheatham, Jim Farley, George Guhl, Gus Leonard, Tom McGuire, Addison Richards, Francis J Scheid and Perc Teeple. Constance Bergen is listed for the role of Doris but she does not appear in the film, though her character is mentioned.

The Petrified Forest is directed by Archie L Mayo, runs 82 minutes, is released by Warner Bros, is written by Charles Kenyon and Delmer Daves, based on Robert Sherwood’s play, is shot in black and white by Sol Polito, is produced by Hal B Wallis and Henry Blanke, is scored by Leo F Forbstein and is designed by John Hughes.

The original Broadway production opened on 7 January 1935 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 197 performances. It also featured John Alexander and Slim Thompson, who re-create their roles in this film.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2702

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