PETRIFIED FOREST (1936)

Cast

Plot

Alan Squier is a man let down by himself, a character with morals and ideals who feels he's wasted all the opportunities life has thrown at him. Along with his love, Gabrielle, Alan finds himself taken hostage in a remote cafe close to the Mexican border by murderous gangster, Duke Mantee. Mantee's been on a ruthless spree as he heads across country hotly pursued by the police, and it is in this life or death situation that Squier sees the chance for some kind of redemption. The Petrified Forest is a superlative movie that flits effortlessly between the characters quiet moments of intimacy and the steady racking up of tension. This was also the film that introduced Bogart to the world, and he gives a truly gripping depiction of dark menace.