"A man alone ain't got a chance"
John Garfield's second to last Noir.
Directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca (1942) and Mildred Pierce (1945)). Written by Ranald MacDougall (screenplay) and based on the Ernest Hemingway short story. Cinematography was by Ted D. McCord and the Music by Max Steiner.
The film stars John Garfield (The Postman Always Rings Twice) as Harry Morgan, Patricia Neal (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Hud) as Leona Charles, Phyllis Thaxter as Lucy Morgan, Juano Hernández (Kiss Me Deadly, The Pawnbroker) as Wesley Park, Wallace Ford (Crack-Up, T-Men, The Set-Up )as F.R. Duncan, Edmon Ryan (Mystery Street) as Rogers, Ralph Dumke as Hannagan, Guy Thomajan as Danny, William Campbell as Concho, Sherry Jackson as Amelia Morgan, Donna Jo Boyce as Connie Morgan, and Victor Sen Yung (co starred in seventeen "Charlie Chan" films as #2 Son Jimmy Chan also noirs Red Light, Woman on the Run, and The Sniper) as Mr. Sing.
Here's a noir that I can really relate to. Being a thirty plus year professional fishing guide myself, this film is a good depiction of the various complications that a guide has to go through to eek out a living. Sure, it's a tough job, wink, wink, but somebody has to do it. You are not going to get rich at it but it's very rewarding in other ways. The guide trips are always unique. You are your own boss. You think on your feet. You are out in the great outdoors, and you meet very interesting people.
But even a guide's life can go sour. Problems with the boat. Problems with the equipment. Problems, with the weather, Problems with the water. Drunk clientes. Clumsy clients. Obnoxious clients, clients that fall overboard, etc., etc. I've even had, just like in the film, clients try to stiff you.
But unlike Harry, I've always had something to fall back on case things went South. Poor Harry in the film had all his eggs in one basket. He had to go trolling in Noirsville.
The Story
Harry Morgan is a big game blue water sportfishing charter boat captain. Wesley Park is his first mate. Their boat is the Sea Queen.They are scratching out a living charter to charter. A lot of Harry's expense money goes for gas and fishing supplies what's left goes to Wesley, his wife Phillis, and two young daughters. Phillis wants a bit more security she suggests that Harry work for her father on the lettuce farm in Salinas. Harry nixes the idea.
Harry: I'm not going to squat on my hunkers down in Salinas, trying to pick lettuce quicker than the bugs can eat it, I'm a boat jockey, it's all I know.
John Garfield as Harry Morgan "boat jockey"
Phyllis Thaxter as Lucy Morgan and Harry
His next booking is for a big $$$ couple of weeks fishing trip down to Baja with a "sport" named Mr. Hannagan. Harry uses most of his advance for the gas. On the day of the charter. Hannagan shows up with a hooker named Leona Charles. Rogers plans on fishing during the day and wetting his noodle at night. The trip goes well Leona and Harry like what each other sees.
Patricia Neal as Leona Charles
The two weeks fishing off Baja are done. The night before they are ready to head back to Newport, Harry heads for a payday rendezvous with Hannagan at The Rooster a waterfront dive bar.
Trinkets for the kids
The bar offers cock fights. Harry runs into a bottom feeding lawyer named Duncan. Duncan has a shady deal for Harry if he's interested.
Wallace Ford as F.R. Duncan with Harry
Harry blows him off and finds Leona getting serenaded by a mariachi band. Harry asks Leona where Hannagan is, she tells him he's watching the cock fight in the back room. Harry sits and chats with Leona.
When Harrigan shows up, Harry asks him to settle the bill. Hannagan tells Harry he's not carrying a lot of cash and that he'll write him a check in the morning.
Hannagan skips out on the bill. Harry doesn't find out till the next morning when Leona shows up at the dock and tells Harry that Hannagan left her stranded. She tells Harry that he chartered a plane and flew out at daybreak.
Harry is screwed.
Wesley suggests that they sell a few reels. They should be worth about a hundred a piece. With that they can buy the gas to cruise home....
Just to put things in perspective one top of the line saltwater fly fishing reel goes for $400 nowadays.
Harry heads to the cantina looking for Duncan. Duncan tells Harry that he can recoup his losses by smuggling eight Chinese into the U.S. from Mexico for a hundred a piece. Harry agrees gets an advance of $200 for gas and with Mr. Sing they plan a rendezvous place on a remote the beach for the pickup.
Wesley suggests that they sell a few reels. They should be worth about a hundred a piece. With that they can buy the gas to cruise home....
Just to put things in perspective one top of the line saltwater fly fishing reel goes for $400 nowadays.
Harry heads to the cantina looking for Duncan. Duncan tells Harry that he can recoup his losses by smuggling eight Chinese into the U.S. from Mexico for a hundred a piece. Harry agrees gets an advance of $200 for gas and with Mr. Sing they plan a rendezvous place on a remote the beach for the pickup.
At the beach they load all the Chinese down in the cabin and speed off up the coast. Mr Sing tries to pull a fast one giving Harry a couple of hundred instead of what was agreed too.
He pulls a gun on Harry when he complains.
Harry manages to grab Sing's gun and kills him. He takes Sing's money dumps his body over the side turns into the nearest cove. There Harry makes all the Chinese jump ship, giving them their money back that they paid Sing.
When Harry, Wesley, and Leona, get back to Newport his boat gets impounded by the authorities for suspicious activities.
When Harry, Wesley, and Leona, get back to Newport his boat gets impounded by the authorities for suspicious activities.
Harry's wife Lucy wants Harry to give up guiding and work for her father picking lettuce. Things go Noirsville when Duncan tells Harry about another deal where he can score big, pay off his boat. and improve his family's financial condition. All he has to do is help some gangsters in their getaway from knocking over a racetrack.
On the day of the robbery Harry runs into Leona once again.
Leona Charles: Are you in trouble?
Noirsville
Harry Morgan: Up to my eyes I'm in trouble.
Leona Charles: Whatever it is - let it go.
Harry Morgan: I ain't got no choice. All I got left to peddle is guts. I'm not sure I got any. I have to find out.
Noirsville
The Breaking Point is a great Noir-Adventure story that hits on all cylinders. The story of an everyman scratching out a living for his family doing what he loved to do. His fortunes rise and fall with the tides. Garfield shoulders the film on sheer guts, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Phillis Thaxter is very convincing as his suffering yet supportive wife who tries to gently nudge her husband into a more secure employment for a family man. Patricia Neal plays a down to earth realistic, un-glamorous hooker/B-girl. She rolls with life's waves the way she rolls with her clients. You get the impression she'll always land on her ready to spread legs. Wallace Ford is your classic sleazy lawyer, a sweaty waterfront rat who comes out of the shadows to offer dubious gifts and grab the easy pickings. Juano Hernandez is excellent as Harry's first mate and good friend, their kids play and go to school together. This non stereotyped depiction for some will be an eye opener for it's surprising progressiveness for the year 1950, kudos to Diretor Curtiz and Ranald MacDougall for such a positive portrayal. The credible location cinematography of the West coast and the small fishing boat harbors and docks
A winner 10/10
Ha! just watched this last week. Pretty great and pretty weird I've never heard of it before. Thought the mom was excellent and the last shot... devastating.
ReplyDeleteagree, it's nice version of Hemingway's story
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