Passage to Marseille
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Written by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt from a novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
1944/USA
Warner Bros
First viewing/iTunes rental
[box] Maj. Duval: Haven’t you been taught to stand in the presence of officials?
Jean Matrac: [Flatly] No.[/box]
Warner Brothers attempts to recapture the success of Casablanca with this story of Devil’s Islands escapees turned French freedom fighters. It can be forgiven for not reaching the heights of the former film.
Crusading journalist Jean Matrac (Humphrey Bogart) is accused of inciting a riot and sent off to Devil’s Island leaving his new wife (Michéle Morgan) behind. Devil’s Island strips him of his ideals quickly. Then a group of men who speak patriotically of France are approached by freed convict “Grandpere” (Vladimir Sokoloff) who has gathered a sum of money together and would like to take a group of men willing to fight for the Free French along with him on his escape. The men point to Matrac as the natural leader of such an endeavor. Matrac, however, is silent as the old man makes the escapees swear an oath to fight for France.
The band manages to leave the island and a passing French freighter rescues the nearly starving men after many days. They concoct a story about having been miners in Venezuela but fellow passenger Major Duval (Sidney Greenstreet) sees right through them. They finally confide the truth to the other officer on board Captain Freycinet (Claude Rains).
During the journey, everyone learns of the armistice between Marshall Petáin and the Nazis. The ship’s captain and Freycinet decide to divert the ship from its course toward Marseille and take its cargo of vital nickel ore to England. Duval insists that the freighter go on to France and persuades part of the crew to side with him. A fight between the factions ensues, putting Matrac’s patriotism to the test. With Peter Lorre, John Loder, and George Tobias as convicts.
It was a treat to see Bogart, Greenstreet, Lorre and Rains together again. This is a pretty entertaining picture. Why do they always have to kill off the youngest member of any company right after he makes a patriotic speech, though?
Sorry but this is probably the worst prime Bogart movie that I have ever seen.
Pacing very erratic taking an age to actually get to the main story.
Overly patriotic with laughably inaccurate picture of the WW2 (American, as they use B17’s for the squadron aircraft) bombing campaign. The speech at the end, though well meaning, is a bit cringeworthy. Overuse of models for action sequences also does not help.
Very stock standard story elements though it was interesting to see Peter Lorre as a good guy.
Though not entirely without merit once the actual prewar story plays, overall disappointing.
I couldn’t even remember what this was about. Not the sign of a keeper.
Bea, just a comment/feedback re site….have a word with your site admin as posted comments are simply never visible now until you reply. There is definitely something that has gone wrong in the last 2-3 weeks. If I can “see” this comment (or initial post re movie) after I hit send I will add a further reply immediately. If nothing assume I have left page, returned, and there was nothing visible re my 2 posts.
I have always had to approve before the comment shows up. Otherwise my comments would be filled with a bunch of annoying spam.
No, that’s not it. I understand what you meant – I’d still see the comment AND a little message saying “waiting moderation”. Now there is nothing till you reply…as was the case again this time – ie my 2 comments – simply no trace that I’d sent them till you have replied and only then they appear….and, as I said previously, I left the page then came back hoping that would make them appear.
Unless WordPress have removed the “waiting moderation” step???
However as a poster esp a fresh poster to your blog I’d feel this – ” I sent a reply, where is it? Damn site is broken, no point watching this, I’m outta here” and strong chance I’d never return.
You put a lot of work into this and I feel you are being let down by this fault/upgrade. That’s why I suggested get onto WordPress (or whatever the site admin is). Refer them to this post if you wish. Tell ’em “my clients are unhappy”!
Something is definitely the matter with my site. When I log in it tells me it is not secure now. Then I get zillions of spam comments which fortunately don’t get posted because I have to moderate them. I’m not hosted by Word Press but I will have to get on to my web site provider. I got a sales call a couple of weeks ago from a security provider but cut the guy off. I should have talked to him. Anyway I hope this will get sorted out. Sorry.
“I couldn’t even remember what this was about. Not the sign of a keeper.”
My way of telling too. Trouble is sometimes it was a good movie and I remember that bit clearly, it’s just the tale is a blank..sigh!! LOL
The main thing I remembered was that it kind of Casablanca lite.
…and, of course, the 2 replies I have just sent now are invisible.
Hopefully you will see them now.
Yes I can…and no apologies necessary it’s the tech that done you wrong!
I’m still here.