A great Warner Bros cast was assembled for this screen version of Maxwell Anderson's steamy play, but, despite sterling work from movie icons Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and, best of all, Edward G Robinson as veteran gangster Johnny Rocco, the creaky theatrical origins show through, and the climactic Florida storms are as phoney as the allegorical plot devices. Nevertheless, Stagecoach's Claire Trevor picked up an Oscar for playing Robinson's boozy floozy Gaye Dawn, and there's a fine feeling of postwar angst evoked by director John Huston. Frankly, this is well below Huston's best work and Raoul Walsh actually directed all the tank material. Although this ensemble piece doesn't really allow its stars to shine, any movie that pairs Bogie and Bacall, adds "Little Caesar" himself, and throws in Lionel Barrymore for good measure, has got to be good.

A hurricane swells outside, but it's nothing compared to the storm within the hotel at Key Largo. There, sadistic mobster Johnny Rocco holes up - and holds at gunpoint hotel owner James Temple, his widowed daughter-in-law Nora, and ex-GI Frank McCloud.