Summary
Humphrey Bogartwas among the greatest actors who ever lived and starred in several fantastic war movies across his acclaimed career. Although Bogart made a name for himself in gangster movies, film noirs, and adventures, there were plenty of other times he took the battlefield, sailed the seven seas in the Navy, or commanded soldiers as a high-level official. These performances paired Bogart with legendary directors like John Huston, Howard Hawks, and Michael Curtiz and even included his very first movie with his future wife and acclaimed co-star Lauren Bacall.
While some ofthe best Humphrey Bogart moviesfeatured war as a backdrop to the story, likeCasablanca, others were true war movies set in the midst of conflict or followed soldiers engaged in active warfare. Bogart often channeled the brooding, charismatic, and tough guy demeanor he did so well in film noirs and transported in the realm of war movies. As one of the biggest stars of his era,the best Bogart war movies amounted to some of his greatest work.
Body and Soul
Cast
Andress, Watson, and Johnson are with a Royal Air Force squadron in France. When Watson is killed in combat, Andrews tries to return the letters Watson received from a girl called “Pom-Pom.” There are two possibilities: one is Watson’s widow; the other is a German spy.
Humphrey Bogart got his start in theater and had some small roles at the end of the silent era, although it was not until the early 1930s that he started to achieve significant success in Hollywood. One of Bogart’s earliest roles came in the World War I action-dramaBody and Soul, which focused on aviation and the Royal Air Force. Bogart played the earnest soon-to-be-husband American pilot Jim Watson.
WhileBody and Soulrepresented a good opportunity for Bogart at the time of its release, this was a minor entry in his filmography that has been mostly forgotten by modern audiences. With an overly melodramatic plot and acting that felt a little wooden and dated, it’s understandable thatBody and Souldoes not stand out as one of Bogart’s best movies. However, it’s an interesting time capsule, and one major reason to check it out was to witness Bogart at such a young age, almost unrecognizably fresh-faced, years before he became a household name.
Battle Circus
Set in Korea and made during the war, this is the love story of a hard-bitten Army surgeon, and a new nurse ready to save the world.
Battle Circuswas a Korean war movie made while the war was still activewhich told a story of love in trying times. With Humphrey Bogart as the surgeon and commander, Major Jed Webbe, and June Allyson Ruth McCara, a newly arrived nurse, the two found their love flourishing amid the chaos of battle and enemy attacks. WhileBattle Circushas some strong performances, the script was dull and meandering, and it never felt like the film fully decided if it wished to be a wartime drama or a romantic comedy.
Bogart was an interesting choice for the role of Major Webbe as he’s forced to put on the charm from start to finish, which went against his reputation for playing aloof and uncompromising characters, although he pulled off this change in style. There was good chemistry between Bogart and Allyson, even if his means to get closer to her felt quite outdated when viewed through a modern lens.Battle Circuswas an enjoyable war picture, but it could not live up to the best of Bogart in this genre.
Action in the North Atlantic
An American tanker is sunk by a German U-boat, and the survivors spend 11 days at sea on a raft. Their next assignment - bound for Murmansk through the sub-stalked N. Atlantic.
Like so manyWorld War II movies made while the war was still on,Action in the North Atlanticwas produced as a morale booster and acted as a way to highlight the stories of unsung heroes in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Also known under the nameHeroes Without Uniforms, this film depicted a US tanker sunk by a German U-boat and the survivors' struggles over 11 days at sea on a raft. With tons of action and a truly inspiring story, it’s easy to see whyAction in the North Atlanticwas well-received by Navy men, soldiers, and veterans.
Humphrey Bogart, as First Officer Joe Rossi, delivered a compelling performance as the ship’s captain, and coming off the back ofCasablancathe previous year gave the film some real star power.Action in the North Atlanticwas full of war movie tropes and clichés, although this was to be expected from a movie produced as a morale-boosting endeavor. WhileAction in the North Atlanticamounted to pro-American wartime propaganda, this was its entire point as movies such as this sought to unite the country in a common goal toward victory.
Passage to Marseille
Five patriotic convicts are helped to escape imprisonment in Devil’s Island so they can fight for occupied Free French forces against the Nazis.
Passage to Marseillewas a star-studded war movie that featured screen legends like Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre. With an unusual style for the time,Passage to Marseillewas told through the use of flashbacks within flashbacksas the film moved between an English WWII airbase, a French prison colony, and a newspaper where Matrac (Bogart) was framed for murder. Full of action and excitement,Passage to Marseillereunited Bogart with theCasablancadirector Michael Curtiz andproducer Hal B. Wallis and, in many ways, mimicked the style of that acclaimed film.
WhilePassage to Marseillehas been doomed to live in the shadow ofCasablanca’ssuccess years before, when taken on its merits alone, this was a solid war picture in its own right that featured some incredible work from Bogart. The flashback structure of the film did bring it down, as the plot was bogged down with too many narratives, but this unique style was also part of its charm.Passage to Marseillewas an enjoyable war movie from Bogart that was released when he was at the peak of his star power.
Across the Pacific
In December 1941, ex-army captain Rick Leland boards a Japanese ship heading to Asia via the Panama Canal where his Japanese hosts show interest in the American defense plans for the canal zone.
Humphrey Bogart reunited withThe Maltese Falcondirector John Huston for the spy filmAcross the Pacific, a thrilling story set on the eve of the United States entering World War II. The plot ofAcross the Pacificoriginally involved a plan to avert a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; however, when, in a shocking twist, the real Pearl Harbor was actually attacked, the script was revised, and the target was changed to Panama (viaTCM.) Huston was replaced by director Vincent Sherman in mid-production after Huston joined the United States Army Signal Corps.
Across the Pacificmelded action and melodrama to produce an enduring war feature with plenty of espionage thrills. Bogart worked well when reunited with his romantic co-star fromThe Maltese Falcon, Mary Astor, and the duo maintained their incredible chemistry. WhileAcross the Pacificwas a solid war movie with great performances, a strong script, and accomplished direction, it sadly did not achieve the same cultural impact and legacy as Bogart and Huston’s first work together.
Sahara
After the fall of Tobruk in 1942, during the Allied retreat in the Libyan desert, an American tank picks-up a motley group of survivors but they face advancing Germans and a lack of water.
Humphrey Bogart channeled his reputation as a gritty, tough guy for the desert war filmSahara, where he played an American tanker in Libya defending a water supply from a German Afrika Korps battalion. Set amidst the Western Desert Campaign of World War II,Saharawas based on a novel by Philip MacDonald. As Master Sergeant Joe Gunn, Bogart captured the cool-headed charisma and suave charm he did so well in film noirs and transported it into the war genre through his infectious characterization.
It was war movies such asSaharathat kept the public entertained during the difficult period of WWII, as it highlighted stories of American bravery happening as the conflict waged all over the world. Although movies such asSaharacan appear to romanticize war and conflict, there was nothing romantic in this film as it featured an all-male cast and non-stop action. While Bogart stood out as the lead, Bruce Bennett gave an incredible performance as Waco Hoyt, and J. Carrol Naish was nominated for an Oscar for Best Support Actor for the part of Giuseppe.
The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny is a 1954 drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk, featuring Humphrey Bogart as the unstable Captain Queeg. Set during World War II, the film follows the crew of the USS Caine, who grapple with Queeg’s erratic behavior, leading to a courtroom drama to determine the legitimacy of their actions. Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson, and José Ferrer co-star in this adaptation of Herman Wouk’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Hermann Wouk,The Caine Mutinywas a military trial film about events on the U.S. Navy destroyer-minesweeper and the subsequent trial for mutiny. As Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) gained command of the WWII ship USS Caine, he started to show signs of mental instability, and his crew relieved him of his command, later facing a court martial for mutiny. Plenty of naval drama, emotional intensity, and powerful performances madeThe Caine Mutinyamongthe best naval war movies ever.
Bogart delivered an exceptional performance in one of his final film roles as Queegin a film that not only acted as an excellent insight into naval life but also an extraordinary character study. With a complexity of character that went above and beyond many of his most famous gangster roles, Bogart showcased why he was one of the biggest stars of his era inThe Caine Mutiny. Bogart was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor but lost to Marlon Brando forOn the Waterfront.
To Have And To Have Not
During World War II, American expatriate Harry Morgan helps transport a French Resistance leader and his beautiful wife to Martinique while romancing a sensuous lounge singer.
The greatest of all Humphrey Bogart’s war movies was the romantic adventureTo Have and to Have Notdirected by Howard Hawks. As the first pairing betweenBogart and his future wife Lauren Bacall,To Have and to Have Notwas a historic moment in cinematic history that signaled the dawning of one of the most important Hollywood couples there ever was. Taking place during World War II and inspired by the novel by Ernest Hemingway,To Have and to Have Notblended Bogart’s skill for film noir and war movies into one compelling feature.
With equal parts comedy, tension, and drama,it’s easy to see why Bogart and Becall became such an onscreen powerhouse, as their incredible chemistry worked perfectly with Hawks’ impeccable direction. As the American expatriate Harry Morgan transported a French Resistance leader and his wife to Martinique, romance oozed out of every scene. Although there were similarities to earlier Bogart movies such asCasablanca,Morocco, andAcross the Pacific, the success ofTo Have and to Have Notproved how well-suited Bogart was to this style of filmmaking.
