Harry Morgan (John Garfield) runs a charter boat business along the California coast with his associate Wesley (Juano Hernandez). They've been a bit down on their luck lately. Both men have families, and Harry's wife (Phyllis Thaxter) has been trying to talk him into selling the boat and getting a job on her father's lettuce ranch, but Harry wants his freedom. His latest client is an obnoxious businessman named Hannigan who charters the boat for a fishing trip in the waters of Mexico. Hannigan brings along a companion, a sexy blond named Leona (Patricia Neal) who flirts a bit with Harry. In Mexico, Harry's lawyer (Wallace Ford) talks him into taking Mr. Sing (Victor Sen Yung) and a group of several Chinese refugees back to California. It's illegal, but when Hannigan abandons Harry (and Leona) without paying, he decides to take on the job. It all goes to hell and Harry winds up in trouble with the border patrol. Harry's troubles pile up: his boat is impounded, his wife suspects he's sweet on Leona (and she dyes her hair brassy blond like Leona in an attempt to keep her husband's interest); when he gets his boat back, he is threatened with foreclosure on it. Finally, the lawyer offers him one last big job, but it means getting involved in a racetrack heist and with armed men who won't hesitate to use their guns if they suspect betrayal.
It's tempting to make that summary longer by spilling all the beans, but in this case, I think spoilers might really make the movie less interesting. Suffice to say that there's a nice shoot-out finale on the boat, and that, though Garfield survives, the final shot is one of the most heart-wrenching ones of classic-era films. Sadly, this is one of Garfield's last movies before a heart attack cut his life short at the age of 39. It's the second Hollywood movie based on Hemingway's novel To Have and Have Not, and this one is apparently more faithful than the first version, famous for its pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It's a solid seafaring melodrama with good acting all the way around. Wallace Ford, as the shyster lawyer, seems to be filling in for Sydney Greenstreet, both in his looks and his attitude, but he's fine. Hernandez (pictured with Garfield at left) is excellent in a role that allows a Black man to be something other than servile or scared or comic relief. Neal is good as the hotsy totsy bad news. Garfield's character is not totally sympathetic but we root for him nevertheless. [TCM]
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