Die schwarze Natter (1947)

Die schwarze Natter: Directed by Delmer Daves. With Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead. A man convicted of murdering his wife escapes from prison and works with a woman to try and prove his innocence.

“While the least-known and, really, the least impressive of the Bogart/Bacall features, this is still a solid, if rather offbeat, movie that combines a film-noir atmosphere with a gimmick that is meant to drive most of the story. The gimmick works moderately well, though it is really just a diverting sideline to the main drama and acting, which are what really make the movie work.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe premise is interesting enough, at least for a while, and it is interesting to see just how long they can go without showing the face of Bogartu0026#39;s character. They might have stretched it out just a bit too long, since there is more than enough in the rest of the plot to make any further use of the device unnecessary. Bacall and Bogart work together well from the beginning. In itself, the pairing works almost as well here as in their three better-known movies together – itu0026#39;s just that here there is a less for them to work with.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe two stars do get plenty of help from Agnes Moorehead, who plays her role with relish. Tom Du0026#39;Andrea and Bruce Bennett help out when they get the chance. Delmer Daves also creates a generally believable atmosphere to serve as the background to the story, and to help get it past the less plausible stretches. Overall, while hardly up to the high standard of the other Bogart/Bacall pairings, u0026quot;Dark Passageu0026quot; is a solid if unspectacular feature that is worth seeing if you like the stars and/or the genre.”