High Sierra (1941)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Graham J

  
  Bogart's first great role and great direction from Walsh makes this early noir a gangster masterpiece.

• jay n

  
  Excellent crime drama/early film noir. This was the first in Bogey's 1-2-3 punch that took him from resident Warners tough guy villian to one of the studio's leading romantic stars. He plays Roy "Mad Dog" Earle perfectly showing him as ruthless when necessary but… More
  Excellent crime drama/early film noir. This was the first in Bogey's 1-2-3 punch that took him from resident Warners tough guy villian to one of the studio's leading romantic stars. He plays Roy "Mad Dog" Earle perfectly showing him as ruthless when necessary but with a core of decency that hasn't been ruined by years of hard knocks. Matching him every step of the way is the always outstanding Ida Lupino in one of her best portrayals. Her Marie is a classic hard luck case, tough on the outside but vunerable underneath. She and Bogart are an ideal match, a shame then that this was there last film together and the only one where they were paired as equals. The rest of the cast is terrific in support, including Joan Leslie, a variable actress but well used here as a seemingly nice girl who is exposed as a thoughtless, shallow grabber. Walsh's direction is aces as well with wonderful use of shadows and spaces to convey the isolation of the characters. First rate in every way.

• AJ V

  
  A perfect movie of romance and gangsters. It's exciting, dramatic, and romantic. I loved it, and I highly recommend it.

• Randy T

  
  High Sierra is groundbreaking cinema for at least two reasons. First, it was Bogart's first chance to prove that he could carry an entire picture as a leading man (and boy did he!). Second, unlike other crime pictures of the early 40's, it dared to portray criminal… More
  High Sierra is groundbreaking cinema for at least two reasons. First, it was Bogart's first chance to prove that he could carry an entire picture as a leading man (and boy did he!). Second, unlike other crime pictures of the early 40's, it dared to portray criminal characters with some very decent human qualities. There is very little good & bad, black & white, right & wrong in this picture. Instead there are various shades of gray. Ida Lupino is wonderful (as always) but this would be the last time she ever got top billing over Bogart. For me, this film is the perfect bridge between the crime dramas of the late 30's and the early film noir of the 1940's. *NOTE: If you're a fan of Cornel Wilde you can catch him in a small but memorable character role.

• First L

  
  Although John Huston would make his directorial debut in 1941 with "The Maltese Falcon", he had been a screenwriter in Hollywood since 1930's "The Storm". Made the same year as the aforementioned Maltese Falcon, "High Sierra" also stars Humphrey… More
  Although John Huston would make his directorial debut in 1941 with "The Maltese Falcon", he had been a screenwriter in Hollywood since 1930's "The Storm". Made the same year as the aforementioned Maltese Falcon, "High Sierra" also stars Humphrey Bogart in his first break-out role. But big-name screenwriters and break-out roles aside, not much stands out about this film today. Bogart plays Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, a tough, Dillinger-type gangster who's just been sprung from prison so he can make a big heist for the boss, at a resort up in the mountains. On his way out west, he meets up with a dustbowl family and sort of takes them under his wing. I think Earle's relationship with the family is one of the strengths' of this film. One of it's biggest weaknesses however, is the appearance of a "cursed" dog named "Pard" whose owners all mysteriously die, also I didn't find the appearance of the cross-eyed Algernon (black 'Stepin Fetchit'-type caricature) quite as amusing as I'm sure 1940s audiences thought he was. Not much else differentiates this gangster film from the myriad of other gangster films from that period. Bogie does a great Bogie though, and eats up the screen. Only a "must see" for those who deeply love Bogart.

• xGary X

  
  A bank robber is pardoned and immediately becomes involved in the robbery of a wealthy resort hotel. Bogie is at his very best for this gritty character study of a hardboiled career criminal whose chosen profession spells doom for any attempts to lead a normal life. Ida Lupino is also… More
  A bank robber is pardoned and immediately becomes involved in the robbery of a wealthy resort hotel. Bogie is at his very best for this gritty character study of a hardboiled career criminal whose chosen profession spells doom for any attempts to lead a normal life. Ida Lupino is also great as his streetwise sidekick and the climax involves an exciting car chase and a stand off between a tommy gun toting Bogart and the police on a mountain top. The only real weaknesses for me came with some of the subplots which are the only reasons why it felt a little dated in places; namely the syrupy romance with a wholesome corn fed farm girl and the painfully cringeworthy comic relief with an Amos'n'Andy reject. The core of the film involving the heist and Bogie and Lupino's relationship are fantastic though. If you liked White Heat, you'll like this.

• danny d

  
  although in the shadow of another great film in which bogart starred in the same year, high sierra was a pleasant suprise for me. most of the supporting actors werent actually that good, but the story was engaging, bogey was terrific as always, and the end of the film was perfect.… More
  although in the shadow of another great film in which bogart starred in the same year, high sierra was a pleasant suprise for me. most of the supporting actors werent actually that good, but the story was engaging, bogey was terrific as always, and the end of the film was perfect. its not often that a film is effective enough to get me rooting for the bad guy, but roy earl is as selfish as a gangster could be and is sympathetic at the same time. an underrated but worthwhile classic film.

• Ken S

  
  Bogart's ticket to stardom is either the story of a notorious bank robber with a heart of gold or the story of an cute little puppy that also happens to be a harbinger of DOOM!

• Michael G

  
  This movie explains why criminals can't be nice guys too.

• Matthew Y

  
  The film that made Bogart a star is also carried greatly on the shoulders of his performance alone. High Sierra's story and directing is fairly novice is my eyes and without the vintage Bogart role it would probably not be as fondly remembered as it is today. For fans of Bogart… More
  The film that made Bogart a star is also carried greatly on the shoulders of his performance alone. High Sierra's story and directing is fairly novice is my eyes and without the vintage Bogart role it would probably not be as fondly remembered as it is today. For fans of Bogart and classic cinema this is a must watch. For everyone else I don't know if they'll enjoy the slow pacing and long run-time and be as willing to invest themselves for the big payoff at the end.

Read all 10 featured audience ratings