MovieChat Forums > The Petrified Forest (1936) Discussion > Is Duke Mantee Bogart's most significant...

Is Duke Mantee Bogart's most significant role ?

posted 12 years ago by gullwing592003
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I'd say yes ! Why ? Because he played it 4 times in his career on stage (1935) on screen (1936) on radio (1940) & on TV (1955). He kept returning to this role throughout his career. I am increasingly joining the club that believes this breakthrough role typified & summed up Humphrey Bogart more than any other role.

You visualize him in your mind long before he enters the movie in the 2nd half as he is mentioned repeatedly from the very start of the movie. It's exciting waiting & anticipating Duke Mantee's first entrance in the movie it's worth the wait. A perfect introduction by one of his henchmen Joseph Sawyer as he says " This is Duke Mantee he's the world famous killer & he's hungry ".

Duke Mantee is the role that paved the way eventually turning him into a major star in 1941 in "High Sierra" & "The Maltese Falcon" & "Casablanca". Roy Earle, Sam Spade & Rick Blaine all owe a debt to Duke Mantee in my book. I'm really into his 1930's period more than ever. Bogart did some interesting roles early on & some were excellent & stood out like "Black Legion" in which the movie & Bogart were named best picture & best actor in 1937 by the National Board of Review.

Another notable film he did was "You Can't Get Away With Murder" (1939) a tough gangster prison picture showing Bogart at his baddest with no redeeming good qualities. It's ironic his first feature film was a prison flick "Up The River" (1930) with Spencer Tracy. Tracy was already what he would later become but Bogart wasn't as he was cast in a role like himself.... a rich kid. Too bad Spence & Bogie didn't do more films together. Bogart did many great memorable films but it always gets back to Duke Mantee in The Petrified Forest. Would you agree ??

[–] marhefka 11 years ago

Good idea. But, I think he actually became "Bogie" in High Sierra with the role of Roy "Mad Dog" Earle.

[–] ElMaruecan82 10 years ago

Absolutely.

"The Petrified Forest" is the one that prevented his career from flopping. It put his face on Hollywood map, and he'd become a significant player on the gangster genre, but only confined to supporting roles, and even for better ones like in "Dead End", he only got third or fourth billing.

The real break-through performance in a leading role was definitely "High Sierra" and if it wasn't for his performance as Roy Earle, he'd never have caught the eye of John Huston, to play Sam Spade and get his first top-billed role in "The Maltese Falcon".

And keep in mind, it was George raft who turned down the role of Roy Earle, and Sam Spade, even Rick Blaine (!!!), so it was a long road to success and it's only at the age of 42 that Bogie made it.

Duke Mantee's is his survival role, without it, he wouldn't have made it to "High Sierra", but the most pivotal role of Bogart is "High Sierra" in my opinion.

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