Decision in the Sierra
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Decision in the Sierra |
| Original title | High Sierra |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1941 |
| length | 100 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Raoul Walsh |
| script |
John Huston W. R. Burnett |
| production | Mark Hellinger |
| music | Adolph German |
| camera | Tony Gaudio |
| cut | Jack Killifer |
| occupation | |
| |
Decision in the Sierra (Original title: High Sierra ) is an American crime film from the era of film noir by director Raoul Walsh from 1941 . The film is based on the novel of the same name by WR Burnett . The premiere in Germany took place on October 21, 1977 on German television (BR 3).
action
The gangster Big Mac is planning a robbery on a hotel. He needs the help of the experienced Roy Earle and arranges his pardon from prison by the governor. Earle takes on the organization of the robbery and hires three helpers whom he meets in a camp in the mountains: Louis Mendoza, who works in the hotel, and Red and Babe. Babe brings young Marie into the group. Earle wants to send the young woman back to Los Angeles, but she can convince him that she can be of help. At the end, Earle runs up to a small dog called Pard.
Marie falls in love with Earle during the organization and execution of the robbery, but Earle does not reciprocate her feelings. On the way back to the camp, Earle meets Velma, a young woman with walking difficulties. Earle pays her for the operation to enable her to walk normally. During the healing period, Earle asks Velma if she wants to marry him. Velma refuses because she is engaged to another man who is on the way to see her. The fiancé arrives, Earle returns to Marie, the two become a couple.
They can steal precious jewelry in the robbery, but when an armed guard shows up, Earle has to shoot him. Mendoza, Red and Babe have an accident on the subsequent escape by car, whereby Red and Babe die. Mendoza is arrested and testified, but claims to have been kidnapped. Earle and Marie escape, but they are wanted. The two separate so that Marie has time to escape. Earle wants to go to Los Angeles to get his share of the attack there, but is recognized on the way there and chased by the police into the mountains, where he keeps the pursuers at a distance with rifles from an elevated position. A sniper should now climb into a better position.
During the siege, Marie arrives with the dog, because the story has meanwhile been broadcast on the radio. Everything stays as it is at night. The next morning the sniper reached a good position above Earle. Marie should persuade him to give up, but she refuses out of desperation. But the dog Pard makes his way up to Earle, and when he hears him barking, the latter steps out of cover and calls for Marie. At that moment he is shot from behind by the sniper and falls down the rocks.
Reviews
“A detective film based on John Dillinger, America's 'Public Enemy No. 1' who died in a hail of police bullets; despite strong sentimentality one of the better productions of the black series, not least thanks to Humphrey Bogart. "
"The classic gangster melodrama by Raoul Walsh is one of the most beautiful Humphrey Bogart films."
background
- The film was shot in the Alabama Hills, Cedar Lake, Big Bear Lake, Death Valley, Mt. Whitney and the High Sierras.
- The budget for the film was approximately $ 455,000.
- The script of the film had to be rewritten several times. The originally planned lead actor Paul Muni was dissatisfied with the plot of the first scenes and resigned from the role. George Raft was the next choice of production studio Warner Bros. , but Raft wanted to get away from his gangster image. So Bogart was offered the role. The film was filmed from the original script.
- The film is Bogart's last film in which he was not named first in the cast. Lupino, who had already worked with Bogart under director Walsh during The Night Out ( They Drive by Night ), was considered a superstar and got first place on the list.
- For Cornel Wilde it was the first film in which his role was named in the credits.
- The dog Pard was portrayed by Bogart's own dog.
- In addition to screenwriter Huston (Oscars 1949 for script and direction; Golden Globes 1964 for actor and 1949 and 1986 for director), producer Wallis (honorary Oscars 1939 and 1944) was able to win other well-known employees for the film: actors Bogart (Oscar 1952) and Kennedy (Golden Globe 1956), composer German (Oscars 1951, 1955, 1956), cameraman Gaudio (Oscar 1937) and the musical director Leo F. Forbstein (Oscar 1937).
- Byron Haskin , later also known as the director, was responsible for the special effects .
literature
- Paul Duncan, Jürgen Müller (Eds.): Film Noir, 100 All-Time Favorites , Taschen GmbH, Cologne 2014. ISBN 978-3-8365-4353-8 (pp. 86 - 91)
DVD release
- Decision in the Sierra , Warner Home Video, 2003
Web links
- High Sierra in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Short review from Variety
- New York Times review
- Channel 4 review
- Derek Adams from the Time Out Film Guide (English)
- Dave Kehr in Chicago Reader