Visitors Review

(2012-05-24 14:38)

Bogey can't survive a guilty conscience

Well to do engineer Richard Mason played by the venerable Humphrey Bogart has a perplexing problem in the rather average film noir "Conflict". He is desperately in love with Evelyn Turner played by the fetching Alexis Smith. Unfortunately he's married to her older sister Katherine played by Rose Hobart.So desperate is Bogey that while recovering from an auto accident suffered when returning home from an anniversary party thrown for him by family friend, psychologist Dr. Mark Hamilton played by a slightly less corpulent Sydney Greenstreet, he plots his wife's murder. Bogey tricks his wife into driving alone to the mountain lodge they frequent through some treacherous mountain passes. He beats her there and waylays her, plunging her car over a cliff with her in it. Unfortunately Bogey's plans go awry. Smith, while caring for Bogey can't allow herself to succumb to his charms owing to the memory of her sister.Although Bogey hasn't been implicated, Greenstreet is suspicious. In a carefully orchestrated ruse conducted by the police with Greenstreet's help, they create the illusion that Bogey's wife Katherine hadn't been killed and was still alive. They are hoping to pray on his conscience hoping he'll slip up.Even the considerable talents of Bogey and frequent supporting actor Greenstreet can't save this flick from being run of the mill. An extra star was given solely because of Bogart's involvement.

dima-12 (2012-05-24 03:29)

Like every forties crime caper it lacks dirt and it has a lame ending

`Conflct` is a paradigmatic crime caper of the nineties.It is a story of ahusbands plan to murder his wife and how that plan goes wrong.Now,I mustsaythat a plan goes wrong in a new way but overall the whole story feels limpsince it needs far more explicit displays of greed and violence.The storyhas a nice twist and it is too bad that by the end there is a touch ofpredictability even though no one would`ve predicted such a lameending.

(2012-05-22 10:32)

slow moving but Bogart carries the film

this is really just a remake of GASLIGHT with sidney greenstreet driving rich man Bogart into confessing his crime of murder. slow moving by today's standard. Bogart argued with Jack Warner for release from making this film but was threaten with suspension. The flim never sparkles with life.

blanche-2 (2012-05-21 21:00)

a little "Gaslight," a little "Two Mrs. Carrolls," a whole lotta Bogie

This is an obvious though very entertaining film with a cast thatincludes the radiant Alexis Smith, Sydney Greenstreet, and of course,the star, Humphrey Bogart at his sinister best. He plays an unhappilymarried man who is in love with his wife's sister (Smith). Greenstreetis a friend of the family.Considering the circumstances of his death, it's always disturbing tosee Humphrey Bogart with cigarettes, and if he's not smoking in this,he's lining them up in his cigarette case.Mystery loving audiences will pick up the all-important clueimmediately. Whether you do or don't, it's hard not to enjoy the moststandard of films with a cast like this. As an added kick, the film hasa psychological feature to it, which started to become all the ragetoward the end of WWII.

(2012-05-20 08:34)

A Psychological Thriller

Again, Bogie plays a psycho, or so we think he is, he does a great job ofcovering it up, or blaming it on his sweetheart, or his wife, I forgot;haven't seen this for several months now, but it has that surpriseending;not what one would suspect!

Geofbob (2012-05-19 18:57)

Dull but not noir

Though today, based on such films as Casablanca and the The Maltese Falcon,Humphrey Bogart tends to be regarded as the ultimate 40s hero figure -albeit a hard-bitten hero - in the actual movies of that period he quiteoften turned up on the wrong side of the law. In this weak murder drama,directed by German emigré Curtis (Kurt) Bernhardt, Bogie plays a middleclass man, Richard Mason, who because of a yen for his sister-in-law Evelyn(Alexis Smith), slays his wife (Rose Hobart), but then keeps findingevidence that she is still alive.The movie contains several of the stock noir themes - mistaken identity, obsession, guilt, (pseudo) psychological analysis and of course the killingitself - but there is insufficient darkness, cynicism and implied sex for itto count as a genuine film noir. (The tango, Jealousy, is used as the maintheme music; but it is not clear of its precise relevance in the plot.) Aparticular flaw is that the writers and director seem unable to make uptheir mind whether Evelyn should or should not reciprocate Mason's interestin her; and in the end decide to keep her virtue intact. There are alsosigns that the producers were apprehensive about the movie damaging Bogart'sreputation if he played an out-and-out villain, and towards the end of thefilm Mason seems to be shown in a better light - both metaphorically andliterally, as the film closes with sunbeams shining down on him as he is ledaway by the police! One of the best reasons for seeing the movie is Sydney Greenstreet'sportrayal of a psychologist; not as bravura as his Casablanca and Falconroles, but still subtle and commanding.

Michael O'Keefe (2012-05-18 19:41)

Psychological mind bender. Bogart in top form.

Remarkable black and white; average crime drama. Police struggle to crackthe alibi of a savvy wife-killer(Humphrey Bogart), who admits on his fifthwedding anniversary that he is in love with his wife's sister(AlexisSmith).Bogart begins to worry when he finds little signs that may indicate thathiswife(Rose Hobart)is not dead after all. Very good support from SydneyGreenstreet.

(2012-05-18 05:52)

Minor noir enlivened by terrific cast

*Spoilers after the first paragraph, beware*Bogie is the star here, as Richard Mason, an architect in an outwardly-seeming fine marriage to Kathryn (Rose Hobart), but really in love with her younger sister Evelyn (Alexis Smith). The couple have a close friend, a psychology professor (Sydney Greenstreet) who gushes about how happy they are at an anniversary party, and this only makes things worse, especially as Evelyn is present. On the way home from the party, Richard crashes the car. The two women are safe but he injures his leg. While recuperating, he hatches a plot to do away with Kathryn so that he can have Evelyn - despite no evidence that she loves him. He manages to get her killed in another auto accident, but soon finds evidence that she may still be around.Mason's deteriorating state, and the odd occurrences -- in particular a great sequence in which he follows the apparent ghost or still-living Kathryn from a distance into an empty house -- are the best part of the film, and so I was disappointed that the ending was so abrupt and the spookiness brushed off as deliberate ploys on the part of Greenstreet and the cops, who know that he's guilty but just can't prove it. Ultimately, this is neither hard-boiled enough to be really exciting and compelling, nor dreamlike enough to be unsettling and unnerving - it just doesn't quite hit the key noir qualities for me. Still, Bogart and Greenstreet are solid, and I liked the rather artificial sets which gave it an "anytown" feel -- something that was lost with the location shooting that tends to dominate later noir from about 1947-48 on. Overall then fairly minor, but as with every film Bogart was in after 1938 or so, it ought to be on DVD. The VHS looks decent enough if, like me, you can't wait for a better medium.

sol (2012-05-13 06:48)

You shouldn't have said that Dick.. Even if you meant it.

**SPOILERS** Big time architect Dick Mason, Humphrey Bogart, had beenhaving he eye on his old lady's kid sister Evelyn Turner, Alexis Smith,ever since before he married the old bag, who's 14 years older the Eve,but just couldn't bring himself to make a play for her. It's Dick'swife Katherine, Rose Hobart, women's intuition that has her realize herhusbands feeling about her sister that cause a great amount of tensionbetween, in public, the loving couple. Dick finally gets his chance toput an end to his very unhappy marriage after he was involved in a carsmash up, by looking at Evelyn in the rear view mirror instead of theroad, that left him wheel chair bound with his passengers Evelyn andKatherine totally unhurt. Laid up at his house Dick with his mindworking overtime, but not on his job as an architect, concocts thisplan to get rid of his overbearing and nagging wife once in for all.Making like he can't walk which in fact he could Dick has Katherinetravel out to her, as well as his, favorite mountain resort-MountainSprings-telling her he'll meet her there later in the afternoon whenhis butler will give him a lift out there. Getting to Mountain Springsbefore Katherine Dick murders the startled woman, who never suspectedto see him there so soon, and dumps her and her car down a steep cliffwhere they gets crushed and buried by a sh*t load of fallen timber.With Dick thinking that he committed the perfect crime he now driveshome and plans to get it on with Evelyn after the mourning period forKatherine is over; Or so he thought!As things turn out in the movie Katherine instead of being killedsomehow seemed to have survived her, in what Dick wanted everyone tothink, tragic accident! Everywhere he goes, in the city or around thehouse, Dick sees things that Katherine had on her, when she wasmurdered by him, suddenly and unexpectedly pop up. It's as if shedeliberately left them here to screw up his already very confused andguilt-ridden mind. Even Dick's attempt to get romantically involved with Evelyn quicklyfalls apart in her sensing that he's not exactly playing with a fulldeck in his confusion in if his wife Katherine is still alive makinghim, if he ever marries Evelyn, a bigamist as well as a possiblemurderer! The final shoe to drop, on Dick's head, is when Evelynrealizing what a triple "A" nut-case he is and drops him for herboyfriend Professor Norman Holdsworth, Charles Drake, who's as nutsabout her as Dick is. The difference is that Norman didn't have tomurder or try to murder her sister in order to get Evelyn to fall inlove and marry him!The man who had Dick's number right from the start, as shown at thevery beginning of the movie, was non-other the legendary "Fat Man"-of"Maltese Faclon" fame-himself Sidney Greenstreet playing the part ofpsychoanalyst Dr. Mark Hamilton. It was Mark who in studying Dick'sbizarre behavior while his wife Katherine was both alive and latermissing soon came to the conclusion that he beside being slightlymentally unbalanced was also capable of murder as well! *** MAJORSPOILER**** But it was the gift of a rose that Mark, an armaturebotanist, gave to Katherine just before her fateful trip that tippedhim off to what that devious husband of her's Dick was really up to.That's when Dick not really knowing the significance of what that rosemeant, in his wife's disappearance, finally after covering all thebases ended tripping himself up!

Chris Gaskin (2012-05-12 19:58)

"I know I killed my wife"

I recently picked up Conflict from a market stall and was very pleasedI did.After Richard Mason gets found out by his wife that he is having anaffair with her sister, he bumps her off and makes out she was killedin a car crash by pushing the car down a cliff. He then getshallucinations that his wife could still be alive including a letter inher writing and seeing "her" going into a flat. At the end, we foundout the real reasons for all this...This movie is rather atmospheric and has a good music score.The Cast includes the great Humphrey Bogart (The African Queen,Casablanca), his Cssablanca co-star Sydney Greenstreet, Alexis Smith(The Two Mrs Carrolls, which also starred Bogie), Rose Hobart andCharles Drake.Conflicty is a must for all Bogie fans. Excellent.Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

(2012-05-12 00:01)

Classy crime thriller that really keeps you guessing

"Conflict", starring the always excellent Humphrey Bogart is often dismissed as minor league noir and a fairly ordinary entry in Bogart's sterling collection of film performances. On the contrary I've always found it terrific entertainment that really keeps you guessing and asking questions right up to the final frame. It is a most handsome production with all of Warner Bros. expertise on show in the overall look and feel of the piece and in the excellent performances by the male and female cast members in this story of murder, deceit and mystery.The film begins with the fifth wedding anniversary for affluent married couple engineer Richard Mason and his wife Katherine (Humphrey Bogart and Rose Habart). To the outside world they appear to be the perfect married couple with everything in life, however in reality Richard is most unhappy with his critical demanding wife and is secretly in love with her alluring younger sister Evelyn (Alexis Smith),who also has strong feelings for Richard. Resulting from a car accident the night of the party where Richard breaks a leg but from which Katherine walks away without a scratch, Richard has time to consider his unsatisfying marital situation and hatches an elaborate plan to do away with his shrewish wife and replace her with her younger sister. Pretending to be confined to a wheelchair when in actual fact he is now able to walk with the aid of a cane, Richard executes a supposedly fool proof murder plan. He pretends to plan a trip away with Katherine to a remote mountain resort and at the last minute on the pretext of work has her go on ahead. He then drives via a shorter route to a mountain pass and there waits for and then murders Katherine, pushing her car over the side of the mountain. He then quickly returns home and resumes the role of the chair bound invalid. What was supposedly the perfect crime soon becomes a living nightmare as strange things begin to happen that seem to indicate that perhaps Katherine is not dead at all. Her perfume is smelt in the house, jewelry she wore the night of the murder begins to turn up, a pawn ticket signed by Katherine is mailed to him and Richard thinks he sees Katherine walking in the street and then disappearing without trace into a strange house. Richard begins to question his sanity and eventualy his uncertainity about whether his murder plan was successful drives him back to the scene of the crime where all is revealed and the truth comes out! Directed with suitable flair by veteran director Curtis Bernhardt and based on a short story by Robert Siodmak and Alfred Neumann, "Conflict", is a riverting little murder mystery that benefits greatly from the writing and four lead performances. Bogart is excellent as Richard Mason in a rather unlikeable role and is particulary good in the scenes where he sets up the deception and where the strange return of his wife seemingly from the grave begins to unhinge his tortured guilt ridden mind. This film reunites him with his "Maltese Falcon" costar the superb Sydney Greenstreet in a great performance as family friend Dr. Mark Hamilton who is the one who discovers the clue as to what actually happened on the night of the murder. Rose Hobart in a rare 1940's role is excellent in the small but telling part of murder victim Katherine Mason who might or might not be dead. Her's is not a likeable character and her few scenes with Bogart reveal her as a grating and demanding person responsible for always belittling Richard while of course still not deserving the fate she endures. Alexis Smith provides her usual glamourous presence to the role of Evelyn Turner, Katherine's younger sister who finds herself embroiled in the family complications. But as always in his films Bogart is the life and soul of the production. Menacing while showing a certain vulnerability and uneasiness with what he has done, he turns an unlikeable character into someone you do find yourself caring for. That is the sign of a truly great actor. "Conflict", may not be in the top draw of Bogie classics but it is a very enjoyable little murder mystery that stays in the mind long after seeing it. Warners spared no expense in bringing it to the screen and what we have is 80 minutes of terrific entertainment with character work as could only be done with such finesse in Hollywood's golden age. Enjoy the murderous marital goings on in Warner Bros. noir classic "Conflict".

Michael_Elliott (2012-05-11 12:18)

Underrated Performance by Bogart

Conflict (1945) *** (out of 4) Nice thriller about a husband (Humphrey Bogart) who murders his wifebecause he's in love with her younger sister (Alexis Smith). Thehusband is in a bad car wreck but he fakes how serious his injury is sohe will have an alibi as to why he couldn't be the murderer but soon hestarts seeing his wife and begins to fear he might not have killed her.I was pleasantly surprised to see how good this picture was even thoughsome stronger direction would have helped matters. While watching themovie I was entertained every step of the way but at the same time Icouldn't help but wonder what this would have been like with someonelike Hitchcock behind the camera. What works best are the performanceswith Bogart leading the way and doing a very fine job in the role ofthe husband who slowly begins to crack once he realizes he might nothave done a very good job in terms of his murder plot. Bogart managesto play the character's nerves quite well and makes the role verybelievable. Smith was also very good in her role bringing a certaintype of innocence that really makes her register with the viewer. Heown scenes of doubt over whether she should be falling for her sister'shusband were well done. Sydney Greenstreet plays thefriend/psychologist who tries to keep Bogart calm throughout thematter. Greenstreet's calm, nurturing voice certainly makes him perfectfor the character. The screenplay also works very well as we're giventwo different mysteries to keep in our mind. The first being whether ornot the wife is actually dead or is something more supernatural goingon. The second is, if she's dead, will Bogie get away with it. Thisfilm really has a lot of elements of a horror film or at least the ValLewton productions that were being made around this time. This film isquite dark and really fits into that genre so fans of the Lewton filmswill certainly want to check this out.

davegrenfell (2012-05-10 10:04)

Conflict?

Not the most imaginative title in the world. How about:Evelyn; The Red Rose; I want her Dead; Some come Back; Impulse Watching Bogie's detective stuff, you tend to forget he started off asbad guys. This is kind of a throwback to the earlier stuff, and isgenuinely shocking in parts. He really is a very, very nasty characterwho develops an obsession with his step sister, who really doesn't careif he lives or dies. Bogie heartlessly kills his wife, (because hewants to) faking an accident, then starts to find her personal objectshe thought he left with her, coming back around the house! Maybe sheisn't dead? Maybe it's her ghost?? Best bit: Bogie goes in apawnbrokers, finds one of her possessions and her signature in thegoods register, comes back with a cop, but; it's a different man! Andher possession isn't there! And her signature isn't in the book! Thefilm at times is sort of a cross between the Twilight Zone and Columbo.The ending is a bit weak and i suppose may be a reshot version. Thefilm as a whole would have benefited from some kind of shootout orgruesome, ironic twist, perhaps Bogie being driven mad, ending up in anasylum? Also, he seems to be wearing a lot of makeup to make him lookyounger, although that may be my imagination. I know he didn't usually,so i could be wrong.

(2012-05-09 10:45)

good movie

I am watching this movie right now on AMC. It is just like it is described in the write up's. It is a good movie & Bogie is great as always.

(2012-05-01 21:53)

My Favorite Bogart Movie

I simply can't believe that all previous reviewers only give 3 or 4 stars for "Conflict". It's such a thrilling and brilliant movie, at least as good as "Dark Passage", my other favorite Bogart film. And after having watched more than 95% of all Bogart movies, I seriously think that "Conflict" and "Dark Passage" are a lot better than "The Big Sleep" or "The Maltese Falcon" even though those are considered his best, but I still prefer Conflict & Dark Passage by far! I just find their plots so much more fascinating.10 stars.For years and years I was wondering why "Conflict" (and another film noir with Brian Donlevy called "Nightmare" (1942)) are not available on DVD and also are never on TCM. So I finally bought both of them at ioffer.com and I'm happy to have them now at home. It's such a shame that only one third (and not necessarily the best third!) from all old movies ever produced is available on DVD's.

(2012-05-01 14:52)

A little known Bogart film

I am a collector of Humphrey Bogart films and was pleased to find this one on Amazon, as I had not known of its existence before. I enjoyed seeing the film, especially because it is not exactly the type of role he was used to in the forties. I was pleased to add this to my collection and look forward to preserving it to CD.Ron

mgrindberg (2012-05-01 16:03)

impact of conflict

This is one of Bogart's best movies. He could go either to hard bittenprivate detective Sam Spade or to paranoid types like the role he playsin this movie or what he did in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Like mostHollywood movies, murder seems a bit unrealistic given the charactersas they are written out and portrayed. But get by the murder and thecontrived plot that follows, Bogart still is nothing less thanfantastic in this movie. Alexis Smith's part as his wife's youngersister is another reason not to throw this film in as a minor andforgettable Bogart effort. Leave it to a director like CurtisBernhardt, a guy who was known for making "women"s films to make a filmthat explores so well a man's infatuation and insecurity.

whpratt1 (2012-05-01 06:39)

Great Classic Film With Great Veteran Actors

No matter what film Humphrey Bogart performed in, you could alwayscount on a great performance and he was a born natural to the silverscreen until smoking was his down fall in 1957. In this film, HumphreyBogart(Richard Mason),"Caine Mutiny",'54, plays an entirely differentrole than he usually performed in and gets himself involved in a caraccident and shares the screen with Alexis Smith,(EvelynTurner),"Rhapsody in Blue",'45 who gives a great supporting role alongwith great Classic Actor, Sydney Greenstreet,(Dr. MarkHamilton),"Flamingo Road,"49, who tries to help Richard Mason come togrips with himself and face some very horrible facts about himself. Ifyou love Bogart and Greeenstreet in a great Classic film, just sit backand ENJOY.

bob the moo (2012-04-28 00:30)

Reasonable mystery

Richard Mason (Humphrey Bogart) kills his wife Katherine on a remote hillroad. With a good alibi he feels it is the perfect crime and plays the roleof the concerned husband as the police follow up a missing persons report. However things begin happening that convince Richard that his wife is verymuch alive.This is not a classic Bogart role. He is quite good as the murderer whobegins to unravel as his crime begins to catch up with him, he quiteconvincingly gets increasingly frantic during the film as things keepinghappening that couldn't happen unless his wife was alive. However it isn'tas strong a role as some of his classics. The strongest performance isSydney Greenstreet as Doctor Hamilton who supports Bogart through hisloss.The story requires on two mysteries to keep your interest - one, is his wifestill alive or is he being played by someone with an ulterior motive? andtwo - will he get away with the murder? As a mystery it doesn't quite grabyou as much as it should. The two mysteries are not enough to drive youuntil the end but are quite entertaining - especially where Bogart believeshe is losing his mind when someone plays games with him. But it's not thatgreat a mystery - we know that either she's alive or she's not - the optionsare limited so the solution doesn't exactly come out of left-field! Theending is therefore not great, although it is clever, in particular findingout the mistake that Bogart made in his otherwise perfect crime. But it'sall a bit of an anti-climax and you feel that you suspected as much thewhole way through.A reasonable mystery film but it doesn't have the tension or mystery that itneeded to keep it's audience on a knife's edge for theduration

LDRose (2012-04-27 02:09)

Interesting psychological mystery

Conflict stars Humphrey Bogart as architect Richard Mason, not in lovewith his wife (Rose Hobart) and infatuated with her sister Alexis(Evelyn Turner) Events soon take a sinister turn, when Richard hatchesa plot to murder his wife on a remote mountain road. Just when hethinks he has committed the perfect crime, things start to happen whichplant seeds of doubt in his mind.Sydney Greenstreet gives a fine performance as a psychologist friend ofthe Masons who offers useful insights into the criminal mind and givesyou food for thought as he voices his opinion on the human psyche.With good performances all round, this is an atmospheric mystery whichwill keep you guessing to the end.