It's very apparent when watching The Petrified Forest that it was designed as a stage play. Bette Davis can't seem to lower her voice to save her life and Leslie Howard, while a great actor, waxes poetic like an inebriated Lord Byron. If you can stand Davis' yelling, Howard's soliloquies, and Dick Foran's large man-breasts, grossly accentuated by his tight-fitting shirt, then you might find this to be an enjoyable little movie. Humphrey Bogart steals every scene he's in, which isn't as many as you may be led to believe. All of the film's best moments feature Bogart. If you're a Bogart fan, this is a must-see. Otherwise, unless you enjoy films of the 30's, particularly ones that seemed like filmed plays, you might want to watch something else.
Review of The Petrified Forest
