I always consider her ideal in all of her roles, from beginning of career to end. Miss Astor always got her portrayals right, in my opinion.

The first time I saw the movie, I thought Bogie was nuts to give her over. The second time I saw it, but ONLY because I had already seen it, I saw her as the obsessed manipulative psychotic murderer she really was. Hats off to Sam Spade for seeing the true her the first time, and hats off to Mary for such and outstanding performance. Oh, and the greatest line from that movie is NOT the vaunted "stuff that dreams are made of," it's "I hope they don't hang you by that pretty little neck of yours." With the possible exception of The Big Sleep, the best "private eye" movie I've ever seen.

@darkphase said:

The first time I saw the movie, I thought Bogie was nuts to give her over. The second time I saw it, but ONLY because I had already seen it, I saw her as the obsessed manipulative psychotic murderer she really was. Hats off to Sam Spade for seeing the true her the first time, and hats off to Mary for such and outstanding performance. Oh, and the greatest line from that movie is NOT the vaunted "stuff that dreams are made of," it's "I hope they don't hang you by that pretty little neck of yours." With the possible exception of The Big Sleep, the best "private eye" movie I've ever seen.

I also was pretty conflicted about it too, given that she had me going too and I wanted to protect her the whole time, but Bogie did the right thing. Murder is murder and he especially had to be loyal to his ex partner and not let her get away with it

@CountJohn said:

@darkphase said:

The first time I saw the movie, I thought Bogie was nuts to give her over. The second time I saw it, but ONLY because I had already seen it, I saw her as the obsessed manipulative psychotic murderer she really was. Hats off to Sam Spade for seeing the true her the first time, and hats off to Mary for such and outstanding performance. Oh, and the greatest line from that movie is NOT the vaunted "stuff that dreams are made of," it's "I hope they don't hang you by that pretty little neck of yours." With the possible exception of The Big Sleep, the best "private eye" movie I've ever seen.

I also was pretty conflicted about it too, given that she had me going too and I wanted to protect her the whole time, but Bogie did the right thing. Murder is murder and he especially had to be loyal to his ex partner and not let her get away with it

Well, Bogie had her figured out but I'm sure that at her trial her defense attorney put her in the witness stand and she won over the jury just exactly in the same way as she won over me in my first viewing. Yeah, she walked. And probably never gave Sam Spade the time of day again, even though he said (totally just to jab her) "with any luck you'll be out in 20 years, and I'll be waiting for you."

@darkphase said:

@CountJohn said:

@darkphase said:

The first time I saw the movie, I thought Bogie was nuts to give her over. The second time I saw it, but ONLY because I had already seen it, I saw her as the obsessed manipulative psychotic murderer she really was. Hats off to Sam Spade for seeing the true her the first time, and hats off to Mary for such and outstanding performance. Oh, and the greatest line from that movie is NOT the vaunted "stuff that dreams are made of," it's "I hope they don't hang you by that pretty little neck of yours." With the possible exception of The Big Sleep, the best "private eye" movie I've ever seen.

I also was pretty conflicted about it too, given that she had me going too and I wanted to protect her the whole time, but Bogie did the right thing. Murder is murder and he especially had to be loyal to his ex partner and not let her get away with it

Well, Bogie had her figured out but I'm sure that at her trial her defense attorney put her in the witness stand and she won over the jury just exactly in the same way as she won over me in my first viewing. Yeah, she walked. And probably never gave Sam Spade the time of day again, even though he said (totally just to jab her) "with any luck you'll be out in 20 years, and I'll be waiting for you."

I doubt it, just because her murder was just for profit. Women can get away with stuff like that if they have a motive that looks "noble" (like killing a cheating husband or something) but not just if she's basically a gold digger.

@CountJohn said: I doubt it, just because her murder was just for profit. Women can get away with stuff like that if they have a motive that looks "noble" (like killing a cheating husband or something) but not just if she's basically a gold digger.

Well Spade himself certainly didn't think she'd get off, in the book he said _"I’m going to send you over. The chances are you’ll get off with life. That means you’ll be out again in twenty years. You’re an angel. I’ll wait for you…if they hang you I’ll always remember you." The screenplay was worded a bit different but conveyed the exact same hard-boiled grittiness...

It would be interesting to watch her trial with Spade as a witness. Will she be able to use her seductive feminine wiles and get a hung jury?

@wonder2wonder said:

It would be interesting to watch her trial with Spade as a witness. Will she be able to use her seductive feminine wiles and get a hung jury?

I just looked on the Intertubes to see if Hammett had ever offered an opinion as to what may have happened to her at trial, but I didn't find anything. =(

@wonder2wonder said:

It would be interesting to watch her trial with Spade as a witness. Will she be able to use her seductive feminine wiles and get a hung jury?

Very nice pun. ;)

@darkphase said:

The first time I saw the movie, I thought Bogie was nuts to give her over. The second time I saw it, but ONLY because I had already seen it, I saw her as the obsessed manipulative psychotic murderer she really was. Hats off to Sam Spade for seeing the true her the first time, and hats off to Mary for such and outstanding performance. Oh, and the greatest line from that movie is NOT the vaunted "stuff that dreams are made of," it's "I hope they don't hang you by that pretty little neck of yours." With the possible exception of The Big Sleep, the best "private eye" movie I've ever seen.

I finally got around to watching it. I like the Big Sleep better. But it is cool to see a film with Mary Astor. Have you seen the 1931 version?

@Butterflygal said:

(I)t is cool to see a film with Mary Astor.

Give this movie a watch at some point. It features a completely different type (as a bedraggled prostitute with a heart of gold) Mary Astor than she otherwise ever played; her performance is superb, touching, and memorable in it.

A thread I created about Mary Astor in that movie

Have you seen the 1931 version?

I have the DVD of it and like that version (other than not caring for Ricardo Cortez - never have), though the remake is better. '31 is enjoyable and very Pre-Code; I've long been a fan of films of that spicey, sexy 1929-1934 era.

Pre Code films are fun.