Rating: 
Summary: The Smell of Night Blooming Jasmine
Review: A lot of reviewers are prejudiced against this film because it stars beautiful and sultry Lizabeth Scott instead of the familiar Bacall. They are wrong. Scott is terrific and this is one of Bogarts best films, full of atmosphere and crisp dialog. Bogart comes to Gulf City to clear his Army buddy's name and gets tangeled up with the beautiful Lizabeth Scott in a town where nothing is on the up and up. There is some truly origional banter between Bogart and Scott. A wonderful scene has Bogart explaining to Scott how women should be kept in a mans pocket, taken out only when needed. They are driving in a convertible with the wind blowing Scott's long blonde hair and when she laughs at this idea we can tell something is going on inside for both of them. There is a subtle noir atmosphere all the way through this film. Scott wears perfume that smells like night blooming jasmine. Bogart is sitting next to the window of his hotel room deep into the mystery and catches the scent drifting in the wind, not sure if Scott is around or if it's just the bushes outside. The whole film is like that. There are other great scenes, like Scott standing in the rain at night, her fate being decided in that moment. This is a marvelous film and it doesn't lessen the Bogart & Bacall films to say that Bogart & Scott made a great team also. It is a shame they did not get a chance to make another one together. I strongly suggest a trip to Gulf City to find out just how spectacular they were together on the big screen.....
Rating:
Summary: Bogart is Bogart!
Review: Alright so it does not seem as if Bogart is in the same trance as when he did Maltese Falcon. However, even when giving 75% or even coasting through a few scenes, Bogart is far supperior to many actors that try to act, i.e., Kenau Reeves. The story is fairly interesting but could have been extremely drab it if had not been for Mr. Bogart whom lifts this movie from the depths of mediocrity into a very good flick. The guy whom plays the ganster seems a bit lost at times, but overall he does a comendable job. Highly Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheap ...
Review: As a Humphrey Bogart fan, it pains me to say this movie was horrible. It is missing something throughtout the film, and it's hard to say what. I wasn't expecting Casablanca or the Big Sleep, but I clearly was disappointed and wanted to turn the movie off several times throughout the film. In general Bogie is the only actor you'll know int his film, or care to know. The plot was almost uninteresting, and never really develops. This movie definately could have used a Lauren Bacall, Edward G Robinson, Peter Lorre, or someone else.. Also, there are some lines at the end that are word-for-word out of Maltese Falcon, which shows this films desperation to be a classic, but it's far from it !
Rating:
Summary: Cheap ...
Review: As a Humphrey Bogart fan, it pains me to say this movie was horrible. It is missing something throughtout the film, and it's hard to say what. I wasn't expecting Casablanca or the Big Sleep, but I clearly was disappointed and wanted to turn the movie off several times throughout the film. In general Bogie is the only actor you'll know int his film, or care to know. The plot was almost uninteresting, and never really develops. This movie definately could have used a Lauren Bacall, Edward G Robinson, Peter Lorre, or someone else.. Also, there are some lines at the end that are word-for-word out of Maltese Falcon, which shows this films desperation to be a classic, but it's far from it !
Rating:
Summary: Classic suspense-thriller that doesn't disappoint!
Review: Bogart at his best. Edge-of-your-seat script. Superbly written and directed with frequent subtle humor, the likes of "Casablanca."
Rating:
Summary: Bogie really shines in classic film noir mystery.
Review: Bogie and Lizabeth Scott give outstanding performances in this film noir classic. Murder, romance, dead bodies everywhere - you really need to stay glued to follow the clues. This film is in the same mold as "Maltese Falcon" and "The Big Sleep". Absolutely top notch!
Rating:
Summary: A "B" Rated Maltese Falcon
Review: By 1946 Humphrey Bogart had become one of the most commanding screen stars in Hollywood. Having been featured in a string of critically acclaimed films such as: Casablanca, To Have and Have Not, and The Big Sleep, Bogart often breezed through some forgettable pictures as Conflict, The Two Mrs. Carrolls, and Tokyo Joe. John Cromwell's Dead Reckoning is one such film in which Bogart gives a mediocre performance as WWII paratrooper Rip Murdock who investigates the death of his buddy John Drake ( William Prince)who was about to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Even the casting of luscious Lizabeth Scott who had become a sexy noir staple did nothing to elevate the film to a notable hierarchy. Rip Murdock ( Bogart) deadpans through most of the script by Oliver Garrett without the appeal and freshness exhibited by former personas such as: Sam Spade, Harry Morgan or the indelible cafe owner Rick. The chemistry betwee Carol Chandler ( Lizabeth Scott) and Rip is tepid. Maybe Bogart's recent marriage to beautiful actress and three time co-star Lauren Bacall dimmed the sexual innuendo that Bogart usually shared with his leading ladies. Although Bogart's narrative voice-over, borrowed shamelessly from Double Indemnity describes Coral Chandler as "Cinderella with a husky voice" , the two characters never break through the pretense of refinement. The film does contain essential themes of noir- murder, deceit, and betrayal. These ingredients are played against a backdrop of glistening city streets, casino-nightclubs, and shadowy hotel rooms, but even the cast of nefarious figures fails to free the film from its own trappings. Probably one of the most inexcusable scenes ever shot for a noir film occurs during Scott's hospital bed plea for redemption. After being involved in an eighty mile an hour, window shattering, car accident, Scott's beautiful face does not contain a single cut, scrape, or bruise. Scott is bandaged in a white head wrap and highlighted by a halo of light which only enhances the unbelievable state of her physical condition. What was director Cromwell thinking about? At least when Bogie enters the hospital room Cromwell had the sense to fit him with an arm cast. Dead Reckoning is worth owning, but only to complete a Bogart or Scott video collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Why can't I trust Columbia DVD:s?
Review: Having just finished watching two new Columbia releases on DVD, I feel both pleased and angry! First out was "The Devil at 4 O'Clock. Super transfer - fine contrast, properly letterboxed, correct color and mostly very sharp! Then I watch "Dead Reckoning"! Were the people at Columbia asleep when they made this transfer to DVD? Speckles galore all the way! Grainy as all get out! Lousy greyscale! No really black and white areas to be found anywhere! And a strange pulsating image in the darker scenes! "Remastered in High Definition" it says on the box! Bull!
I do not expect a bells-and-whistles restoration for a title like this. But I do expect that someone cares to remove dirt and scratches, and improve other defects within a reasonable budget.
Surely, this noir classic must be able to look better than what we have here! Was the best print really located in the Columbia vaults? You wonder! This is a boring question I often ask myself after having watched a Columbia DVD. Mind you, many are splendid indeed. But for every goodie comes a "Dead Reckoning", or a "Eddy Duchin Story", or a "Big Heat", etc. The labels shift in care from one title to another is puzzling! And there is so much up for release soon! Hopefully someone will blow the whistle before more classics get the substandard treatment! We fans want the Columbia gal to sparkle like her torch!
Rating:
Summary: Why can't I trust Columbia DVD:s?
Review: Humphrey Bogart, at his tough guy best, adds his usual flair to what otherwise would have been standard fare. Husky voiced Lizabeth Scott, a tepid version of Lauren Bacall, right down to her long wavy brown hair plays a femme fatale. She seduces Bogey who is attempting to exonerate an army buddy from trumped up murder charges in Gulf City, a racketeering friendly southern town. As in The Maltese Falcon, he won't play the sap and take the fall for the sexy babe. This movie seemed like a conglomeration of several previously successful Bogey features such as The Big Sleep and the previously mentioned Maltese Falcon. The greatness of Bogart almost pulls it off.
Rating: 
Summary: B level Bogey
Review: Humphrey Bogart, at his tough guy best, adds his usual flair to what otherwise would have been standard fare. Husky voiced Lizabeth Scott, a tepid version of Lauren Bacall, right down to her long wavy brown hair plays a femme fatale. She seduces Bogey who is attempting to exonerate an army buddy from trumped up murder charges in Gulf City, a racketeering friendly southern town. As in The Maltese Falcon, he won't play the sap and take the fall for the sexy babe. This movie seemed like a conglomeration of several previously successful Bogey features such as The Big Sleep and the previously mentioned Maltese Falcon. The greatness of Bogart almost pulls it off.
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