The dawn of American film noir

Huston jump started the "American noir" genre with this masterpiece. WB, the movie public and of course, Bogart were lucky for sure, that Raft turned down the role. It was the film debut of Greenstreet and the beginning of the Huston-Bogart team which reached it's zenith in 1948. That year they topped TMF with film's greatest ever in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Huston's incomparable talent for producing great scene after great scene was initiated here, in his directorial debut. In his best films which are many, there is no "dead time" because there is something going on in every scene. This movie has to seen at least twice to be fully appreciated because of it's lightning plot speed. Bogart's unmatched screen presence is on full display here, as he dominates each scene and dares the viewer to take their eyes off him. Still, an all-time top ten American film.