Hawks/Huston

Never really could get into Casablanca due to the coldness of characters and a story I couldn't believe (But that's me). Just loved the warm interplay between Bogart, Brennan and Bacall that Hawks handled well in To Have and Have Not. The script has a few ironic humor laughs, and the closing scene is really great to watch as Bacall shimmies out the door (a daring touch). Houston could never do that. Remember the look on Mary Astor's face when she was standing in the elevator being lead away to prison in the last scene in The Maltese Falcon? Cold, cold, cold (as it should have been). Hawks seems to get more out of character interplay than Huston. Hawks' wonderful Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell classic Only Angels Have Wings confirms this. When it comes to telling an action tale without getting too deeply into characterization, Huston shines. When I watch The Treasure of the Sierra Madre or The Maltese Falcon the raw action is thrilling (They're no brainers). The point is that Hawks plays characterization whereas Huston plays story. Remember, Bogart was 45 years old and Bacall was about 20. It's a credit to Hawks' directorial skill, and Bacalls and Bogarts talent that they pulled off this story successfully. I love both Hawks and Huston for different reasons.