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WHAT IT'S ABOUT:

Weary, aging gangster Roy "Mad Dog" Earle (Bogart) is enlisted in a hotel-robbery scheme after mobster friend Big Mac (Donald MacBride) springs him from prison. On his way to a rendezvous point, he meets and falls for club-footed farmer's daughter Velma (Joan Leslie). Meanwhile, Marie (Ida Lupino), his colleague's tough-as-nails girlfriend, develops a soft spot for Earle. Once the heist goes down, however, the attachments he's formed with the two women could bring about his downfall.

WHY I LOVE IT:

No longer playing second banana to James Cagney, here Bogart was given a juicy breakout role in Raoul Walsh's “Sierra", as a killer with a compassionate side. Indeed Bogart's "Mad Dog" Earle was modeled more on criminal folk hero John Dillinger than the evil, sadistic Al Capone. Yet even though Roy seems quite human and sympathetic at times, he’s still a scary individual when threatened. Young Lupino (who’d go on to direct films) stands out as Earle's loyal protector who can't win his love. Co-written by a young John Huston, "High Sierra" is a solid, flavorful entry for "Bogie-as-bad-guy" fans, boasting a slam-bang finish.

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