@rooprect said:

@bratface said:

@rooprect said:

Fantastic movie, ahead of its time in terms of delving into the ugly side of the “hero”. I thought Sinatra may have been one of the earliest examples in Man with the Golden Arm but Bogie’s performance beat him by 5 years. You never feel like Bogie is acting which makes this an unsettling film from the opening scene til the end.

But apparently the most autobiographical elements came from director Nick Ray, by many accounts the volatile artist in real life. It’s bizarre how Ray’s marriage to the leading lady Gloria Grahame fell apart during filming, supposedly for very similar reasons as in the movie.

Art imitating life or the other way around? Who knows, but the result is a powerful movie.

Did you know that Ms. Grahame married Ray's eldest son Tony (She was 37 & Tony was 23)?

yeeech I just found out while watching a mini documentary. Apparently she began her affair with Tony while he was still a minor. They (Gloria, Tony & Nicholas Ray) managed to keep it hushed up because it surely would’ve destroyed her career & her life if it had leaked out.

Apparently Gloria led a very troubled life, made many mistakes and never found happiness for long. It makes this movie even more powerful, as her character is just as haunted as Bogie’s.

Their marriage lasted 14 years, the longest of her four marriages.