Serendipity Concluded

After seeing The Petrified Forest on Broadway in 1935 and expecting the same success for the film version, Jack Warner excitedly purchased the film rights. It took six months of negotiation but the deal was finally closed and it was agreed that Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart would reprise their roles for the film, something on which Howard insisted. The only other actors invited to Hollywood were Slim Thompson and John Alexander, the two African American actors who appeared in the play. [Note: IBDB links to the wrong actor.]

Leslie Howard was tired at the play's close on June 29, 1935. He had performed the part of Alan Squier 197 times during its run and needed a
rest. Of course, those in the cast that had not received parts in the film version were unhappy that Howard was skipping the tour. But that did not deter Howard who took his family to Scotland on vacation. While there, Howard received a telegram from Bogart asking for help. It seems the Warners were vacillating on casting him in the role of Mantee. One of the actors they had on contract was Edward G. Robinson and the Warners were not happy that Robinson was collecting his annual salary of $240,000 for doing nothing. They wanted to cast the more bankable Robinson as Mantee. Howard sent a telegram to Warner Bros. stating his "approval" of Bogart for the film, not exactly what Bogart was looking for. When Howard finally understood what was really happening, he sent another telegram to Warners stating "Attention Jack Warner. Insist Bogart play Mantee. No Bogart, No Deal. LH." Howard returned to Hollywood in September, 1935, and one week later, Bogart had his contract.

This was not Bogart's first trip to Hollywood. He had appeared in supporting roles mostly in B pictures from the late 1920's and was fearful that his new experience wouldn't be any better. Bogart didn't want to return to the theater and he told his friends that if he didn't make it this time he was through. He was given a lower berth ticket on the train to Los Angeles and promised three weeks work. After watching the dailies, however, Hal Wallis, who was in charge of production for Warners, realized what an asset Bogart was to the studio. Bogart was especially suited for the types of films Wallis wanted to produce. He was quickly signed to a contract at the close of shooting. Bogart never forgot Howard's friendship and loyalty and in 1952, nine years after Howard's death at the hands of the German Luftwaffe, Bogart named his second child after Howard. Bogart wasn't the first to pay Howard this honor, however. Howard's friend, William Gargan, who sailed with him to England and whose career had been jump started when Howard cast him as his butler in the play The Animal Kingdom (1932), had named his child after Howard as well.

Hopefully, you all set your DVRs to record The Petrified Forest. So get your popcorn, sit back and enjoy this great movie. Have a fantastic weekend.

[Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart and Dick Foran
in The Petrified Forest, 1936]

As an aside, and because I love telling this story:

After watching a few of the dailies, Hal Wallis realized that Bogart was terrific in the part of Duke Mantee. But Wallis noticed that Archie Mayo had been positioning Bogart in between the antlers of a moose head hanging on the wall making it appear as though the antlers were coming out of Bogart's head. Mayo found it amusing; Wallis did not. When Hal Wallis saw this he told Mayo to knock it off and reshoot those scenes. As evidenced by the below screen still, Mayo ignored the order. The Petrified Forest turned out to be Bogart's breakout film role.

[Leslie Howard, Humphrey Bogart and Dick Foran
in The Petrified Forest, 1936]

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