Big Shot, The (1942)

Who wants to hire a three-time loser? No One, so Duke Berne falls in with crooks planning an armored car heist. Then an ex-flame - and the gun she levels at this heart - persuades him not to take part. But once a con, always a suspect: the law frames him for the crime and sends him to the Big House. Just don't expect Duke Berne to be on the inside long. Humphrey Bogart takes on a familiar gangster role as Duke, but savvy fans will not scenes that are undeniably the new, emerging Bogie. The Big Shot comes the year after his portrayal of Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, and it's easy to see a similarity in his portrayals of Spade and Duke. The actor who would be declared the greatest-ever male star by the AFIU was finding his distinctive stride. Critic Bosley Crowther of The New York Times had high praise for Bogie's special ability to make villainous Duke likable and also extolled the film's "sharply written script and good cast."

• crime
• drama