Michael Curtiz brings a master skipper's hand to the helm of this thriller, Hollywood's second crack at Ernest Hemingway's 'To Have and Have Not'. John Garfield stars as Harry Morgan, an honest charter-boat captain who, facing hard times, takes on dangerous cargo to save his boat, support his family, and preserve his dignity. Left in the lurch by a freeloading passenger, Harry starts to entertain the criminal propositions of a sleazy lawyer (Wallace Ford), as well as the playful come-ons of a cheeky blonde (Patricia Neal), making a series of compromises that stretch his morality - and his marriage - farther than he'll admit. Hewing closer to Hemingway's novel than Howard Hawks's Bogart-Bacall vehicle, 'The Breaking Point' charts a course through daylight noir and working-class tragedy, guided by Curtiz's effortless visual fluency and a stoic, career-capping performance from Garfield.
New interview with critic Alan K. Rode (Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film)
New piece featuring actor and acting instructor Julie Garfield on her father, actor John Garfield
New video essay by Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou analyzing Curtiz's methods
Excerpts from a 1962 episode of Today showing contents of the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West, Florida, including items related to 'To Have and Have Not', the novel on which 'The Breaking Point' is based
We use cookies to help you navigate our website and to keep track of our promotional efforts. Some cookies are necessary for the site to operate normally while others are optional. To find out what cookies we are using please visit Cookies Policy.