In To Have and Have Not (1944), Humphrey Bogart played Harry Morgan, an American fishing-boat captain in Martinique who is drawn into helping the French Resistance during World War II. Directed by Howard Hawks, the film follows Harry as he meets Marie ‘Slim’ Browning, played by Lauren Bacall in her film debut, and as he chooses to help refugees escape the Vichy authorities.
Bogart and Bacall’s chemistry became legendary, and the film launched Bacall as a star and a lasting partnership on and off screen. Harry was a tough, independent hero who, like Rick in Casablanca, learns to care about a cause.
To Have and Have Not remains a signature Bogart role because it introduced Bacall, and because Harry Morgan’s romance and adventure still capture the wartime spirit.