The Petrified Forest
by Robert E. Sherwood
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Description
Gabby Maple is a young girl who wants to see the world, but necessity compels her to work as a waitress in the middle of the Arizona desert. Out of the desert comes Alan Squier, a disillusioned sophisticate on his way to the Petrified Forest, which to him symbolizes self-destruction, the only answer he can find to living in a pointless world. He pauses at the restaurant to sympathize with Gabby's dreams, then decides to help her realize them by leaving her his life insurance. When the show more restaurant empties, gangsters, looking for a hideout, enter and take possession. Alan amuses himself by philosophizing with the criminals, who in the end oblige the suicidal Alan by shooting him. The desperadoes make their escape as Gabby contemplates the death of Alan ant the fact that she'll have to bury him, where he wanted to die, in the Petrified Forest. show lessTags
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The tale of a waitress caught between 3 beaus: a romantic gangster (played by Humphrey Bogart and based on John Dillinger), a romantic poet-nomad (played by Leslie Howard and based on the author) and a guy who works the gas pump. Guess who gets the girl? The story goes that, when the film was made, Howard insisted that Bogart be given the gangster's part in preference to Edward G. Robinson. Both Howard and Bogart had played the parts on stage, and Howard was loyal. Apparently, so was Bogart, who named his first son (with Lauren Bacall) Leslie.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Petrified Forest
- Original publication date
- 1934
- Related movies
- The Petrified Forest (1936 | IMDb)
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- Members
- 61
- Popularity
- 508,159
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.57)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 5
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 6
