Bogart Festival Seeks to Prove Old Movies Aren't Just for Old People

KEY LARGO, Florida — The third annual Humphrey Bogart Film Festival, set for Oct. 21-25 in Key Largo, has as its core mission the celebration of the film legacy of one of America's great actors. According to Stephen Bogart, son of Humphrey and co-founder of the festival, he is broadening that mission to recruit a younger generation of fans he is convinced would find film noir appealing, if only they would give it a try.

Bogart admits that it's a challenge, given that the millennial and generation-X cohorts are notorious for having short attention spans and little patience for anything they consider "old." But he argues that is exactly why they would find film noir entertaining.

"When people talk about the film noir genre, they focus on camera angles and shadows, the play of light and dark," he said. "But I listen to the staccato dialogue, the tightly written, fast-paced scripts and the fact that the movies are short — most are an hour and 10 minutes long.

"You've got femme fatales — there are lots of bad girls in noir films," Bogart continued. "You've got your tough guys, your con men and lots of action and especially great acting. Those are elements of any entertaining movie."

When asked what movie he would suggest that a young person watch for an introduction to the genre, Bogart, surprisingly, does not recommend one of his father's films. He suggests the 1957 classic, "Sweet Smell of Success," in which a sleazy publicist played by Tony Curtis sinks to new depths of depravity to ingratiate himself to a powerful newspaper and radio columnist played by Burt Lancaster.

"Have them watch that," said Bogart, "and you'll have them hooked."

When asked if his father's movies are still relevant, Bogart responds with a line that could have come from a noir script: "How relevant is Shakespeare? These movies are relevant because they're good!"

To make the festival more appealing to a broader audience, Bogart said the organizers rescheduled it in October, when the weather is a more conducive to watching movies under the stars. They also organized a student film competition with the University of Miami that benefits the nonprofit South Florida Film Education Foundation. Next year, he says, the festival will incorporate more technology and social media.

"We've also made the festival more informal this year," said Bogart. "There will be more places to go, and it will be low-key, like my father. It will have much more of a fun atmosphere and more talks by speakers like the great documentarian Billy Corben — there's nobody more relevant to current film than him."

Bogart notes that while the festival's all-events passes are sold out, there are still plenty of individual events to attend.

"And it's less expensive than going to a movie theater where a ticket and popcorn and a soda will cost you $50," he said. "At the festival, you can watch a great movie for $10, and you're outside in Key Largo!"

Bogart is quick to point out that though the festival is widening its reach, it still caters to the sizeable fan base it has built over the past three years. Still, he's seeking to create new, younger fans of the film noir genre.

"I have a son who is 29 and a daughter who is 26, and they both like it," said Stephen Bogart. "But then, they might be a little prejudiced."