Saturday, July 20, 12:45 p.m. | Nearly a decade after CASABLANCA (which also boasts a terrific last shot), Michael Curtiz crafted this humanistic and devastating daylight noir (which was the inspiration for our Last Shot series) based on Ernest Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not. John Garfield stars as honest charter-boat captain and devoted family man Harry Morgan. After a passenger stiffs him on payment, Harry is seduced by the slimy lawyer Duncan (Wallace Ford) to make a quick buck, and by the slippery Leona (Patricia Neal) for a quick thrill. These temptations are tempered by the good people who love Harry: his devoted wife Lucy (Phyllis Thaxter) and daughters, and his loyal partner Wesley (Juano Hernandez). The conclusion of this working-class tragedy sneaks up on you, the final shot suggesting a world of loss that lives just beyond the frame, and serving as a profound, devastating reminder of the consequences of our actions.

Last Shot: Stick the landing. Bring it home. Finish strong. In cinema, the last shot is arguably the most important. “This is it, this is the final moment, it is perfect!” only to have it go on, stumbling and fumbling its way to the credits? For all those missed opportunities, there are also the pitch-perfect conclusions, the memorable last looks, the frames that catch your breath in your throat and with pure artistry not only conclude a film but underscore, emphasize, or affirm the entire running time that came before it. Our 11-film Last Shot series explores impeccable resolutions in film. View full Last Shot series. *Spoiler alert: the endings of all films in this series are mentioned (as subtly as possible) in their description, and the accompanying still images do not reflect their final frames.

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu