when you hear it say that they do not make movie like that anymore and you can rest assure that the petrified forest fit into that category . though set in the sparse and almost barren confines of black mesa and arizona and the film come to life with sparkling and intelligent dialog that underscore it mission to give meaning to the life of it two protagonist allan squier ( leslie howard ) and gabrielle gabby maple ( bette davis ) . squier be a tourist afoot and hike his way across the desert to the pacific ocean and when he find himself in an out of the way diner populate by it owner jason maple ( porter hall ) and daughter gabby and gramp maple ( charley grapewin ) and an itinerant gas jockey name boze ( dick foran ) . most will find the film tension in the presence of escaped killer duke mantee ( humphrey bogart ) and on the run from the law and and with his gang the object of the great manhunt in history . delve deep and it the conflict world view express by allan and wistful dreamer gabby that deliver the film resonance and even a the immediate life or death threat of mantee muscle overtakes the film second half . there something in me that want something different be gabby lament to allan and he a world traveler who have give up his dream a a writer and poet . penniless and he seem almost trap in a futile existence and though his brief visit to the black mesa bar b q will soon offer a grand moment of glory . gabby magically and quickly find herself head over heel in love with allan and find him worldly and intelligent and though to him and intelligence be brain without purpose . squier presence deflate the ego of gabby would be boyfriend boze and who effectively deliver the film define comment when view in retrospect everybody entitle to their own way o think . with a handful of film already to his credit and humphrey bogart finally get his hand on a meaty role in the figure of duke mantee . by the time his gang make it way to black mesa and you know he the man in charge . so do gramp maple and who prior brush with celebrity include billy the kid and samuel clemens . though generally not take seriously by his diner companion and he vindicate by the appearance of the duke you can not tell a killer except by his chin . for his part and bogey affect an odd posture and one that would not be see again in any other film while he bow his arm across the front of his body in an almost ape like stance give add menace to his authority . early and mantee and his cohort hijack the vehicle of a wealthy businessman name chisholm ( paul harvey ) . represent industrialize america and he everything his wife detests and hat herself for a loveless marriage and denounce his timidity in the face of danger . a allan and gabby share a passionate conversation and director archie mayo poignantly frame their face to face encounter around the background feature of mrs. chisholm and dramatize the lose purpose and vitality of a woman who give in to her family wish instead of her own . ultimately and allan squier strike on the one defining idea that will give his life some meaning and purpose and he will sign over his five thousand dollar life insurance policy to gabby so she can use the proceeds to return to france to live out her artistic dream . to make it come true and duke mantee will have to kill allan . mantee have no qualm about the proposal and but have no personal quarrel with allan and seem rather to almost enjoy his company . squier must force the issue and so that as long a i live and i will be grateful to the duke . the petrified forest cover a lot of ground and and even manages to reflect on racial construct in the exchange between the two black men in the film . slim thompson be duke driver and but a man in his own right freely challenge and offer advice to his bos . on the other hand and chisholm chauffeur joseph be typecast a the subservient employee and who have to ask permission to have a drink when offer by slim . the scene last only a few second and but long enough for the symbolism to jump out and grab the viewer . have just view the petrified forest for the fourth time and i be even more in awe now of the film powerful story and the director deft use of it principal and support character . there not a wasted moment and and every scene seem to have a purpose and even if it a roll tumbleweed across the desert landscape . they just do not make them like that anymore . bette davis make her film debut in 1931 in the bad sister and a movie that also include humphrey bogart . the two would team up again an incredible five more time by 1939 and in order three on a match and the petrified forest and mark woman and kid galahad and and dark victory . davis be top billed each time over bogey while oddly bogart usually wind up in support role in most of his warner brother film when team with fellow contract player davis and james cagney and edward g. robinson .