Lauren Bacall in the script was originally much smaller, but during filming, her part was revised multiple times to extend it into the lead part that it became in the released film. Once released, "To Have and Have Not" catapulted Bacall into instant stardom, and her performance became the cornerstone of her star image, the impact of which extended into popular culture at large, even influencing fashion, as well as film-makers and other actors. Warner Bros. launched an extensive marketing campaign to promote the picture and to establish Bacall as a movie star. As part of the public relations push, Bacall made
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1995 film) of an adventure, and most of all, a child's need to feel important." Their final word on the matter proclaim that "the performances and production are first rate. The children are variously brilliant, bratty and excitable, and Lauren Bacall is appropriately dignified as Mrs. Frankweiler." J. Dillard writes that the movie is carried by its casting of Lauren Bacall in the title role and that the film "never rises above the level of the TV Movie." However, he does say that it "should be entertaining " for its preteen target audience. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler