To Have and Have Not (film) earlier 1939 Hawks film "Only Angels Have Wings" in which Jean Arthur says to Cary Grant, "I'm hard to get, Geoff. All you have to do is ask me." Warner Bros. released "To Have and Have Not" in October 11, 1944. Aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports 97% approval of "To Have or Have Not", with the critical consensus stated as, "With Howard Hawks directing and Bogey and Bacall in front of the cameras, "To Have and Have Not" benefits from several levels of fine-tuned chemistry -- all of which ignite on screen." The critical reception of "To Have and Have Not"
Joan Leslie as Betsy Phillips. She was chosen for the part because the director was searching for an actress with a southern accent. She was billed as "Joan Brodel". Later that year, she co-starred with Jimmy Lydon in "Two Thoroughbreds", in which she played the daughter of a horse owner. At age 15, Leslie was selected by a group of Hollywood directors as one of 13 "baby stars of 1940." Her big break came when she signed a contract with Warner Bros. in 1941. At the time, actress Joan Blondell's name was considered too similar, and so Brodel's acting name was changed