History Film / HighSierra

Bogart stars as robber Roy Earle, pardoned six years into a life sentence through the machinations of ailing crime lord Big Mac. Earle has been broken out to do one last heist, alongside two young toughs, who disgust him with their lack of discipline and smarts. Earle finds himself out of place in a world that is changing fast. His failed romance with a young Dust Bowl refugee convinces him that he has no place in honest life, but when the heist goes bad, he finds loyal companionship in the form of Marie (Creator/IdaLupino), a dancehall girl from Los Angeles.

Remade by Walsh as the 1949 {{Western}} ''Colorado Territory'' (starring Creator/JoelMcCrea and Virginia Mayo), and by Stuart Heisler as the 1955 film ''I Died a Thousand Times'' (starring Creator/JackPalance and Shelley Winters).

One of Creator/HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star (along with ''Film/{{The Maltese Falcon|1941}}''), this 1941 heist film was directed by Creator/RaoulWalsh. Creator/JohnHuston and W.R. Burnett wrote the screenplay, adapted from Burnett's novel of the same name.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/high_sierra_3239.jpg]]

Remade by Walsh as the 1949 {{Western}} ''Colorado Territory'' (starring Creator/JoelMcCrea and Virginia Mayo), and by Stuart Heisler as the 1955 film ''I Died a Thousand Times'' (starring Jack Palance and Shelley Winters).

* OneLastJob: Roy wants to retire after this heist

* CartwrightCurse: Sort of. Every owner Pard the dog had died.

* FilmNoir: This is a classic example, although one might consider it a gangster film or pre-noir, as many consider the genre to have been defined with ''Film/{{The Maltese Falcon|1941}}''. Historians cite it as a GenreTurningPoint, in that it was when the 30s gangster film became Noir, noting the greater psychological focus and the symbolism (which generally defined noir) separated it from the 30s gangster films, which were more focused on social opinions of urban crime rather than exploring character motivations.

* NeverGoingBackToPrison: Roy is haunted by BadDreams of prison, and is determined to never return. [[spoiler:Like so many other examples of this trope, he eventually chooses SuicideByCop rather than get taken back to prison.]]

One of Creator/HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star (along with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''), this 1941 heist film was directed by Creator/RaoulWalsh. Creator/JohnHuston and W.R. Burnett wrote the screenplay, adapted from Burnett's novel of the same name.

* FilmNoir: This is a classic example, although one might consider it a gangster film or pre-noir, as many consider the genre to have been defined with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''. Historians cite it as a GenreTurningPoint, in that it was when the 30s gangster film became Noir, noting the greater psychological focus and the symbolism (which generally defined noir) separated it from the 30s gangster films, which were more focused on social opinions of urban crime rather than exploring character motivations.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* FairForItsDay: The character of Algernon is shockingly racist by modern standards, a black character who exists primarily for comic relief with exaggerated speech patterns and mannerisms. But, when you look past the externals, he's actually portrayed as both intelligent and competent.

Remade by Walsh as the 1949 {{Western}} ''Colorado Territory'' (starring Joel [=McCrea=] and Virginia Mayo), and by Stuart Heisler as the 1955 film ''I Died a Thousand Times'' (starring Jack Palance and Shelley Winters).

* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:Roy Earle gets shot off the top of [[RuleOfSymbolism the tallest mountain in America]].

* AntiHero: Roy Earle.
* BadassInANiceSuit: All the gangsters.

* KnightInSourArmour: Roy Earle.

* TragicHero: Roy.
* UncleTomFoolery: Healy.

Bogart stars as robber Roy Earle, pardoned six years into a life sentence through the machinations of ailing crime lord Big Mac. Earle has been broken out to do one last heist, alongside two young toughs, who disgust him with their lack of discipline and smarts. Earle finds himself out of place in a world that is changing fast. His failed romance with a young Dust Bowl refugee convinces him that he has no place in honest life, but when the heist goes bad, he finds loyal companionship in the form of Marie (Ida Lupino), a dancehall girl from Los Angeles.

* TheCaper: Roy, Babe, and Red rob a resort hotel
* ClimbingClimax: Earle flees the police up the rocky slopes of the titular High Sierra

One of Creator/HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star (along with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''), this 1941 heist film was directed by Raul Walsh and adapted by Creator/JohnHuston and W.R. Burnett from Burnett's novel of the same name.

One of Creator/HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star (along with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''), this 1941 heist film was directed by Raul Walsh, with a screenplay by Creator/JohnHuston and W.R. Burnett adapted from Burnett's novel of the same name.

This 1941 heist film, directed by Creator/RaoulWalsh and co-written by Creator/JohnHuston, is one of Creator/HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star, along with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''.

* {{Expy}}: Roy Earle is based on John Dillinger.

This 1941 heist film, directed by Creator/RaoulWalsh and written by Creator/JohnHuston, is one of Creator/HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star, along with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''.

This depression era heist film, directed by Creator/RaoulWalsh, is one of HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star, along with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon'' (and written by Creator/JohnHuston, before his 1941 debut).

Bogart stars as robber Roy Earle, pardoned six years into a life sentence through the machinations of ailing crime lord Big Mac. Earle has been broken out to do one last heist, alongside two young toughs, who disgust him with their lack of discipline and smarts. Earle finds himself out of place in a world that is changing fast. His failed romance with a young Dust Bowl refugee convinces him that he has no place in honest life, but when the heist goes bad, he finds loyal companionship in the form of Marie, a dancehall girl from Los Angeles.

This depression era heist film is one of HumphreyBogart's breakout roles that made him a star, along with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''.

* BadassInANiceSuit

* FilmNoir: This is a classic example, although one might consider it a gangster film or pre-noir, as many consider the genre to have been defined with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''.

* FilmNoir: This is a classic example, although one might consider it a gangster film or pre-noir, as many consider the genre to have been defined with ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''.

* {{Retirony}}: [[spoiler: He ends up dead]].

* [[spoiler:DownerEnding: Everybody dies except Rodriguez, who talked, and Marie, who's going to prison or possibly an asylum, as she appears to be having a nervous breakdown at the end.]]