YMMV / Key Largo

• Award Snub: It can be said for Edward G. Robinson's entire career, since he never even received an acting nomination from the Academy Awards. But his role as the ruthless gangster Rocco was critically acclaimed and iconic.
• Fair for Its Day: The portrayal of the Seminoles is pretty stereotypical, but they are shown as very sympathetic and unique characters. The deaths of the Osceola brothers is treated as a serious tragedy, and Temple even acknowledges the difficulties their culture faces in current American society.
• Fan Disservice: The romantic lead of "Casablanca" and a handful of pretty attractive guys feature in this film...and who gets a bathtub scene? Edward G. Robinson.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • The white cop casually shooting the Native American brothers because he suspected them of a crime, and expressing minimal guilt later, which is brushed off as being entirely the main villain's fault for lying to the cop. As if taking a random stranger's word as reason to shoot first and ask questions later is standard police procedure.
  • James Temple's closing lament about how Americans seem to hurt Native Americans "even when we try to help them" stings more today with awareness of the growing poverty on many federal Indian Reservations.
  • Johnny Rocco angrily says, "After living in the USA for more than 30 years they call me an undesirable and want to throw me out of the country...like I was a dirty red or something." A year after the film came out, Edward G. Robinson was investigated by the Committee on Un-American Activities which claimed the progressive Democrat, was "frequently involved in Communist fronts and causes". He eventually testified as a friendly witness but he was still grey listed in The '50s.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: The criminal Johnny Rocco does business with is named Ziggy. Makes one wonder if his last name was Stardust.
  • In a similarly musical vein, the climax takes place on a boat called Santana.
• Love to Hate: Johnny Rocco is considered one of the most iconic portrayals of a gangster in Hollywood history.
• Retroactive Recognition: Jay Silverheels (a.k.a. Tonto) appears as John Osceola.
• Signature Scene: The climax on the boat, where Frank outsmarts the gangsters. (This scene was later homaged in the film Mitchell, best known for its appearance in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode.)
• Special Effect Failure: The models used for the hurricane mostly work pretty well, but there's a couple shots where you can clearly see the strings controlling the palm trees.
• The Woobie: Frank definitely counts. He came back from the war, aimless and drifting without purpose. The incident in the hotel only further reveals his fears.
  • James Temple. The criminals ruin his relationship with the local Seminoles who had trusted him for years.
  • Gaye Dawn. She used to be a fantastic lounge singer, but now can't even finish a song without a drink. The abuse she gets from Johnny doesn't help either.

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