The Petrified Forest

What it’s about

At a remote gas-station diner in the Arizona desert, waitress Gabrielle Maple longs to escape to Paris. Penniless intellectual Alan Squier drifts in, and the two feel an immediate connection. When a wealthy couple stops by, Gabrielle persuades them to take Alan to California. But before they leave, notorious gangster Duke Mantee and his gang, fleeing murders in Oklahoma, take everyone hostage. Surrounded by miles of empty desert, the patrons and staff must wait through the night as tensions rise.

What hooks you

Leslie Howard and Bette Davis reunite after their success in "Of Human Bondage." The film is based on a stage play and carries the tagline "Again they triumph!...The stars of 'Human Bondage' in a picture greater than the play!"

Who it’s for

It suits viewers who appreciate character-driven suspense in a confined setting, where dialogue and shifting allegiances build tension rather than action. It also appeals to those interested in early film noir and the origins of iconic screen personas.