The Petrified Forest is a 1936 film directed by Archie Mayo and adapted from a stage play by Robert E. Sherwood. It stars Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart, and was one of Bogart's breakthrough roles.
The film takes place at the Black Mesa Bar-B-Q diner in the Petrified Forest region of Arizona. Alan Squier (Howard), a disillusioned and penniless writer, stops in at the diner on his way to California, where he plans to end his life. Gabrielle Maple (Davis), a young waitress who dreams of studying art in Paris, is immediately drawn to Alan's worldly intellectualism.
Their conversation is interrupted when Duke Mantee (Bogart) and his gang of criminals arrive at the diner, on the run from the law after a bank robbery. Mantee takes everyone in the diner hostage, including Alan, Gabrielle, and her father (Porter Hall), the owner of the diner.
The bulk of the film takes place inside the diner as the characters grapple with their own fears and desires in the face of Mantee's violent aggression. Gabrielle's father, a former World War I veteran, tries to be the hero but is quickly outmatched. Alan, meanwhile, finds a renewed sense of purpose in facing down Mantee and protecting Gabrielle.
The film is considered a classic of the gangster genre, showcasing Bogart's tough-guy charisma and defining the archetype of the doomed antihero. It was also notable for its bold depiction of psychological depth and social commentary, touching on themes of class, gender, and the meaning of life. The Petrified Forest remains a powerful and provocative film to this day.