# Key Largo (movie) - Speech quoted by Bogart

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/key-largo-movie-speech-quoted-by-bogart/631165>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 11, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/key-largo-movie-speech-quoted-by-bogart/631165 "2012-08-11T05:07:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/key-largo-movie-speech-quoted-by-bogart/631165/1 "2012-08-11T05:07:35Z")

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In the 1948 film _Key Largo_–at the beginning of the second act where Frank (Bogart) confronts Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) for the first time–Rocco pegs Frank for a soldier who fought in WWII and asks him why he “stuck his neck out”? Frank answers that he “believed some words” and then seems to quote a speech:

"But we aren’t making all this sacrifice of human effort and lives to return to the kind of a world we had after the last world war. We’re fighting to cleanse the world of ancient evils. Ancient ills. "

If we’re to believe Lionel Barrymore’s reaction, the speech was somewhat well-known–at least among soldiers/patriots of the time (no doubt the fact that Rocco sneered at it is supposed to be an overt confirmation of his villainy).

I guess this is probably from one of Roosevelt’s wartime speeches, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere other than in this movie. Anyone care to source it a little better before the hurricane hits? 🙂

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/key-largo-movie-speech-quoted-by-bogart/631165/2 "2012-08-11T05:21:40Z")

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> **[State of the Union Address: Franklin D. Roosevelt (January 6, 1942)](https://www.infoplease.com/primary-sources/government/presidential-speeches/state-union-address-franklin-d-roosevelt-january-6-1942)**
>
> In fulfilling my duty to report upon the State of the Union, I am proud to say to you that the spirit of the American people was never higher than it

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**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/key-largo-movie-speech-quoted-by-bogart/631165/3 "2012-08-11T13:16:51Z")

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the 1942 State of the Union. thx, ignorance fought.

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/key-largo-movie-speech-quoted-by-bogart/631165/4 "2012-08-11T13:21:11Z")

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This could also be the first time the term “United Nations” was used as well. (There was a question to that effect on Jeopardy! not long ago.)

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/key-largo-movie-speech-quoted-by-bogart/631165/5 "2012-08-11T13:39:53Z")

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> [@terentii](#):
>
> This could also be the first time the term “United Nations” was used as well. (There was a question to that effect on Jeopardy! not long ago.)

Also the list of Four Freedoms.