HUMPHREY BOGART Humphrey Bogart

Born: Humphrey DeForest Bogart, December 25, 1899 (New York City, New York, U.S.); died 1957 (Hollywood, California, U.S.). Star qualities: Legendary—the ultimate tough guy, the ultimate movie star who delivers the ultimate lines, the ultimate man; “Bogie”; trademark lisp.

Humphrey Bogart is a legend. Several polls have named him the greatest movie star of all time, including the American Film

1890s Institute in 1999. It is a testament to Bogart’s talents to note that, even by his own admission, most of his performances are

unremarkable, yet he has endured. 1890s Bogart made a handful of classic movies that will always be Top Takes… appreciated. If there is much mediocrity to sit through—and even if, as has been suggested by people such as director John The Harder They Fall 1956 The Desperate Hours 1955 Huston, the actor’s career suffered from his own self-involved We’re No Angels 1955 appropriation of the sharp-tongued, hell-raising, womanizing The Barefoot Contessa 1954 Bogart persona—there is undeniable magic onscreen. As Sabrina 1954 satirized in numerous films and television programs, “Bogie”— The Caine Mutiny 1954 I the nickname given to him by his friend and fellow actor Beat the Devil 1953 Spencer Tracy—is the man all other men aspire to be. The African Queen 1951 H Sirocco 1951 Born the son of a surgeon and a commercial illustrator, In a Lonely Place 1950 Bogart was nearly forty by the time he made an impact as an Knock on Any Door 1949 actor. Not a natural student, he was expelled from the the nocturnal, glamorous lifestyle. After playing minor parts on ABOVE: Bogart looks suave as club owner Key Largo 1948 prestigious Phillips Academy in 1918. He spent time in Broadway, he moved to the big screen. His career throughout Rick Blaine in the classic film, Casablanca. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1948 the Naval Reserve before straying into acting, attracted by the 1930s was undistinguished, filled with more than 30 B-list The Big Sleep 1946 features in which Bogart appeared as a variety of tough guys, To Have and Have Not 1944 Passage to Marseille 1944 gangsters, and stock roles in which he was not capable of Sahara 1943 excelling. Bogart complained that Warners Casablanca 1942 I was handing him the second-tier parts “Acting is like sex: you either do The Maltese Falcon 1941 passed on by big stars like James Cagney. High Sierra 1941 There are exceptions during this period. They Drive by Night 1940 it and don’t talk about it, or you Dead End (1937), Angels with Dirty Faces Dark Victory 1939 Angels with Dirty Faces 1938 (1938), and They Drive by Night (1940) are talk about it and don’t do it.” Dead End 1937 memorable, but Bogart became a star with The Petrified Forest 1936 High Sierra (1941). The film’s cowriter, John Huston, would again use Bogart well in The Maltese Falcon (1941). But the best

RIGHT: Bogart and Peter Lorre look was yet to come. Casablanca (1942) teamed Bogart with Ingrid mournful as captives in Passage to Marseille. Bergman in this beloved and iconic wartime romantic drama.

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The The Beat the Devil (1951), for which he which for (1951), (1950). Place In a Lonely The The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Knock on Any Door (1949) director The African Queen African The Casablanca (1946), may be even better. Bogart and Bacall’s (1948), (1948), Largo Key (1944) and the iconic film noir film iconic the and (1944) Not Have and Have To There There would be other outstanding roles to follow. Bogart (1953). But Bogart’s best performance is company, his own by thriller produced in an underrated won won an Academy Award for Best Actor, and It reunited Bogart with his Nicholas Ray, and the film is a with crisis, haunting, violent in identity masculine and powerfulself-loathing, rage, study of his controlling of incapable screenwriter unstable Bogartan as temper. It disproves the belief that he image for immerse himself in “Bogie” a was character and shed the unable to fully a Otherrole. than the Huston his collaborations, 1950s work is unremarkable. He was happily married in 1957. TC he died of cancer until Bacall, to his fourth wife, (1948), Life and love after But the two subsequent movies that brought Bogart together with director Howard Hawks and Bogart’s real-life love Lauren Bacall, Big Sleep onscreen, chemistry explosive to transferred romance offscreen adding extra scenes. on it by capitalized and Hawks worked with Huston again in Bogart’s charismatic performance as exiled history gave and movie in place his affirmedRick Blaine owner American club him the opportunity to shine in portrayal of a a hardened, cynical man who still found room romantic for lead role. His love and a conscience showed that Bogart had depth as an actor and could play a tough guy struggling with a soft heart. The movie captured the mood emotional dilemmas faced of by the the public at the moment time. It and gave also Bogart the the opportunity to deliver famous some lines ever written of and that the have been most parodied ever since, including “Here’s looking at thought you.” Bogart to have himself had is a hand in screenplays, and has been said this; to have risen out of it the poker is not in the takes. between lessons Bogart Bergman gave draft ogart ogart B B umphrey Bogart original of the was the founder “Rat Pack”—a Hollywood drinking club. In 1950, Bogart paid a late-night visit York Club in New Morocco El the to with his friend Bill Seeman and two Bogart pandas. stuffed demanded giant the and introduced four, a table for later They were “dates.” pandas as their When asked, out after a fight. thrown “Isn’t Bogart replied, drunk?” “Were you everybody in the morning?” at three A keen sailor, he named a boat “Sluggy” “Sluggy” he named a boat A keen sailor, the hot-tempered wife, after his third dubbed couple were The Methot.Mayo in the press. “The Battling Bogarts” Bogart the movie was candid about his criticize was quick to and industry, any “If he isn’t actors and directors. fellow so?” say you can’t why good, He was often at Romanoff’s in Beverly Hills, sporting casual inappropriately and pokingattire fun at the owner. After dining one night at the exclusive dining one night at the exclusive After Bogart Beverly Hills Chasen’s, restaurant the seized Lorre diner Peter and fellow it on to rolled huge safe, restaurant’s see. all to for and left it there the street, • H umphrey • • • • • • Bogart the Hell-raiser from switched should have “I never Humphrey were martinis,” to scotch turn to one Never last words. Bogart’s boisterous a was “Bogie” a drink,down just a are Here in Hollywood. presence his troublemaking of examples antics: few H RIGHT: Bogart and Katharine Hepburn take The African Queen. during filming of The African a break 92

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