Humphrey Bogart

EARLY YEARS

Humphrey Bogart, the original essence of the silver screen tough guy, was a present delivered to earth on Christmas Day in 1899. Although born into a fairly affluent family in New York City, Bogart had a difficult time following in the footsteps of his bourgeoisie parents. He gained admittance into the prestigious Phillips Academy due to a family connection, but he would be later be expelled because of poor academics and a general distain for the culture. With little coming his way career-wise, Bogart joined the Navy. He served as a ship's gunner and, after Armistice was signed, he ferried troops back from Europe. By all accounts, he is remembered as a model sailor. It is also during this time that Bogart acquired a small injury on his upper lip that would lead to his trademark scar and lisp that subsequently became part of his distinct on-screen persona.

POST-WAR / GO-TO CRIMINAL ACTOR

After the war Bogart returned to New York and managed to get a job in show business through an old friend. He worked in screenwriting, direction and production before landing a steady gig as a stage manager. He then began to appear on stage in minor roles. Enjoying the late hours and laid-back lifestyle of acting, Bogart decided to pursue performing as a career. He accepted any role that came his way, working steadily to better his craft. However, when Black Friday hit, stage parts became few and far between and Bogie decided to give Hollywood a shot. His first film credit was a short entitled The Dancing Town, starring opposite Helen Hayes. Through the early thirties, Bogie shuttled between New York and California, continuing to play bit roles on both the stage and screen. Although he was signed to a contract with Fox Film Corporation in 1930, it would not be until 1934 on the stage that Bogie would have his breakout performance. The play was The Petrified Forrest by Robert Sherwood, where Bogart played escaped killer Duke Mantee. Bogart's slumped physical demeanor, menacing body language and cold eyes so embodied the role of villain, that rumor has it that the audience often gasped in terror at the first sight of him. Two years later Bogart would reprise the role in the film adaption and solidity his niche as Hollywood's go-to criminal actor. At this point, Bogart was signed to Warner Brother Studios and some of his best criminal roles included The Great O'Malley, San Quentin, The Roaring Twenties, and Crime School.

BREAKING TYPECAST / LEADING MAN

Bogart began to grow tired of being typecast, feeling limited by playing the same character in every film. However, that would all soon change. In 1941, over a decade after his first trek to Hollywood, Bogart finally established himself as a bankable leading man playing yet another convict in High Sierra. Later that year, Bogie would finally rid himself of the criminal stereotype, starring in The Maltese Falcon as the slick, honorable private detective Sam Spade. The film was a hit, proving Bogart's versatility as an actor and marking the first of his many collaborations with director John Huston. Bogart once again proved his versatility as an actor playing American expatriate Rick Blaine in the 1942 romantic, wartime drama Casablanca. The film became one of he most beloved films in the Hollywood lexicon and for his efforts, Bogart was nominated for his first Academy Awarded. The role proved Bogart could be both tough as nails and the vulnerable love interest, opening even more doors for him.

WORLD WAR II / LAUREN BACALL / TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE

Due to his age, Bogart was ineligible to serve in World War II. He was, however, a frequent guest at the Hollywood Canteen. He would also go on USO and War Bond tours with his then-wife Virginia Mayo, traveling to places such as Italy, Algeria and even Casablanca. Bogart would meet his next wife, Lauren Bacall, while filming the Howard Hawks classic To Have and Have Not. The pair would go on to make three more films together (The Big Sleep, Dark Passage and Key Largo). Their on-and-off-screen romance solidified their spot as one of Hollywood's legendary screen couples, ranking along with Loy and Powell, and Astaire and Rogers. In 1947, Bogart would reunite with director John Huston to star in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. With no love interest or happy ending, the film was a risk. Although Huston won the Oscar for Best Director and his father, Walter Huston, won for Best Supporting Actor, the film performed lukewarm at the Box-office. Today the film is considered one of Bogart's best.

LATER CAREER / OSCAR

In 1951 Bogart starred opposite Katharine Hepburn in the John Huston film The African Queen, playing against type as the gin guzzling, working class boat captain, Charlie Allnut. The casting proved to be a success and Bogie would go on to win his only Oscar for the role. Later that year, Bogart would give one of his darkest performances as writer/possible murderer Dixon Steele in the Nicolas Ray film, In a Lonely place. When Bogart accepted the role of Captain Queeg in 1954's The Caine Mutiny, his health was already on the decline. Although cantankerous, Bogart remained ever the professional on set and gave his most layered performance to date. Bogart also starred in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's romantic drama The Barefoot Contessa and Billy Wilder's romantic comedy Sabrina. In 1956, Bogart would release his final film, The Harder They Fall. Having been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, Bogart passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 14th, 1957 in his Hollywood home.

BOGART / BACALL FILMS:

Despite their iconic on-screen and off-screen chemistry Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart only made FOUR films together: To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947), and Key Largo (1948). They also appeared in one television show together: Producers? Showcase Petrified Forest (1955).