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Humphrey Bogart, born December
25, 1899, died January 14, 1957. The son of a Manhattan surgeon and a magazine
illustrator Humphrey DeForest Bogart was educated at Phillips Academy in Andover
in preparation for Yale, but he was expelled and joined the U.S. Navy. While
serving he was wounded in the shelling of the Leviathan, the resulting slight
paralysis caused his signature snarl and lisp.
From 1920 to 1922 he managed a stage company owned by a family friend,
performing a variety of tasks at Brady's film studio in New York. He began
regular stage performances, but a critic described his acting as "inadequate".
In 1930 he got a contract with Fox and débuted in a 10 minute short film,
'Broadway's Like That'. However, Fox released him after two years. After five
more years of minor roles, he broke through with 'The Petrified Forest', (1936)
and the movie led to a long-term contract with Warner. "Bogey" received the Best
Actor Academy Award for 'The African Queen', (1951) and nominations for
'Casablanca' (1942) and 'The Caine Mutiny', (1954), a film made when he was
already seriously ill.
Bogart was married three
times, but only his marriage to actress Lauren Bacall lasted. He died in his
sleep at his Hollywood home, following an operation for throat cancer. His
coffin contains a small, gold whistle, put there by Bacall. |