Bye-Bye, Bogey

By Jeff Little

He started his film career in the 20's. He established himself as a world-class actor in the 30's. Throughout the 40's he became one of the most famous film stars of all time. But it was in the 1950's that the world said, "Goodbye" to Humphrey Bogart.

Bogart was born Humphrey DeForest Bogart in New York City on Christmas Day, 1899. His father was a Manhattan surgeon who planned for his son to also attend medical school. But young Humphrey Bogart had other plans.

In 1918, Bogart briefly attended the Andover Academy in Massachusetts before joining the Navy. Having acquired a good deal of life experience (and the trademark scarring of his upper lip) in the Navy, he moved on to pursue his true calling.

Bogart began his film career in 1920 with an unaccredited bit part in a film called Life. After several unremarkable years working in theater, Bogart was finally seen again on screen in 1930, appearing in John Ford's Up the River.

The 30's saw several stage and screen roles for Bogart, but it was 1936 that marked his true breakthrough. First on stage, then on screen, Bogart's portrayal of the ill-fated Duke Mantee in The Petrified Forest brought him not only critical acclaim, but a flood of offers from Hollywood.

Twenty-four films followed The Petrified Forest, with Bogart playing a variety of tough guys and becoming more and more engrained in the public consciousness as his success grew steadily and carried him into the 1940's. Considered by most to be his prime, the 40's featured Bogart in some of the most memorable screen roles of all time.

Truly golden years for Humphrey Bogart, the 1940's found him appearing in some of the greatest films of all time. Within the ten-year span, Bogart's immense talent helped craft such celluloid gems as High Sierra (1941), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) and a host of others.

The 40's had produced an impressive body of work and an Academy Award nomination for Bogart in Casablanca. And even though "Bogey" didn't claim the Oscar, he did manage to win an even bigger prize in 1945.

The marriage of Humphrey Bogart and legendary actress Lauren Bacall produced two children and a true Hollywood-style happy ending. Their marriage (Bogart's fourth) lasted through the rest of his life.

Still going strong in the 1950's, Bogart became more famous than ever before. Thanks to a new generation of fans, television's airing of classic films and his life-long work ethic driving him to even greater heights, Bogart was bigger than ever during the rock 'n' roll decade.

The African Queen (1951) won Bogart a well-deserved Best Actor Academy Award in a decade that also featured great performances by "Bogey" in films like Sabrina (1954) and 1954's The Caine Mutiny (which won him yet another Oscar nomination). Sadly, the 50's also marked Bogart's passing.

Humphrey Bogart died of cancer on January 14, 1957. But thanks to the enduring nature of his work, we never have to truly say, "Bye-Bye, Bogey."

 

Go to Rewind the Fifties Home