Lauren Bacall

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Biography

Betty Joan Perske, better known as Lauren Bacall, was a Golden Globe– and Tony Award–winning, as well as Academy Award–nominated, American film and stage actress and model. Known for her husky voice and sultry looks, she became a fashion icon in the 1940s and has continued acting to the present day.She is perhaps best known for being a film noir leading lady in films such as The Big Sleep (1946) and Dark Passage (1947), as well as a comedienne, as seen in 1953's How to Marry a Millionaire. Bacall also enjoyed success starring in the Broadway musicals Applause in 1970 and Woman of the Year in 1981.

  • Real name
  • Betty Joan Weinstein Perske
  • Name variations
  • Bacall
  • Primary profession
  • Actress·soundtrack
  • Country
  • United States
  • Nationality
  • American
  • Gender
  • Female
  • Birth date
  • 16 September 1924
  • Place of birth
  • New York· New York
  • Death date
  • 2014-08-12
  • Death age
  • 90
  • Place of death
  • 2014-8-12
  • Cause of death
  • Natural causes
  • Children
  • Stephen Humphrey Bogart·Sam Robards
  • Spouses
  • Jason Robards·Humphrey Bogart
  • Education
  • American Academy of Dramatic Arts
  • Knows language
  • English language
  • Member of
  • Democratic Party

Music

Movies

TV

Books

Awards

Trivia

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#6).

Ranked #20 in the AFIs top 25 Actress Legends.

(October 1997) Ranked #11 in Empire magazines "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Mother of actor Sam Robards , Stephen H. Bogart and Leslie Bogart.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

Bacall lived in the same New York apartment building (The Dakota) as Beatle John Lennon when he was shot and later died on December 8, 1980. When interviewed on the subject in a recent British television program hosted by former model Twiggy , Bacall said she had heard the gunshot but assumed that it was a car tire bursting or a vehicle backfiring.

Was crowned "Miss Greenwich Village" in 1942.

Used her mothers maiden name of Bacal, but added an extra "L" when she entered the cinema.

Shortly after Humphrey Bogart s death, she announced her engagement to Frank Sinatra to the press. Sinatra promptly backed out.

Her screen persona was totally based and modeled after Howard Hawks s wife, Slim. She even uses her name in To Have and Have Not .

Those close to her called her by her real first name, "Betty".

Still undiscovered, Bacall volunteered as a hostess at the New York chapter of the Stage Door Canteen, working Monday nights when theaters were closed.

Having lost her job as a showroom model and quit acting school for lack of funds, the teenage Bacall found work as a Broadway theater usher. George Jean Nathan voted her the prettiest usher of the 1942 season in the pages of "Esquire".

She was an only child of William Perske and Natalie Weinstein-Bacal.

Is one of the initial "Rat Pack" with Humphrey Bogart , Frank Sinatra , Irving Paul Lazar (aka "Swifty" Lazar) and their close friends.

Won a Tony Award for her role as Margo Channing in the Broadway production of "Applause", a musical based on the movie, All About Eve . It was presented by Walter Matthau.

With late husband Humphrey Bogart , had a kind of vocal disorder named after her. "Bogart-Bacall syndrome" (or BBS) is a form of muscle tension dysphonia most common in professional voice users (actors, singers, television/radio presenters, etc.) who habitually use a very low speaking pitch. BBS is more common among women than men and has been blamed on "social pressure on professional women to compete with men in the business arena".

Had starred, with her husband Humphrey Bogart , on the syndicated radio program "Bold Venture" (1951-52). Her characters name was Sailor Duval.

Actress Kathleen Turner had often been compared to Bacall. When Turner and Bacall met, Turner reportedly introduced herself to Bacall by saying "Hi, Im the young you.".

Her autobiography, "By Myself", won a National Book Award in 1980.

Was good friends with: Angela Lansbury , Bea Arthur , Julie London , Eve Arden , Virginia Mayo , John Wayne , Humphrey Bogart , Charles Boyer , Dorothy Malone , Mickey Rooney , Gregory Peck , Dirk Bogarde , Marilyn Monroe , Maureen OHara , Joan Rivers , Kirk Douglas , Edward Platt , Robert Stack , Bob Hope , Frank Sinatra , Sammy Davis Jr. , Dean Martin , Katharine Hepburn , Maggie Smith , James Garner , Elizabeth Taylor , Anjelica Huston , Carol Channing , Carol Burnett , Dick Cavett , Doris Day , Jason Robards , June Allyson , Tammy Grimes , Dan Seymour , Ingrid Bergman and Spencer Tracy.

Her marriage to Humphrey Bogart occurred at the Pleasant Valley area of Richland County, Ohio home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Louis Bromfield , Malabar Farm (4 miles southeast of Lucas within Monroe Township). The home is now an Ohio State Park.

Had won two Tony Awards as Best Actress : in 1970, for her role as Margo Channing in "Applause", a musical based on the movie, All About Eve ; and in 1981, for "Woman of the Year", also based on a movie of the same name, Woman of the Year . Her Tony for "Applause" was presented by Walter Matthau.

A well respected actress for the past sixty years, she had only been nominated once for an Academy Award. She was 73 when she was nominated for The Mirror Has Two Faces .

Her appearance on a cover of Harpers Bazaar magazine at 18 years of age led to her first film role; she was spotted by the wife of director Howard Hawks , who gave her a screen test and cast her in To Have and Have Not . The role was actually based on and named for Hawks wife at that time, Nancy Gross "Slim" Hawks. She repeated this "tribute" in Prt--Porter , produced just a short time after "Slim" Hawks (name at the time of death: Nancy "Slim" Keith, Lady Keith) died, playing a character named Slim Chrysler, and released to theaters fifty years after the premier of To Have and Have Not .

Was mentioned along with late husband Humphrey Bogart in the 1981 song "Key Largo" ("We had it all, just like Bogie and Bacall").

Laurens father, William Perske, was born in New Jersey, to Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. Laurens mother, Natalie Weinstein-Bacal, was a Romanian Jewish immigrant.

Son Stephen H. Bogart was born on January 6, 1949. He was named after father Humphrey Bogart s character from To Have and Have Not .

Daughter Leslie Bogart was born on August 23, 1952. She was named after actor Leslie Howard , who helped Humphrey Bogart get his breakthrough role in the play, The Petrified Forest .

Son Sam Robards was born December 16, 1961 with second husband Jason Robards. Bacalls longtime friend Katharine Hepburn , was his godmother.

She made two movies with John Wayne , Blood Alley and The Shootist . In the earlier film, during production, Bacalls husband at the time, Humphrey Bogart , was dying of throat cancer. When she made the latter film with Wayne, he had lost a lung to cancer twelve years earlier, which mirrored the fate of his character in the story.

According to her autobiography, "By Myself and Then Some", she was always very self-conscious about the size of her feet, which she describes as big even for a woman of her exceptional height.

In Italy, she was dubbed by Clelia Bernacchi at the beginning of her career, then in most cases by Lydia Simoneschi. Franca Dominici , Renata Marini and Anna Miserocchi also lent their voice to Bacall at some point.

She was 17 when she met and became close friends with Gregory Peck. She was an usherette at the time. They remained close until his death.

She was dismissed by Howard Hawks because she had a high nasal voice, but she spent two weeks developing her voice and, when she came back to visit Hawks two weeks later, she had a deep husky voice.

When Howard Hawks discovered her, he gave her the choice to work with either Cary Grant or Humphrey Bogart. Bacall was very tempted to work with Grant, but Hawks ended up casting her with Bogart in To Have and Have Not , and one of Hollywoods greatest romances was started.

She was close friends with Dirk Bogarde. Bacall had visited him at his home in London the day before he died in May 1999.

At the funeral for her husband, Humphrey Bogart , she put a whistle in his coffin. It was a reference to the famous line she says to him in their first film together To Have and Have Not : "You know how to whistle, dont you? You just put your lips together and blow.".

Campaigned for Harry S. Truman in the 1948 presidential election.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

She was awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California on January 10, 1997.

Humphrey Bogart campaigned for her to star alongside him as Laurel Gray in In a Lonely Place , but the role was, instead, given to Gloria Grahame.

One of the auditoriums in Tuckwood cineplex in Belgrade, Serbia bears her name.

Was referenced in the stage and movie versions of the musical "Evita" in the song, "Rainbow High": "Im their Savior! Thats what they call me, so Lauren Bacall me. Anything goes!".

Was the second name entered on IMDB, just after Fred Astaire (nm0000001) and just before Brigitte Bardot (nm0000003).

Returned to work 6 months after giving birth to her daughter Leslie Bogart in order to begin filming How to Marry a Millionaire .

According to her autobiography, "By Myself and Then Some", Bacall lost her virginity to future husband Humphrey Bogart at age 19 when they began an affair in February 1944.

Along with Veronica Lake , Julie London and Rita Hayworth , she was one of four inspirations that helped compose the character Jessica Rabbit.

Gave birth to her first child at age 24, a son Stephen H. Bogart on January 6, 1949. Childs father was her first husband, Humphrey Bogart.

Gave birth to her second child at age 27, a daughter Leslie Bogart on August 23, 1952. Childs father was her first husband, Humphrey Bogart.

Gave birth to her third child at age 37, a son Sam Robards on December 16, 1961. Childs father was her second [now ex] husband, Jason Robards.

She originally wanted and intended to be a dancer having attended ballet classes since infancy but in adolescence was drawn to acting.

When she was age 6, her parents divorced and her mother adopted the surname Bacal. Lauren added an L to it to avoid her name rhyming with crackle.

Her father was a medical instrument salesman and her mother was a secretary.

She was educated through the expense of wealthy uncles at Highland Manor, a private boarding school in Tarrytown, New York and Julia Richman High School in Manhattan.

Inspired by seeing Bette Davis in films, she enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where she went out with Kirk Douglas , who was there on a scholarship. As girls were not accepted for scholarships, she was forced to leave after a year and got a job modeling swim wear then gowns while in the evenings she worked as an usherette.

Following her death, she was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Quotes

I never believed marriage was a lasting institution. I thought that to,be married for five years was to be married forever.

I was this flat-chested, big-footed, lanky thing.

I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of,that.

On imagination: Imagination is the highest kite that can fly.

[on "Shock Treatmenr"] A nightmare!",[on "Confidential Agent"] A very bad experience for Boyer and myself. He,was wonderful. But Herman Schumin, who directed, knew nothing about,movies. He gave me terrible direction, if any. It was just a nightmare.

Schumlin did nothing to help. The press killed me - after building me,into this combination of Gabo and Dietrich and Mae West and,God-knows-who. Sddenly I became this nothing. I spent the next 20 years,building myself back up to where I had any confidence at all in what I,could do.

[on "The Cobweb"] We used to kid about that while making it; the movie,was about the God-damned drapes. Vincente was a marvelous man, but,totally visual. He was not so interested in actors.

[on Michael Curtiz] His great talent was moving the camera around.

"Bright Leaf" was a joke, but I was thrilled to work with Cooper.

"Young Man," I thought was pretty good though Mike Curtiz was not the,ideal director for the Bix Beiderbecke story.

Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete. If you’re alive, it isn’t.

Imagination is the highest kite that can fly.

I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.

Childhood anxieties, childhood fears, never disappear entirely. They fade, but not away.

I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.

Imagination is the highest kite that can fly.

A famous love story is hard to maintain when you both live in the spotlight.

Patience was not my strong point.

We live in an age of mediocrity.

Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.

I am not a has-been. I am a will be.

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