For all the accolades accorded Humphrey Bogart in this A&E Biography, I had to wonder why it took seventeen years to get around to it. Bogie was the quintessential star, and maybe Hollywood's first anti-hero both on and off screen. This short documentary traces Humphrey Bogart's life and film career, and for those who aren't familiar with the actor, it's a fairly good introduction. Having seen virtually all of Bogart's films, and read a number of books about him, there wasn't a lot new offered here, although a couple of trivia items came across as interesting. Upon the birth of Bogart and Lauren Bacall's first child, Bogie had a bet going with President Harry Truman as to the gender of the child. He lost when it turned out to be a boy, and in a gracious gesture, the President returned Bogie's twenty dollar check and advised him to take out a savings bond for his new son Stephen. Art Linkletter relates a story about his next door neighbor having dogs that barked too loudly and at one point called the police, but upon arrival and seeing who the home owner was, decided that perhaps Linkletter might reconsider filing a complaint.
There's also a story about the formation of the original Rat Pack, headed by Humphrey Bogart, which included Judy Garland, David Niven, Frank Sinatra, and Lauren Bacall. After a five day Hollywood bender, the much younger Bacall remarked that the worn out, tired bunch looked just like a 'rat pack', and the name stuck. Upon Bogart's death in 1957, Sinatra took over and added his own set of buddies, like Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop and Dean Martin, probably the better known group of actors to honor the name.
Though Bacall was married to Bogart for fourteen years at the time of his death, it's less well known that the actor was married three previous times, all to actresses - Helen Mencken, Mary Philips, and Mayo Methot. Each marriage was troubled by the career aspirations of both parties, and in the case of Methot, by extreme jealousy. The 'Battling Bogarts' became legendary for the public spats they got into, and the tempestuous marriage only lasted seven years.
Interspersed throughout the documentary are personal acknowledgements from folks like Linkletter, Evelyn Keyes, Chazz Palminteri, Martin Scorsese, and sometimes Bogart impersonator, Robert Sacchi. Stephen Bogart is also on hand for some commentary on both his mother and father. Film clips from some of Bogie's films are part of the program, from the actor's earliest pictures to the ones that he's best known for, like "Casablanca: and "African Queen". It's a competent documentary for the uninitiated, and even for long time fans to catch up on aspects of his career. It goes without saying that the actor who died much too young at fifty seven, left an enduring impact on movies that will be remembered for a very long time.
There's also a story about the formation of the original Rat Pack, headed by Humphrey Bogart, which included Judy Garland, David Niven, Frank Sinatra, and Lauren Bacall. After a five day Hollywood bender, the much younger Bacall remarked that the worn out, tired bunch looked just like a 'rat pack', and the name stuck. Upon Bogart's death in 1957, Sinatra took over and added his own set of buddies, like Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop and Dean Martin, probably the better known group of actors to honor the name.
Though Bacall was married to Bogart for fourteen years at the time of his death, it's less well known that the actor was married three previous times, all to actresses - Helen Mencken, Mary Philips, and Mayo Methot. Each marriage was troubled by the career aspirations of both parties, and in the case of Methot, by extreme jealousy. The 'Battling Bogarts' became legendary for the public spats they got into, and the tempestuous marriage only lasted seven years.
Interspersed throughout the documentary are personal acknowledgements from folks like Linkletter, Evelyn Keyes, Chazz Palminteri, Martin Scorsese, and sometimes Bogart impersonator, Robert Sacchi. Stephen Bogart is also on hand for some commentary on both his mother and father. Film clips from some of Bogie's films are part of the program, from the actor's earliest pictures to the ones that he's best known for, like "Casablanca: and "African Queen". It's a competent documentary for the uninitiated, and even for long time fans to catch up on aspects of his career. It goes without saying that the actor who died much too young at fifty seven, left an enduring impact on movies that will be remembered for a very long time.
