Bacall, Lauren 1924–
BACALL, Lauren 1924–
PERSONAL
Original name, Betty Joan Perske; born September 16, 1924, in New York, NY; daughter of William (in sales) and Natalie (a secretary; maiden name, Bacal) Perske; married Humphrey Bogart (an actor), May 21, 1945 (died, January 14, 1957); married Jason Robards (an actor), July 4, 1961 (divorced, September 10, 1969); children: (first marriage) Stephen Humphrey (a television producer), Leslie Howard (daughter; a nurse and yoga teacher); (second marriage) Sam (an actor). Education: Studied acting at American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 1941. Avocational Interests: Fashion, tennis, swimming, needlepoint.
Addresses: Agent —Joel Dean, Agency for the Performing Arts, 9200 Sunset Blvd., Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Manager —Johnnie Planco, Untitled Entertainment, 23 East 22nd St., Third Floor, New York, NY 10010.
Career: Actress. Worked as a model, 1942–43, and appeared on magazine covers; appeared in advertisements, including commercials for Carnival Cruise Lines, Arby's restaurants, Fancy Feast cat food, and Tuesday Morning retail stores; appeared in print advertisements with Humphrey Bogart. Stage Door Canteen, New York City, worked as a volunteer hostess; pageant contestant and named Miss Greenwich Village, 1942; also worked as a theatre usher. Nicknames include Baby and the Look.
Member: Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Players Club.
Awards, Honors: Golden Laurel Award nomination, top female star, 1958; Golden Laurel Award nomination, top female comedy performance, 1958, for Designing Woman; Award for Achievement, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 1963; Medallion of Recognition for contribution to international fashion, Harper's Bazaar, 1966; named Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Harvard University, 1967; Antoinette Perry Award, best actress in a musical, Drama Desk Award, best actress in a musical, and New York Drama Critics Award, best female lead in a musical, all 1970, Evening Standard Award, 1973, and Sarah Siddons Award, outstanding actress, Sarah Siddons Society, 1975, all for Applause; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding single performance by an actress in a leading role, 1973, for Applause; Film Award nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, best actress, 1977, for The Shootist; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actress in a drama series, 1980, for "Lions, Tigers, Monkeys, and Dogs," The Rockford Files; National Book Award for biography, National Book Foundation, 1980, for Lauren Bacall: By Myself; Antoinette Perry Award, best actress in a musical, 1981, and Sarah Siddons Award, outstanding actress 1983, both for Woman of the Year; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding informational special, 1988, for "Bacall on Bogart," Great Performances; George Eastman Award, distinguished achievement in film, 1990; Career Achievement Award, National Board of Review, 1991; Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award, San Sebastian International Film Festival, 1992; Cecil B. DeMille Award, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1993, for career achievement; National Board of Review Award (with others), best ensemble performance, 1994, for Pret–a–Porter; honorary Cesar Award, Academie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema, 1995; decorated commander, French Order of Arts and Letters, 1995; San Diego Film Critics Society Award and Actor Award, both best supporting actress, 1996, Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture, Screen Actors Guild Award, outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role, Academy Award nomination, best actress in a supporting role, Film Award nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, best performance by an actress in a supporting role, and Golden Satellite Award nomination, International Press Academy, best supporting actress in a motion picture comedy or musical, all 1997, all for The Mirror Has Two Faces; Lifetime Achievement Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association, 1997; Berlinale Camera Award, Berlin International Film Festival, 1997; honoree, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1997; named one of the "top 100 movie stars of all time," by Empire magazine, Great Britain, 1997; Lifetime Achievement Award, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 1998; inducted into Theatre Hall of Fame, 1998; honorary degree, Columbia University, 1998; Lifetime Achievement Award, Stockholm Film Festival, 2000; received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; named one of the "top twenty–five actress legends," American Film Institute.
CREDITS
Film Appearances:
Marie "Slim" Browning, To Have and Have Not, Warner Bros., 1944.
Rose Cullen, Confidential Agent, Warner Bros., 1945.
Vivian Sternwood Rutledge, The Big Sleep, Warner Bros., 1946.
(Uncredited) Two Guys from Milwaukee (also known as Royal Flush ), Warner Bros., 1946.
Irene Jansen, Dark Passage, Warner Bros., 1947.
Herself in photograph, Hollywood Wonderland (short musical film), Warner Bros., 1947.
Nora Temple, Key Largo, Warner Bros., 1948.
Amy North, Young Man with a Horn (also known as Young Man of Music and Young Man with a Trumpet ), Warner Bros., 1950.
Sonia Kovac, Bright Leaf, Warner Bros., 1950.
Elizabeth Burns, Woman's World (also known as A Woman's World ), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1953.
Cathy Grainger, Blood Alley (also known as William A. Wellman's Blood Alley ), Warner Bros., 1954.
Schatze Page, How to Marry a Millionaire, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1954.
Meg Faversen Rinehart, The Cobweb, Metro–Goldwyn– Mayer, 1955.
(Uncredited) Herself, 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration (short film), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1955.
Lucy Moore Hadley, Written on the Wind, Universal, 1956.
Marilla Brown Hagen, Designing Woman, Metro– Goldwyn–Mayer, 1957.
Julie Beck, The Gift of Love, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1958.
Catherine Wyatt, North West Frontier (also known as Flame over India ), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1960.
Dr. Edwina Beighley, Shock Treatment, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1964.
Sylvia Broderick, Sex and the Single Girl, Warner Bros., 1964.
Elaine Sampson, Harper (also known as The Moving Target ), Warner Bros., 1966.
(Uncredited) Actress in television movie, Point Blank, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1967.
(Uncredited; in archive footage) I due Kennedy, 1969.
Mrs. Harriet Belinda Hubbard, Murder on the Orient Express, Paramount, 1974.
Bond Rogers, The Shootist, Paramount, 1976.
Esther Brill, HealtH (also known as H.E.A.L.T.H. ), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1980.
Sally Ross, The Fan, Paramount, 1981.
The Great Muppet Caper, Universal, 1981.
Lady Westholme, Appointment with Death, Cannon, 1988.
Mrs. Amelia Cranston, Mr. North, Samuel Goldwyn, 1988.
Marcia Sindell, Misery, Columbia, 1990.
Marsha Archdale, Innocent Victim (also known as Tree of Hands ), Castle Hill/Academy Home, 1990.
Lillian Brooks, All I Want for Christmas, Paramount, 1991.
A Star for Two, 1991.
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Christelle, La classe americaine, 1993.
Lisa, A Foreign Field (also known as We Shall Meet Again ), 1993, also broadcast on BBC, 1993, later Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1994.
Slim Chrysler, Pret–a–Porter (also known as Pret–a– Porter: Ready to Wear and Ready to Wear ), Mira-max, 1994.
Hannah Morgan, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Sony Pictures Entertainment/TriStar, 1996.
Herself, The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story (documentary; also known as The Line King and The Line King: Al Hirschfeld ), Castle Hill, 1996.
Margaret Kramer, My Fellow Americans, Warner Bros., 1996.
Sonia, Le jour et la nuit (also known as Day and Night and El dia y la noche ), President Films, 1997.
Howard Hawks: American Artist, 1997.
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's (documentary), Northern Arts Entertainment, 1997.
Countess Camilla Volta, The Venice Project, Terra Film, 1999.
Herself, Get Bruce!, Miramax, 1999.
Mado Remei, Presence of Mind (also known as El celo ), Cargo Films, 1999.
Sin–Dee, Diamonds (also known as Sundowning ), Miramax, 1999.
Voice of Madame Lacroque, Madeline: Lost in Paris (animated), Buena Vista, 1999.
(Uncredited; in archive footage) The Rat Pack, New Video, 1999.
Johnny Hit and Run Pauline, 1999.
Ma Ginger, Dogville, Lions Gate Films, 2003.
May, The Limit (also known as Gone Dark ), Screen Media Ventures, 2003.
Eleanor, Birth, Fine Line, 2004.
Voice of Posche, Firedog, Entertainment Consulting Group, 2004.
Manderley, Lions Gate Films, 2005.
Television Appearances; Series:
Host, The General Motors Playwrights Theatre, Arts and Entertainment, 1991–1993.
Television Appearances; Miniseries:
CBS: On the Air, CBS, 1978.
Hollywood Women, Carlton Television and ITV, 1994.
(Uncredited; in archive footage as a protester) The Fifties, History Channel, 1997.
(Uncredited; in archive footage as a protester) Cold War, CNN, 1998.
The older Doris Duke, Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke, CBS, 1999.
Television Appearances; Movies:
Lizzie Martin, Perfect Gentlemen, CBS, 1978.
Carlotta Vance, Dinner at Eight, TNT, 1989.
Beatrix Coltrane, A Little Piece of Sunshine, London Weekend Television, 1990.
Fanny Church, The Portrait (also known as Painting Churches ), TNT, 1993.
Lisa, A Foreign Field (also known as We Shall Meet Again ), BBC, 1993, later Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1994.
The Parallax Garden, 1993.
Television Appearances; Specials:
Herself, "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses," Light's Diamond Jubilee, ABC, CBS, NBC, and DuMont, 1954.
Herself, A Star Is Born World Premiere, 1954.
Cohost, "The Light Fantastic, or How to Tell Your Past, Present and Maybe Your Future through Social Dancing" (also known as "The Light Fantastic"), ABC Stage '67, ABC, 1967.
The Paris Collections, 1968.
Margo Channing, Applause, CBS, 1973.
The American Film Institute Tenth Anniversary Special, CBS, 1977.
The Night of the Empty Chairs, PBS, 1978.
Ringmaster, Circus of the Stars "3, CBS, 1979.
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, 1980.
"Woman of the Year," The Barbara Walters Special (also known as The Barbara Walters Special: Woman of the Year ), ABC, 1981.
(In archive footage) Sixty Years of Seduction, 1981.
Night of 100 Stars (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars ), ABC, 1982.
The Wayne Newton Special, ABC, 1982.
Parade of Stars, ABC, 1983.
Host and narrator, "Bacall on Bogart," Great Performances, PBS, 1987.
Secrets Women Never Share, NBC, 1987.
Herself, John Huston (documentary; also known as John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick ), TNT, 1988.
"Bernstein at 70," Great Performances, PBS, 1989.
From the Heart … The First International Very Special Arts Festival, NBC, 1989.
"Richard Burton: In from the Cold," Great Performances, PBS, 1989.
Adlai Stevenson: The Man from Libertyville, PBS, 1990.
"Edward R. Murrow: This Reporter," American Masters, PBS, 1990.
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1990.
That's What Friends Are For, CBS, 1990.
Host, Hope for the Tropics, PBS, 1991.
Host, Kisses, TNT, 1991.
Voice of Freezelda, "The Ice Queen's Mittens," HBO Storybook Musicals (animated), HBO, 1991.
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1991.
The Alistair Cooke Salute, PBS, 1992.
Narrator, "Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music," Great Performances, PBS, 1993.
An American Reunion: New Beginnings, Renewed Hope, HBO, 1993.
Katharine Hepburn: All about Me, TNT, 1993.
"Leonard Bernstein's 75th," A & E Stage, Arts and Entertainment, 1993.
"What Is This Thing Called Love?," The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1993.
(In archive footage) One on One: Classic Television Interviews, 1993.
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1994.
Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, "From the Mixed–Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1995.
Herself, The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1997.
Herself, Bogart: The Untold Story, TNT, 1997.
Honoree, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1997.
Broadway '97: Launching the Tonys, PBS, 1997.
Humphrey Bogart: You Must Remember This …, 1997.
The Music of Kander and Ebb: Razzle Dazzle, PBS, 1997.
(Uncredited) Sports on the Silver Screen, 1997.
Narrator, Etosha, Africa's Untamed Wilderness, PBS, 1998.
Narrator, The Man Who Had Everything, PBS, 1998.
(In archive footage) Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary: No Guts, No Glory, 1998.
Host, Radio City Music Hall: The Story behind the Showplace, American Movie Classics, 1999.
A Conversation with Gregory Peck, TCM, 1999.
Herself, One–on–One with David Frost: Lauren Bacall, Arts and Entertainment, 2000.
(In archive footage) Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, 2000.
Narrator, Greta Garbo: A Lone Star, American Movie Classics, 2001.
(In archive footage) Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days, 2001.
Herself, New York at the Movies, Arts and Entertainment, 2002.
Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:
Presenter, The 23rd Annual Tony Awards, 1969.
The 32nd Annual Tony Awards, 1978.
"The Film Society of Lincoln Center: A Tribute to John Huston," Live from Lincoln Center, 1980.
Presenter, The 35th Annual Tony Awards, 1981.
Host, The American Film Institute Salute to John Huston, CBS, 1983.
The 59th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1987.
The American Film Institute Salute to Gregory Peck, NBC, 1989.
Presenter, The Fifth Annual American Cinema Awards, 1990.
The American Film Institute Salute to Kirk Douglas (also known as The 19th Annual American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Kirk Douglas ), CBS, 1991.
50th Annual Golden Globe Awards, TBS, 1993.
Presenter, The 49th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1995.
Presenter, The 16th Annual CableACE Awards, TNT, 1995.
Presenter, 54th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 1997.
The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997.
Presenter, The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 1998.
Screen Actors Guild Fourth Annual Awards, TNT, 1998.
Presenter, The Fifth Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 1999.
Presenter, The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 1999.
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand, Fox, 2001.
Herself, Nicole Kidman: An American Cinematheque Tribute, American Movie Classics, 2003.
Television Appearances; Episodic:
Herself, The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as Toast of the Town ), CBS, 1951, 1956.
Herself (mystery guest), What's My Line?, CBS, 1953, 1965, 1967.
Person to Person, CBS, 1954.
Gabrielle "Gaby" Maple, "The Petrified Forest," Producers' Showcase, NBC, 1955.
Elvira Condomine, "Blithe Spirit," Ford Star Jubilee, CBS, 1956.
Lorraine Boswell, "A Dozen Deadly Roses," The Du Pont Show of the Week, NBC, 1963.
Virginia Herson, "The Oracle," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1963.
Barbara Lake, "Something to Sing About," Mr. Broadway, CBS, 1964.
Herself, Password, CBS, 1964, 1965.
Amanda/Barbara, "Double Jeopardy," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, NBC, 1965.
Herself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1970, 1974, 1980.
Kendall Warren, "Lions, Tigers, Monkeys, and Dogs: Parts 1 & 2," The Rockford Files, NBC, 1979.
"Gregory Peck—His Own Man," Crazy about the Movies, Cinemax and Showtime, 1988.
Herself, Entertainment Tonight (also known as ET ), syndicated, 1989.
Herself, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1989.
Reflections on the Silver Screen with Professor Richard Brown, American Movie Classics, 1990.
Herself, The Full Wax, BBC, also Arts and Entertainment, 1992.
Herself, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 1994, 1999, 2000.
Herself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1996.
"Oscar Levant: Brilliant Shadow," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1997.
Narrator, Intimate Portrait: Anjelica Houston, Lifetime, 1998.
Samara Visco Klein, "Absent without Leave," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1998.
Samara Visco Klein, "Risky Business," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1998.
Intimate Portrait: Lauren Bacall, Lifetime, 1999.
Narrator, Intimate Portrait: Teri Garr, Lifetime, 2000.
Herself, So Graham Norton, Channel 4, 2000.
Herself, Intimate Portrait: Judy Garland, Lifetime, 2001.
Herself, Liza Minnelli: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2002.
Herself, The View, ABC, 2002.
Appeared in "Humphrey Bogart," "Humphrey Bogart: Behind the Legend," and "Kirk Douglas: A Lust for Life," all episodes of Biography, Arts and Entertainment; interviewer for an episode of Private View, [Great Britain]; also appeared in Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo.
Television Appearances; Pilots:
Catherine, "A Commercial Break," Happy Endings, ABC, 1975.
Stage Appearances:
Johnny Two–by–Four, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1942.
Charlie, Goodbye, Charlie, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1959–1960.
Stephanie, Cactus Flower, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1965–1968, Longacre Theatre, 1968.
Margo Channing, Applause (musical), Palace Theatre, New York City, beginning 1970, then Civic Auditorium, Chicago, IL, 1971, then Toronto, Ontario, Canada, beginning 1971, then Her Majesty's Theatre, London, beginning 1972.
V.I.P. Night on Broadway (benefit performance), Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1979.
Tess Harding, Woman of the Year (musical), Palace Theatre, 1981–1983.
Night of 100 Stars (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars ), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1982.
"Applause" and "Woman of the Year" segments, Parade of Stars Playing the Palace, Palace Theatre, 1983.
Princess Kosmonopolis, Sweet Bird of Youth, Haymarket Theatre Royal, London, 1985, later Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1987.
The Players Club Centennial Salute, Sam S. Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1989.
Angela Lansbury—A Celebration (benefit performance), Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1996.
Lotta Bainbridge, Waiting in the Wings, Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, 1999–2000, then Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 2000.
Major Tours:
Franklin Street, U.S. cities, 1942.
Wonderful Town (musical), 1977.
Tess Harding, Woman of the Year (musical), U.S. cities, 1983–1984.
Princess Kosmonopolis, Sweet Bird of Youth, U.S. and Australian cities, 1986.
Radio Appearances; Series:
Sailor Duvall, Bold Venture, syndicated, 1951–1952.
Radio Appearances; Episodic:
"The Traitor," Theater Guild on the Air (also known as The United States Steel Hour ), ABC, 1952.
RECORDINGS
Videos:
Narrator, Casablanca 50th Anniversary Special: You Must Remember This, 1992.
(In archive footage) Judy Garland's Hollywood, 1997.
Herself, The Best of Film Noir, Passport Video, 1999.
(In archive footage) Pulp Cinema, Image Entertainment, 2001.
Albums; Contributor:
Bing Crosby, The Radio Years, Volumes 1 and 2, Crescendo, 1987.
Broadway Classics, Volume 1, MCA Records, 1991.
Charlie Haden, Always Say Goodbye, Verve, 1993.
Family Circle, 1994.
Bing Crosby, Bing Crosby on Radio in the Thirties (1937–1938), Radio Years, 1995.
Front Row Center: The Broadway Gold Box, MCA Records, 1996.
Follow the Boys/Star Dust/Waterloo Bridge/To Have and Have Not, Great Movie Themes, 1997.
Woman of the Year (soundtrack recording), BMG/Razor & Tie, 1997.
Vocal Selections from Applause, Warner Bros. Publications, 1999.
Audiobooks; Narrator:
Big Blonde and Other Stories, by Dorothy Parker, Durkin Hayes Publishing, 1986.
Lauren Bacall: By Myself, Random House Audiobooks, 1986.
Now, by Lauren Bacall, Random House Audiobooks, 1994.
Harry S Truman: Journey to Independence, by Paul Werth, Soundelux Publishing, 1995.
WRITINGS
Nonfiction:
Author of introduction, Bogie: The Biography of Humphrey Bogart, by Joe Hyams, New American Library, 1966.
Lauren Bacall: By Myself (memoir), Knopf, 1979.
(With Clifford McCarthy) The Complete Films of Humphrey Bogart, Carol Publishing Group, 1985.
Now (memoir), Knopf, 1994.
Author of introduction, Bogart: In Search of My Father, by Stephen Humphrey Bogart, Penguin, 1996.
OTHER SOURCES
Books:
Greenberger, Howard, Bogey's Baby, St. Martin's Press, 1978.
Hyams, Joe, Bogart & Bacall: A Love Story, D. McKay, 1975.
Quirk, Lawrence J., Lauren Bacall: Her Films and Career, Citadel Press, 1990.
Royce, Brenda Scott, Lauren Bacall: A Bio– Bibliography, Greenwood Press, 1992.
Periodicals:
Biography, February, 1999, p. 112.
Empire, October, 1997, p. 189.
Entertainment Weekly, December 6, 1996, pp. 30–32.
Interview, April, 2004, pp. 138–43.
Newsweek, summer, 1998, p. 43; June 28, 1999, p. 50.
New York, October 10, 1994, pp. 58–62.
Parade, November 21, 1999, p. 30.
People Weekly, February 12, 1996, pp. 140–41; March 24, 1997, p. 162; May 12, 1997, p. 107.
Saturday Evening Post, January/February, 1997, pp. 40–42.
Bacall, Lauren
BACALL, Lauren
Nationality: American. Born: Betty Joan Perske in the Bronx, New York, 16 September 1924. Education: Attended Julia Richman High School; American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York. Family: Married 1) the actor Humphrey Bogart, 1945 (died 1957), children: Stephen Humphrey and Leslie Howard; 2) the actor Jason Robards, 1961 (divorced 1973), son: Sam Prideaux. Career: Began modeling, also theater-related odd jobs, early 1940s; made New York stage debut as walk-on in Johnny Two-by-Four, 1942; appeared on Harper's Bazaar cover and attracted attention of director Howard Hawks; signed personal contract with Hawks who changed her name to Lauren Bacall, 1943; made film debut in Hawks's To Have and Have Not with Humphrey Bogart, 1944; contract sold to Warners, mid-1940s; protested against HUAC in Washington with Bogart and other celebrities, 1947; fined and suspended by Warners for failing to accept roles, late 1940s; had first Broadway starring role in Goodbye Charlie, 1959; accepted periodic film roles while making highly successful Broadway appearances, from 1960s. Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Golden Globe, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award, for The Mirror Has Two Faces, 1996. Address: c/o Johnnie Planco, William Morris Agency, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, U.S.A.
Films as Actress:
- 1944
To Have and Have Not (Hawks) (as Marie Browning)
- 1945
Confidential Agent (Shumlin) (as Rose Cullen)
- 1946
Two Guys from Milwaukee (Royal Flush) (Butler) (as herself); The Big Sleep (Hawks) (as Vivian Sternwood Rutledge)
- 1947
The Dark Passage (Daves) (as Irene Jansen)
- 1948
Key Largo (Huston) (as Nora Temple)
- 1950
Young Man with a Horn (Young Man of Music) (Curtiz) (as Amy North); Bright Leaf (Curtiz) (as Sonia Kovac)
- 1953
How to Marry a Millionaire (Negulesco) (as Schatze Page)
- 1954
Woman's World (Negulesco) (as Elizabeth)
- 1955
The Cobweb (Minnelli) (as Meg Paversen Rinehart); Blood Alley (Wellman) (as Cathy)
- 1956
Written on the Wind (Sirk) (as Lucy Moore Hadley)
- 1957
Designing Woman (Minnelli) (as Marilla Hagen)
- 1958
The Gift of Love (Negulesco) (as Julie Beck)
- 1959
Flame over India (Northwest Frontier) (Thompson) (as Catherine Wyatt)
- 1964
Shock Treatment (Denis Sanders) (as Dr. Edwina Beighley); Sex and the Single Girl (Quine) (as Sylvia)
- 1966
Harper (The Moving Target) (Smight) (as Mrs. Elaine Sampson)
- 1974
Murder on the Orient Express (Lumet) (as Mrs. Hubbard)
- 1976
The Shootist (Siegel) (as Bond Rogers)
- 1978
Perfect Gentlemen (Cooper—for TV) (as Lizzie Martin)
- 1980
Health (Altman) (as Esther Brill)
- 1981
The Fan (Bianchi) (as Sally Ross); The Great Muppet Caper (Henson)
- 1988
In from the Cold (Palmer—doc); Mr. North (Danny Huston) (as Mrs. Amelia Cranston); Appointment with Death (Winner) (as Lady Westholme)
- 1989
Dinner at Eight (Lagomarsino—for TV) (as Carlotta Vance)
- 1990
The Tree of Hands (Innocent Victims) (Foster) (as Marsha Archdale); Misery (Rob Reiner) (as Marcia Sindell); Ed Murrow: This Reporter (Steinberg); A Star for Two (Kaufman); A Little Piece of Sunshine (James Clellan Jones—for TV) (as Beatrix Coltrane)
- 1991
All I Want for Christmas (Lieberman) (as Lillian Brooks)
- 1993
The Portrait (Arthur Penn—for TV) (as Fanny Church); A Foreign Field (Sturridge—for TV) (as Lisa); The Parallax Garden (David Trainer—for TV)
- 1994
Ready to Wear (Pret-a-Porter) (Altman) (as Slim Chrysler)
- 1995
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Marcus Cole—for TV) (title role)
- 1996
The Mirror Has Two Faces (Streisand) (as Hannah Morgan); My Fellow Americans (Segal) (as Margaret Kramer)
- 1997
Le Jour et la nuit (Day and Night) (Lévy) (as Sonia)
- 1999
The Venice Project (Dornhelm) (as Countess Camilla Volta); Presence of Mind (Aloy); Diamonds (Asher) (as Sin-Dee); Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke (Erman—mini for TV) (as elderly Doris Duke)
- 2000
Johnny Hit and Run Pauline (Efrosini Lellios)
Publications
By BACALL: books—
Lauren Bacall by Myself, New York, 1979.
Now, New York, 1994.
By BACALL: articles—
"No Chicken for Bacall," interview with P. Ast, in Inter/View (New York), November 1972.
"Brève recontre avec Lauren Bacall," interview with A. Lacombe, in Ecran (Paris), June/July 1975.
"All about Betty," interview with Kevin P. Buckley, in Interview (New York), March 1988.
"What Becomes a Legend Most," interview with James Kaplan, in New York, 10 October 1994.
On BACALL: books—
Goodman, Ezra, Bogey: The Good-Bad Guy, New York, 1965.
Huston, John, An Open Book, New York, 1972.
Hyams, Joe, Bogart and Bacall: A Love Story, New York, 1975.
Greenberger, Howard, Bogey's Baby, London, 1976.
Parish, James, The Forties Gals, Westport, Connecticut, 1980.
Quirk, Lawrence J., Lauren Bacall: Her Films and Career, Secaucus, New Jersey, 1986.
Royce, Brenda Scott, Lauren Bacall: A Bio-Bibliography, New York, 1992.
On BACALL: articles—
Hagen, Ray, "Lauren Bacall," in Films in Review (New York), April 1964.
Current Biography 1970, New York, 1970.
Thomson, David, "Lauren Bacall: A Look and a Voice," in Close-Ups: The Movie Star Book, edited by Danny Peary, New York, 1978.
Buckley, Michael, "Lauren Bacall," in Films in Review (New York), May/June 1992.
Morris, Bob, "Just Shooting the Breeze," in New York Times, 19 September 1993.
Haskell, Molly, "To Have and Have Not: The Paradox of the Female Star," in American Imago, Winter 1993.
The Advocate (Los Angeles), 27 December 1994.
* * *
Lauren Bacall's rise to fame as a Hollywood star was meteoric. Soon after Mrs. Howard Hawks noticed her on the March 1943 cover of Harper's Bazaar, the 19-year-old model was quickly signed by producer-director Hawks to a seven-year studio contract.
For her first film, To Have and Have Not, Hawks molded the as yet untried actress into the ideal woman of many men of that period—insolent and provocative, yet one who, underneath her femme fatale exterior, really was a "regular Joe." In her first autobiography, Bacall writes that Hawks "wanted to be a Svengali." He created her voice, her manner, her persona, and quite by accident—because in her nervousness she could not keep her head from shaking—"The Look." Her chin was kept low. Her eyes stared up at a curious and fascinated Humphrey Bogart. When Bacall told Bogart her now famous line—"You know how to whistle, don't you Steve? You just put your lips together and blow"—she emerged an overnight sensation.
Her seductive portrayal of Slim in To Have and Have Not captivated audiences—especially male viewers. Her glamour and apparent sophistication were imitated by the women in the audience. Yet writer Moss Hart cautioned the burgeoning star, "You realize, of course, from here on you have nowhere to go but down."
Hart's words proved prophetic. Bacall's phenomenal success was immediately followed by a crashing critical and box-office failure, Confidential Agent. Miscast as a British upper-class ingenue and lacking Hawks's strong directorial support, Bacall floundered. Jack Warner (who had bought her contract from Hawks) attempted to boost her career by building up her role in the already completed The Big Sleep (in which she was again directed by Hawks). Retakes and new scenes were added to this most confusing film, injecting the qualities that had made her famous—primarily her aloof bearing and on-screen chemistry with Bogart (who by that time she had married). Despite its narrative flaws, The Big Sleep was a box-office success, and Bacall was back on top.
During her tenure at Warner Brothers she starred in only seven films—four of them with Bogart. The fan magazines reveled in the Bogart-Bacall relationship, which only added to their growing popularity as a screen team. Nevertheless, Bacall continually fought with Jack Warner over her assignments, rejecting properties she did not feel would advance her career. This resulted in a series of contract suspensions. One disagreement in particular made headlines when the actress announced she could not be cast in the frothy comedy The Girl from Jones Beach because it required her to appear in a bathing suit.
After leaving Warners in 1950, Bacall experimented with a wider range of material, succeeding at both comedy (How to Marry a Millionaire) and high drama (Written on the Wind). Her beloved Bogie died in 1957; four years later, she married Jason Robards Jr., and her screen appearances became even less frequent. It was not until the 1970s, when Bacall made the transition to character actress, that her work in films took on a new direction. While not incapable of offering solid performances (as she did in the John Wayne Western The Shootist), Bacall too often has come to play herself—a sophisticated, cosmopolitan woman of taste—in such films as Mr. North and Ready to Wear.
Concurrent with her film career, she has appeared in series television (The Rockford Files) and television movies (Perfect Gentlemen, Dinner at Eight), and has lent her distinctive voice to many commercials. Her work on stage is noteworthy—particularly her performances in the comedies Cactus Flower and Waiting in the Wings and the musicals Applause and Woman of the Year.
In 1996, Bacall enjoyed a critical resurgence with what was by far her best screen role in years (if not decades). In Barbra Streisand's The Mirror Has Two Faces, she played yet another urban sophisticate, this one a self-centered Manhattanite. But here, the part was meaty, not merely window dressing but a major component of the story. As a result, Bacall won kudos and awards for her knowing performance. Three years later, she appeared to lesser effect as a madam in Diamonds, in which she was teamed with Kirk Douglas. The two had been friends since the 1940s, and their pairing served as a nostalgic nod to the glories of Old Hollywood star power. Today, Bacall remains one of few surviving major stars of the 1940s, having worked in Hollywood's Golden Age with such luminaries as Bogart, Hawks, John Huston, Gary Cooper, Lionel Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson, and Vincente Minnelli. Her two autobiographies, combined with her performance in The Mirror Has Two Faces, serve as the finishing touches to her career. As she nears eighty, Bacall offers proof that you can get old without losing your looks, or your sense of style.
—Joanne L. Yeck, updated by Audrey E. Kupferberg
Bacall, Lauren
BACALL, LAUREN
BACALL, LAUREN (Betty Joan Perske ; 1924– ), U.S. actress. Born in New York, Bacall studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then turned to modeling. She was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar and within one month had a Hollywood contract. At the age of 19, Bacall co-starred in her first film with Humphrey Bogart, whom she married one year later (1945). Bacall made four of her first films with Bogart – To Have And Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947), and Key Largo (1948). She also appeared in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Woman's World (1954), The Cobweb (1955), Blood Alley (1955), and Designing Woman (1957). After Bogart died in 1957, Bacall continued her career in films, which spanned more than half a century and included performances in Written on the Wind (1956), Sex and the Single Girl (1964), Harper (1966), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Shootist (1976), The Fan (1981), Health (1982), Appointment with Death (1988), Mr. North (1988), Tree of Hands (1989), Misery (1990), A Star for Two (1991), Ready to Wear (Pret a Porter) (1995), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), My Fellow Americans (1996), Diamonds (1999), The Venice Project (1999), Presence of Mind (1999), The Limit (2003), Dogville (2003), and Birth (2004).
In 1961 Bacall married actor Jason Robards, Jr. They divorced in 1969. Their son, Sam Robards, is a film and tv actor.
Bacall won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Applause (1970). In 1997 she was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actress in The Mirror Has Two Faces. That same year People magazine chose her as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
Her autobiography, Lauren Bacall by Myself, won a National Book Award in 1980.
In 1994 she wrote a book entitled Now, which is described as "part career memoir and part meditation on what it's like to be a single woman of lingering glamour, enduring vitality, and advancing age."
[Jonathan Licht /
Ruth Beloff (2nd ed.)]