"Himself, he never took too seriously-his work, most seriously. He regarded the somewhat gaudy figure of Bogart, the star, with amused cynicism; Bogart, the actor, he held in deep respect," said John Huston. Bogart was the one, old-time movie star that modern day society felt it could trust. To Bogart, it took a life-long career of huge successes before he ever considered himself to be a real man. He had walked in the shadows of the other Broadway superstars, like Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson, as well asTracy and Grant. Yet he seemed to surpass them all with a talent that was so real it had to have come from the heart.

Bogie was noted as unusually quiet; yet onscreen his statements were so loud you almost needed earmuffs to prevent your ears from bleeding in utter amazement at his talent. Although his first few films gave no impressionable credit to audiences, he returned after a short reunion with Broadway. Bogie was born with an impressive, yet not perfected performance, in 1936's "The Petrified Forest".

Humphrey was known for his cast as a gangster in the early thirties, and he was a miscast in romances and westerns. It was 1941's "High Sierra" that brought him back to his feet. Some of the films of his peak years include the credible and magnificent "Maltese Falcon" (1941), "The Big Sleep" (1946),"The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre" (1948), and "In a Lonely Place" (1950). But of course, who could forget his stellar performance in the one and only "Casablanca" (1942). Probably one of the most realistic quotes, when it comes to summing up his persona and his actions, was from a restrauteur, DaveChasen, when he said, "Bogart's a helluva nice guy until around 11:30 p.m. After that, he thinks he's Bogart."

Few were allowed to see the real him, perhaps his fourth wife, but not many others. And through it all only two movies dared to portray the myth; who is the real Bogart? For that daring step, he won an Oscar, with 1951's "The African Queen". He then died, at the age of fifty-seven, much too early for his time, but with nothing left to prove.  (CD)

Tim Holt, Humphrey Bogart, and Walter Huston
in "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" (1948)

MORE ABOUT BOGIE -

* One of the lesser known Broadway performers who taken up a movie studio when sound was added into movies. Bogart's first films did not interest audiences much, so he returned to Broadway. Back on Broadway in 1936, he was cast in 'The Petrified Forest' as a thug called Duke Mantee. This was Bogart's first role that he later became known for.

* Bogart was a different from many other actors in the fact that he was better suited to middle age . Hi s first really big cinema hit was in 1941 with the movie 'High Sierra' in which he played an aging gangster.

* Bogie then went on to have a successful movie career as the rebellious cynic,who has seen and done everything.

* He was married four times, his fourth wife was actress Lauren Bacall.

* Bogart died in 1957 at the age of 57. (KRC)