Humphrey Bogart was an American actor and a major figure of Hollywood's Golden Age. He embodied the tough hero—cynical yet upright—in film noir and classics such as Casablanca. He is regarded as one of the greatest legends of American cinema.
Humphrey Bogart(1899 — 1957)
Humphrey Bogart
États-Unis
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« Play it again, Sam.»
Key Facts
- Born on December 25, 1899, in New York and died on January 14, 1957, in Los Angeles
- Played Rick Blaine in Casablanca (1942), a film that became a worldwide cinema classic
- Made his breakthrough in The Maltese Falcon (1941) by John Huston, a cornerstone of film noir
- Won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1952 for The African Queen
- Named the greatest male screen legend of American cinema by the American Film Institute in 1999
Works & Achievements
Gangster role that brought Bogart to a wide audience and truly launched his film career.
He plays detective Sam Spade in a film regarded as one of the founding works of film noir.
His most famous role, Rick Blaine, in an absolute classic blending love and resistance during the war.
The film where he met Lauren Bacall; their on-screen chemistry became legendary.
He plays detective Philip Marlowe, confirming his status as a film noir icon.
Boat captain opposite Katharine Hepburn; this role earned him his only Academy Award for Best Actor.
A notable performance as a tyrannical captain, which earned him an Oscar nomination.
Anecdotes
Humphrey Bogart was born on Christmas Day 1899 in New York. His mother, Maud Humphrey, was a famous illustrator who drew advertisements: baby Humphrey's face is said to have served as the model for an ad for baby food. So Hollywood's future tough guy actually started his career as an advertising baby!
In 1944, on the set of the film *To Have and Have Not*, Bogart, then 44 years old, met a 19-year-old newcomer, Lauren Bacall. It was love at first sight: they married in 1945 and became one of cinema's most famous couples, until the actor's death.
The line “Play it again, Sam” attributed to *Casablanca* was never actually spoken that way in the film. The character really says “Play it, Sam.” It is one of the most misquoted lines in the history of cinema.
Bogart won only one Oscar, the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1952, for *The African Queen*, in which he plays a gruff riverboat captain alongside Katharine Hepburn. Filming took place in Africa under difficult conditions, and part of the crew fell ill.
A great sailing enthusiast, Bogart owned a sailboat named the Santana on which he spent his weekends at sea. He was also an excellent chess player: during the Great Depression, he is said to have earned a little money by playing games against strangers.
Primary Sources
Here's looking at you, kid.
Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'.
In it, Bacall recounts meeting Bogart on set and their love story — a firsthand account from someone close to the actor.
The only thing you owe the public is a good performance.
Key Places
Bogart's birthplace, where he grew up in a well-to-do family on the Upper West Side before starting out on the theater stages of Broadway.
Heart of the American film industry, where Bogart shot most of his movies, notably for the Warner Bros. studio.
An upscale residential neighborhood of Los Angeles where Bogart and Lauren Bacall made their family home.
The region where “The African Queen” was filmed in 1951, under grueling conditions along the African rivers.
A cemetery in the Los Angeles area where Humphrey Bogart rests after his death in 1957.
Typical Objects
A long belted raincoat, worn with the collar turned up. It became the uniform of the detective and the world-weary hero of film noir, most famously in the final scene of Casablanca.
A soft-brimmed felt hat, tilted over the brow. Linked to Bogart's characters, it symbolizes the manly elegance of the 1940s.
Bogart is rarely filmed without a cigarette in his hand or on his lips, a gesture typical of the cinema of the era. This habit proved fatal, as tobacco contributed to the cancer that killed him.
A sailing yacht that Bogart bought in 1945 and enjoyed sailing on weekends. Sailing was his great passion away from the film set.
Bogart was an accomplished chess player; he is said to have played games for money during the Great Depression. He is shown playing chess in several of his films, including Casablanca.
A gilded trophy awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Bogart received one in 1952 as Best Actor for The African Queen, the only award of its kind in his career.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
When filming, Bogart got up early to head to the Warner studios and pass through the hands of the makeup artists and wardrobe staff. Shooting days were long and run like clockwork by the studio system.
Afternoon
Afternoons were spent on the sets, running through take after take under the blazing spotlights. Between scenes, the actor liked to play chess or chat with the technical crew.
Evening
In the evening, Bogart frequented the restaurants and clubs of Hollywood, where the scandal press lay in wait for the stars. Above all, he enjoyed quiet nights at home with Lauren Bacall and their friends.
Food
Like many stars of the era, he enjoyed the fine cuisine of the chic restaurants of Los Angeles. A great lover of alcohol and an inveterate smoker, he was known for his whiskey cocktails.
Clothing
On screen as in life, Bogart cultivated an understated elegance: well-cut suits, white shirts, ties, and a fedora hat. The trench coat remained his most iconic garment.
Housing
A well-established star, he lived in a vast residence in the affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, with a pool and garden, as befitted Hollywood celebrities.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Casablanca
1942
African Queen
1951
Ouragan sur le Caine
1954
