Remembering Lauren Bacall (1924-2014)

Written By Scott Orris

On August 13th of this year the world of cinema lost one of its last great legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood; Lauren Bacall.  Known for her low husky voice and strong independent female roles in a career that spanned seven decades, Bacall continued to work until her death at age 89.  I have personally always admired Bacall’s resolve and determination which she has continued to display not only in her roles, but in her real life.  Bacall’s fierce determination to work was perhaps best described in her second autobiography Now, writing about her work ethic; “One thing I am convinced of is that the more you do, the more you can do.  So I don’t let up.  I won’t let up” (Bacall 11).  She has been seen most recently in The Forger (Roeck, 2012), and Wide Blue Yonder (Young 2010) she even lent her voice to a recent episode of Family Guy.  Never having won a competitive Oscar despite her amazing talent, she was nominated once in 1996 for The Mirror Has Two Faces (Streisand, 1996).  She would later receive a lifetime achievement Academy Award in 2009.  Bacall is best known for the films with her late husband, Humphrey Bogart. Dubbed “The Look” after her film debut with Bogart in To Have an Have Not (Hawkes, 1944), the pose was a nervous reaction Bacall explained; “I realized that one way to hold my trembling head still was to keep it down, chin low, almost to my chest, and eyes up at Bogart.  It worked and turned out to be the beginning of “The Look” (Bacall 102). 

"The Look" in To Have and Have Not

These films such as The Big Sleep (Hawkes, 1946), Dark Passage, (Daves, 1947) and Key Largo (Huston 1948), have inspired my fascination with not only film noir, but classic movies in general.  I genuinely feel privileged to have the opportunity to watch Bacall match wits with Bogie (which was a nickname for Bogart), in what was one of the steamiest couples to ever grace a movie screen.

Bogart and Bacall

But this incredible career was almost over before it began after the fall-out from her second film Confidential Agent (Shumlin, 1945).  The film was a war-time espionage thriller, which miscast Bacall as a daughter to a British Lord.  In her words; “At twenty, I was far removed from either character, but the wry, earthy girl of To Have and Have Not had humor, which was always a part of me-whereas the British broad was totally straight and dreary” (Bacall 158).  The film flopped but Bacall explained how she got through this rough period; “Lucky for me I threw myself so violently, so single-mindedly, into the big things in life.  “If I hadn’t been so consumed by Bogie, the thrusting of me onto the national scene with such a vengeance would had been uncopable with” (Bacall 162).  I think Bacall’s ability to keep this event in perspective, shows a lot about her inner strength and resiliency as a person.  This mindset would allow Bacall to continue her career into the fifties, where she split her time between raising her family, and her career.  With films such as How to Marry a Millionaire (Negulesco, 1953) Written on The Wind (Sirk, 1956), and Designing Women (Minnelli, 1957), Bacall proved she belonged alongside the top leading men of the day including William Powell, Rock Hudson, and Gregory Peck. 

From left to right, Marilyn Monroe, Bacall, and Betty Grable in How to Marry a Millionaire

with Gregory Peck in Designing Woman

It was also during this time, Bacall became extremely involved in speaking out against HUAC, known as the House of Un-American Activities Committee, in their Anti-Communist attack on Hollywood.  An outspoken woman for political causes throughout her life, Bacall, Bogart and other liberal minded members of the Hollywood Colony such as John Garfield, Gene Kelly, and Paul Henreid, would form the Committee for the First Amendment (Bacall 173, 175).  This is what makes her pairing with John Wayne who had opposing political beliefs, all the more interesting.  Bacall starred with Wayne in Blood Alley (Wellman and Wayne, 1955) and his final film The Shootist (Siegel, 1976) and suprisingly the two would actually became great friends.  In Bacall’s words; “Duke Wayne and I got along really well, considering that we didn’t agree about anything! (laughs) It was quite amazing. He was great to work with. He really liked me, and I really liked him. We had great chemistry together” (Simon "Lauren Bacall Walks the Walk").  She also proved she could emulate her idol Bette Davis, winning a Tony Award for the Broadway musical adaptation of All About Eve (Mankiewicz, 1950), titled Applause starring in her well known portrayal of Margo Channing.  She would also win a second Tony Award in the 1981 Broadway adaption of Woman of the Year which was originally a film starring her friends Katherine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy (Susman "Lauren Bacall Has Died at Age 89").

Bacall in Applause

Ms. Bacall has been among my favorite actresses, since I saw her with Bogart in the film Dark Passage (Daves, 1947).  In the film, Bogie’s character is a fugitive named “Vincent Perry”, who has been framed for the murder of his wife, and is on the run seeking revenge on the real killer.  Bacall plays a college student who aides Perry in his desperate efforts to elude the police and find whoever committed the murder.  In order to avoid being recognized by the law, he agrees to have his face surgically altered in order to avoid detection.

Taking off Bogart's bandages in Dark Passage

What makes the film unique is for part of the film Bogart’s face is not present, instead Daves experimented with POV shots, similar to Robert Montgomery’s The Lady In the Lake (Montgomery, 1947).  There are some Bogie fans who might be disappointed by this, but I actually think it allows the audience to further identify with the character, and of course it means I was able to see more of the beautiful Ms. Bacall.  Lauren Bacall’s glamorous beauty and determined spirit defined an era which has long past, but will never be forgotten, goodbye Ms. Bacall.

Works Cited:

Bacall, Lauren. Lauren Bacall by Myself.: Lauren Bacall. New York: Knopf, 1979. 
Print.

"Lauren Bacall." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.

Bacall, Lauren. Now. New York: Knopf, 1994. Print.

Simon, Alex. "Lauren Bacall Walks The Walk." Interview.
Web log post. The Hollywood Interview. Blogspot, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.

Susman, Gary. "Lauren Bacall Has Died at Age 89." Vanity Fair.
N.p., 13 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.