Humphrey Bogart

    Humphrey Bogart was an American actor born in New York City in 1899. He enlisted in the navy and fought in World War II after being kicked out of high school with few other alternatives. After his stint in the military, he returned to start a career on Broadway. His success in stage plays eventually allowed him to start a move into film acting. When he first started work with Fox Film Corporation he shuttled back and forth between Hollywood and New York City to take care of his ailing father. By this point as his parents had separated when his father passed he moved out to Hollywood permanently to pursue his career in film.

 

    His first break-through success came through the Warner Brothers film of The Petrified Forest. Based on a Broadway performance that Bogart had excelled in, his fame transferred off the stage into the movie theaters. Yet, he was still second best to the lead actors who received higher billing by the Warner Brothers. It was not until the release of High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon that his stardom was cemented. Both of these films were cornerstones of the film noir genre that began to grow in the post-war era. Bogart was able to use his newfound fame to become a centerpiece of these new American films. Some of his best performances came in his later films such as In a Lonely Place, which became a classic noir film and established Bogart as a truly skilled actor deserving of his fame. 

 

   However, throughout his life, he was a very heavy drinker and smoker. Going through four marriages and a tumultuous family life in his adult years, the unstable characters he played were often a reflection of himself. His illustrious film career demonstrated his skill but was cut short by his death in 1957.