Lauren Bacall | dual personalities

Tag: Lauren Bacall

August 15, 2014

“Was you ever been bit by a dead bee?”*

by chuckofish

Bacall and the Duke in “The Shootist” (1976)

Well, now Lauren Bacall has died. She was 89 and lived in the Dakota on Central Park West. She liked Bissinger’s chocolate from St. Louis, speaking her mind and being Mrs. Humphrey Bogart. She made some good movies with him, notably To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946) and Key Largo (1948).

She also made two good movies with John Wayne: Blood Alley (1955) and The Shootist (1976). She liked the Duke–they had good chemistry together she said.

I’m going to watch The Shootist tonight, because I’m in the mood for a sad western with music by Elmer Bernstein, but any of the aforementioned films would be appropriate.

Rest in peace, Betty Bacall. Into paradise may the angels lead thee; and at thy coming may the martyrs receive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem.
–BCP, Burial of the Dead, Rite I

*Eddie (and Slim) in To Have and Have Not

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September 7, 2012

More good news

by chuckofish

Really. Where was I at the beginning of the month? No one told me that it’s Lauren Bacall month on TCM! Or if I knew, I promptly forgot (which happens a lot) until I was escaping from convention-land and happened upon To Have and Have Not Wednesday night. Oh happy day!

Don’t you just love Lauren Bacall?

Born Betty Joan Perske, she first became a star in To Have And Have Not in 1944 at the age of 19. What an auspicious start to a fine career! Although I had recently seen this movie, I happily watched it again the other night. Besides the sultry young Bacall and an engaging Humphrey Bogart (who clearly likes his young co-star and is putting in extra effort), this movie boasts one of the best Walter Brennan performances ever (“Was you ever bit by a dead bee?”) and Hoagy Carmichael. If that isn’t enough, the screenplay was written by Jules Furthman and (yes) William Faulkner–based on a novel by Ernest Hemingway. You can’t get much better than that. Seriously.

Our mother always liked Lauren Bacall, in large part, I think, because the actress never allowed Hollywood to do crazy things with her hair. It was (almost) always its beautiful natural color styled in a conservative, part-on-the-side pageboy–even in the 1940s! She had class. Once when I was in college a friend’s father told me I had Lauren Bacall eyes, and I was actually flattered.

Anyway, September is Lauren Bacall’s month on TCM where they will spotlight her movies every Wednesday night. Oh boy. By the way, she made two movies with John Wayne. Blood Alley (1955) will be shown on September 19 (at 12 am.–set your DVR!)