LAUREN BACALL BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Lauren Bacall was born with the birth name, Betty Joan Perske on September 16th, 1924 in New York City, NY to parents of Jewish immigrant decent.  Her father, William, was a sales man and her mother, Natalie, was a secretary.  At the young age of five, her parents divorced and she remained living with her mother and lost all contact with her father. 
 
After studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and working as a model to pay the bills, Bacall was crowned Miss Greenwich Village in 1942 and also appeared in a Broadway Production, "Johnny2x4". 

The husky-voiced former usherette was spotted by Howard Hawks' wife on the cover of Harper's Bazaar and signed her to a seven year contract.  Bacall had  heard that Hawks was anti-Semitic. Intimidated and inexperienced, she allowed her agent to conceal her religious background from Hawks and offered no objection when Hawks suggested she change her name from 'Betty' to 'Lauren'.  She made her debut in film, at the age of 19, opposite Humphrey Bogart, in "To Have and Have Not" (1944) whom she ended up later marrying even though he was 25 years her senior.  On May 21, 1945, the couple tied the knot during a modest Connecticut ceremony.  

Warner Bros. wanted to showcase Bacall, unfortunately choosing the spy drama “Confidential Agent” (1945).  This film garnered her the worst reviews of her career, luckily she revived her reputation with working on three back to back films with Bogart. "Two Guys from Milwaukee" (1946) and reuniting again with Bogart in Hawks' mesmerizing, "The Big Sleep" (1946).  Then in  “Dark Passage” and finally in “Key Largo” (1948), their fourth and final film, which was a worldwide success and cemented Bacall and Bogart as one of the greatest film partnerships ever.

Bacall was also was temporarily suspended from acting in 1947 for refusing to act in the western, "Stallion Road" opposite Ronald Reagan.

In 1952, Bacall and Bogart started a family, which included son Stephen and daughter Leslie.  Bacall also became an outspoken proponent of progressive politics. Bacall continued to work, but very selectively.  She appeared in “Young Man with a Horn” (1950) starring with Kirk Douglas, “How to Marry a Millionaire” (1953) and “Written on the Wind” (1956). 

Sadly, also during the 1950's, Bogart’s health started a long, slow decline, due, to his massive cigarette habit.  Bogart was diagnosed with throat cancer and became increasingly weak and unable to work. Bacall, only 30 years old, chose to put her career aside so she could nurse her ailing husband and spend time with their children.  It was a tribute to her professionalism that she shot one of her best comedies, “Designing Women” (1957), during Bogart’s last, sad days. 
 
Bogart passed away January 14th, 1957 and Bacall continued to be a movie star and Broadway diva long after.  However, for her first time ever in her adult life she was on her own in this career and lifestyle and had to get used to various changes.  Bacall briefly had an affair with Frank Sinatra, Bogart’s good friend which ended badly, as it was more a fling of two people united in grief.. Without Bogart on her side, she struggled to find good roles, as well.  The tepid drama “The Gift of Love” (1958) was beneath her and the British War film “North West Frontier” (1959) was better, but did nothing to erase the power of her early work.

Almost 40, Bacall married again to actor, Jason Robards.  In 1961, Bacall had a child with Robards, Sam, born December 16th, 1961 and once again seemed more focused on family than films.  Bacall was dabbling in TV and appeared in just three films: “Shock Treatment” (1964), “Sex and the Single Girl” (1964) with Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis and “Harper” (1966) with Paul Pewman. 

Unfortunately, her marriage to Robards did not last due to his problem with alcohol abuse and in 1969 they divorced. 

Bacall turned her entertaining career in a new direction and decided to focus on being a  stage actress.  She found success in the play, “Cactus Flower” during the mid-60's. followed by the Broadway musical, “Applause” (1970), which became a fantastic success. Bacall won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and powered the play through a national tour and a London staging. Adapted for TV, “Applause” (CBS, 1973) earned Bacall more rave reviews and an Emmy nomination.

In 1974, after an eight year hiatus, Bacall returned to the screen in, "Murder on the Orient Express", making a smooth transition to playing older women.  She then worked with John Wayne on, "The Shootest" (1976) starring alongside James Stewart and Ron Howard and Harry Morgan.

Bacall came to the realization she had more success and better material to work with when she returned to the stage. In 1981, she re-invented the role made famous by Katharine Hepburn in the stage version of the movie, “Woman of the Year” (1942) and again, the play was a huge success. 

When film roles were offered that she felt suited her, Bacall did not decline.  She appeared in “Mr. North” (1988), “Misery” (1990) and “Ready to Wear” (1994). Barbra Streisand directed Bacall in “The Mirror Has Two Faces” (1996) which lead her to her only Oscar nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
 
Even entering into her 80's, Bacall appeared in two other films, “Dogville” (2003) and the intriguing but unsatisfying thriller “Birth” (2004).  Both were not very successful but again she decided to work in 2007 on  “The Walker”, another fascinating failure.
 
Lauren Bacall Received an honorary degree from Columbia University in 1998.  She still works today, regardless of salary or box office sales, she looks at each acting project as a opportunity and learning experience to work with new people in the industry and share experiences with one another. 
 

Filmography

2010   Today: Episode
2009   America's Heartland: Episode
2007   The Walker
2006   The Sopranos: Luxury Lounge
2006   Breakfast With the Arts
2006   Martha Stewart Show
2006   Breakfast With the Arts
2005   Private Screenings
2005   The View: Episode
2005   Early Show: Episode
2005   Early Show: Episode
2005   Private View: Episode
2005   Charlie Rose: Episode
2005   Larry King Live: Episode
2005   Breakfast With the Arts
2005   Today: Episode
2005   Larry King Live: Episode
2005   Manderlay
2004   Birth
2004   Today: Episode
2003   Biography: Alec Guinness: A Class Act
2003   Dogville
2002   The View: Episode
2002   Rosie O'Donnell: Episode
2002   Today: Episode
2001   The Directors: Barbra Streisand
2000   Rosie O'Donnell: Episode
1999   Diamonds
1999   Get Bruce!
1998   Chicago Hope: Absent Without Leave
1996   My Fellow Americans
1996   The Mirror Has Two Faces
1996   The Line King
1995   From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
1994   Ready To Wear (Pret-A-Porter)
1993   A Foreign Field
1991   All I Want For Christmas
1990   Misery
1989   Innocent Victim
1988   Mr. North
1988   Appointment With Death
1981   The Fan
1980   Health
1979   Rockford Files: Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs
1976   The Shootist
1974   Murder On The Orient Express
1966   Harper
1964   Sex And The Single Girl
1964   Shock Treatment
1959   Flame Over India
1958   The Gift Of Love
1957   Designing Woman
1956   Written On The Wind
1955   Blood Alley
1955   The Cobweb
1954   Woman's World
1953   How To Marry A Millionaire
1950   Young Man With A Horn
1950   Bright Leaf
1948   Key Largo
1947   Dark Passage
1946   Two Guys From Milwaukee
1946   The Big Sleep
1945   Confidential Agent
1944   To Have And Have Not