A look at the life of Humphrey Bogart

 

Here's an odd thing about Humphrey Bogart -- or at least about how I see one Hollywood’s greatest stars. For me, Bogart isn't dead. Never will be. I know he passed away in 1957 after a bout with  esophageal cancer. But hardly a month goes by when I don't see Bogart on Turner Classic Movies. He’s always available, even if only on small screens. I know Bogart from his movies -- from The Petrified Forest (1936) to Angels With Dirty Faces (1938), and The Roaring Twenties (1939). Then came High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon (both 1941) and a slew of other films, 75 in all.  I haven't even mentioned Casablanca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, or In a Lonely Place. The Bogart that intrigues me regularly turns up as Duke Mantee, Rick Blaine, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Roy "Mad Dog" Earl, Fred C. Dobbs, and Philip Francis Queeg. He was all those guys, but he was still always Bogart. 

   The documentary Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes summarizes the actor's life and screen work, beginning in 1957 with Bogart's funeral. The rest is flashback. Working with Bogart's estate, director Kathryn Ferguson delves into Bogart's relationships with four wives, all actresses. She provides insight into Bogart's quick temper, as well as his fabled romance with Lauren Bacall. Bogart was 45 when he married the 20-year-old Bacall.

Canadian actor Kerry Shale substitutes his voice for Bogart's in a narration that captures Bogart’s spirit -- smart, rebellious, serious about his work.

 A framework for psychological evaluation emerges; Bogart came from a family that was rich when he was born. His mother wasn't especially affectionate. 

  If you're a Bogart fan, you should watch. You’ll learn things or refresh your memory: It took Bogart 40 years to establish his big-screen career. You'll find abundant clips from his filmography and some remarks from director John Huston on Bogart’s less-than-admirable brush with the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee.

  Now, it's back to Turner Classic Movies where, for me and many others, Bogart lives on.