Books: A fitting tribute to Bogie

Here’s looking at you, Bogart

Humphrey Bogart was one of Hollywood’s most glamorous leading men. Even a half-century after his death, he still remains one of the most recognizable stars of classic film and still holds the No. 1 spot on the American Film Institute’s list of male screen legends.

Bogart was born in New York City in 1899. He made his acting debut on Broadway in 1922, and appeared in his first feature film eight years later. Alternating between stage and screen, he appeared in dozens of roles during his early career, usually cast as a vicious hoodlum.

In 1935, he co-starred in Robert Sherwood’s gritty play “Petrified Forest” at the Broadhurst Theater. His portrayal of gangster Duke Mantee electrified audiences, and helped establish him as one of America’s most talented actors. He repeated that seminal role in the 1936 film version featuring Bette Davis and Leslie Howard.

After “Petrified Forest,” Bogart established his true screen presence in such classics as “Casablanca,” “The Maltese Falcon,” “High Sierra” and “The African Queen,” for which he won an Oscar in 1951.

While his on-screen magnetism was unmatched, his private life was also the stuff of legend. He married Lauren Bacall in 1945, following her screen debut in “To Have and Have Not.” It co-starred Bogart and was one of the biggest film hits of 1944.

“Bogie,” a splashy new coffee table-sized book, is a fitting tribute to one of cinema’s most enduring icons. The crisply written text is supplemented with more than 200 photos, many previously unpublished and chosen from the private Bogart archives. A short introduction by his son, Stephen Bogart, adds just the right touch.