Humphrey Bogart, Nathaniel Benchley

This book is from my Mother’s library collection. As previously mentioned in another book study I have been on a Bogie movie kick for the past few months so it’s only appropriate I read this bio published in 1975. Written by the actor’s close friend and with complete cooperation from Lauren Bacall this book resolves the contradictions that swirled around for many years about the man everyone called Bogie. He was a gentleman, a Puritan who married 4 times, a romantic, mean, generous… all of which converged in the person of a complicated man, a dedicated professional actor, and what has become a memorable film actor still revered to this day by cinephiles. Benchley keeps the stories fast with the facts straight up, debunking those stories that weren’t true and only legend; the real story behind his famous scar; how he bungled his way into acting; his entire marital track and finally meeting the love of his life in Bacall; facts about legendary pictures including Casablanca, The African Queen, and others. A portrait of a contradictory, exasperating, and irresistible figure. If you want the best bio on Bogart I recommend Bacall’s memoir… more enlightening.