Bogart
By Mitch Berg
Richard Schickel notes the fiftieth anniversary of Humphrey Bogart’s death:
[Director Raoul] Walsh observed the melancholy beneath his grousing bluster and cast him — in 1941, when Bogart was over 40 — in his first truly memorable role, Roy “Mad Dog” Earle in “High Sierra.” He played an escaped con “rushing toward his doom,” as another character describes him. Something almost soulful emerged in this performance.
In “The Maltese Falcon” (released the same year), everyone thinks Bogart is a shady private eye. But he cautions people not to understand him too quickly. The man has a code, which he refuses to articulate until the very end. And why bother? It is sufficient that he knows what it is and acts out of its principles.
As the years have gone on and I’ve learned more about Bogart, I’ve only gotten to like him more.
The whole thing is worth a read.
January 18th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Angryclown still thinks Casablanca’s kind of a chick flick.
January 18th, 2007 at 8:52 am
That explains a lot.
January 18th, 2007 at 8:59 am
You got that right, Mitch. Casablanca’s a human flick, not just for chicks. So much for the sensitive kind of guy libs try to pass themselves off as. It’s hard to think of any Bogart movie that isn’t terrific, although I do choke on some details, such as the gold in Treasure of the Sierra Madre blowing away in the wind, something that physics would not allow.
January 18th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Bogart was born to a wealthy, upper class NY family. He never claimed to be a working class shmoe but somehow the silver spoon background doesn’t fit his persona.
January 18th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Man, he was great in The Caine Mutiny.
January 19th, 2007 at 9:42 am
The Fundamentals in Film class I lead (aimed at teen boys) watched Casablanca last week, and none of the kids had ever seen it. Despite the black and white presentation, the long talking parts and the references to a time period they know little about, they all loved the film and thought Bogie was “cool.” We had a good discussion afterwards about character, perceptions, personal codes and even Vichy, France. I’ve penciled in Key Largo for a later time and considering The Caine Mutiny as a more complex example of character, duty and courage.