The Couch Potato's Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Humphrey Bogart

Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By Geoff Carter

If some actors (think Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart, or John Wayne) are screen icons, then Humphrey Bogart is an institution. Like those other actors, Bogart brought his unique screen persona to every role. His distinctive icy stare, self-assured presence, soft-spoken but gravelly voice, and slight lisp are instantly recognizable, so much so that Woody Allen borrowed his presence for his film Play it Again, Sam and the term “bogarting” has become a staple in our lexicon.

Although early in his career he became famous for playing gangsters and tough guys (often cast as the second choice behind George Raft), Bogart eventually gained fame for more diverse and complex roles, ranging from sophisticated romantic leads in films like Sabrina and Casablanca to complicated psychological portrayals like Captain Queeg in The Caine Mutiny and Fred C. Dobbs in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. His portrayals of wise-cracking Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon and the jaded Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep proved to be the template for the hard-boiled detectives seen so often in later noir films.

Bogart started playing small parts on Broadway, cast mostly as society boys, before transitioning to film. At the beginning, he usually found himself cast behind James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson (as well as Raft) for the best roles. Between 1934 and 1940, during the time when he was repeatedly cast as a gangster, even though he was appearing in many second-rate films, Bogart had the opportunity to develop his persona, a cynical, shrewd, sometimes vulnerable loner. Although he was known for playing these roles, he didn’t hesitate to poke fun at himself and the conventional expectations for these characters. In All Through the Night, he plays Alfred “Gloves” Donahue, a gangster who uncovers an unlikely Nazi plot while seeking the man who murdered the chef who made his favorite cheesecake.

Also, in 1944, during the filming of the John Houston film To Have and Have Not, he met Lauren Bacall, whom he married in 1945—after divorcing his wife. The couple exuded a riveting on-screen chemistry, and their romance captured the public imagination so completely that they became Hollywood’s darlings and would appear together in three more films.

It’s difficult to gauge the full extent of Bogart’s influence in cinema. He created the template for the hard-boiled detective which is still—today—the gold standard. Actors like Robert Mitchum, Steven McQueen, and Clint Eastwood owe him debts of gratitude for pioneering the persona of the suave but hard-bitten cynical sleuth still ready to do the right thing. His legacy as a romantic lead like Rick in Casablanca plumbs further depths of a man who, despite seeing it all and losing it all, still believes in love.

Bogie had something for everybody. Here is the Couch Potato’s list of Humphrey Bogart’s ten best films.

The Ten Best Films of Humphrey Bogart

Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Treasure of Sierra Madre: In this John Huston classic, Bogart plays Fred C. Dobbs, a down-on-his-luck American trying to get by in Monterey, Mexico. After Dobbs hits it big in the lottery, he teams up with his buddy Bob Curtin (Tim Holt) and a crusty old prospector named Howard (Walter Houston) to go up into the hills to find their fortune in gold. After striking it rich, suspicion and paranoia about his share of the gold drives Dobbs over the edge. Bogart’s portrayal of Dobbs veers from the abject beggar to the impulsive adventurer to the greedy and irrational paranoic. Notable for Walter Huston’s delightful turn as the prospector-philosopher Howard, whose unerring judgement and experience lend a new meaning to the word wisdom.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, Walter Huston, Bruce Bennett, Barton McLane, and Alfonse Bedoya. Written by John Huston and B. Traven. Directed by John Huston.

English: Illustrator unknown. “Copyright 1954 Paramount Pictures Inc.”, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sabrina: Industrialist Linus Larrabee (Bogart) never has time for anything but work until his chauffeur’s daughter, Sabrina Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn) returns after a two-year stint at a Paris finishing school. She left as an awkward child but has returned as an elegant and sophisticated young woman. When David (William Holden), Linus’s ne’er do well brother, sees Sabrina, he immediately tries to woo her. Linus, more careful and deliberate, is intrigued as he gets to know Sabrina better, finally realizing that he is somehow falling in love with her—and she with him. Bogart’s performance here touches depths of feeling and layers of sophistication only hinted at in previous tough guy roles. He’s more than a match for his pretty boy brother William Holden.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, Audrey Hepburn, John Williams, and Francis X. Bushman. Written by Billy Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, and Ernest Lehman. Directed by Billy Wilder.

unknown (Warner Bros.), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Casablanca: Probably the quintessential Hollywood epic romance. During the early days of World War II, expatriate Rick Blaine (Blaine) runs a casino in Casablanca catering to an international cadre of refugees, Nazis, and freedom fighters. On the surface, Rick maintains a strict neutrality in the face of these antagonistic parties—even though letters granting passage to America keep finding their way into the hands of refugees through his club. When resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) arrives seeking assistance, Blaine is shocked to see his wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), an old flame who also still has feelings for him. The couple soon realizes they are still deeply in love, and so Rick must make the difficult choice between his own happiness and the fate of the resistance. Notable for Claude Rains’ excellent performance as Captain Renault, the opportunistic chief of police.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Syndey Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Paul Heinreid. Written by Julius Epstein, Philip Epstein, and Howard Koch. Directed by Michael Curtiz.

Key Largo: Frank McCloud (Bogart), an ex-serviceman travels to Key Largo to meet James (Lionel Barrymore) and Nora Temple (Lauren Bacall), the family of a buddy of his was killed in action. When McCloud gets there, he discovers that one of the guests, Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) and his crew have taken over the hotel, not knowing that they are in the direct path of a fierce hurricane. As the storm drags on, Rocco and McCloud inch closer and closer to a confrontation. The situation boils over when Rocco threatens the Temples and forces McCloud to take him to safety. Notable for Claire Trevor’s incredible performance as Gaye Dawn, Rocco’s girlfriend.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Claire Trevor, Lionel Barrymore, and Edward G. Robinson, Written by Richard Brooks, John Huston, and Maxwell Anderson. Directed by John Huston.

Time Inc.; Warner Bros. photographer not credited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

To Have and Have Not: Another World War II thriller starring Bogart and Bacall, this film follows Harry Morgan (Bogart), a cynical charter boat captain working out of the French island of Martinique. Shortly after the fall of France, the island is overrun by Nazi sympathizers of Vichy France as well as Free French resistance fighters. Despite pleas from Gerard, a Free French sympathizer, Morgan refuses to get involved in the political struggles until—through circumstances beyond his control—he is forced to smuggle dissidents off the island. The arrival of “Slim” Browning (Lauren Bacall), fresh from Rio, catches Morgan’s interest. An intensely sexual attraction draws them together. After Morgan completes his mission, but is recognized by the police, he and Slim must attempt to escape the island. This is another example of Bogart as the world-weary cynic still not too jaded to do the right thing. Notable for the appearance of Hoagy Carmichael as “Cricket”, the piano player with whom Slim sings a duet.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan, Hoagy Carmichael, Sheldon Leonard, and Marcel Dalio. Written by Jules Furthman and William Faulkner. Directed by Howard Hawks.

The Big Sleep: The first adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s L.A. based noir novel about Philip Marlowe (Bogart), the quintessential wise cracking, hard-boiled, and cynical private detective who paved the way for future characters like Jake Gittes in Chinatown or Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon. Marlowe is hired by General Sternwood (Charles Waldron) to investigate debts incurred by his younger—and wild—daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers) and to locate his missing son-in-law, Seth Rogan. During the investigation, while uncovering a blackmail plot and further machinations within the family, Marlowe falls for the older Sternwood daughter Vivian (Lauren Bacall) whose own monetary entanglements complicate their romance further. Notable for the opening scene with Marlowe and the general in his greenhouse; Bogart’s complicated mix of sympathy, contempt, and cynicism sets the tone for the rest of the film.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Martha Vickers, Charles Waldron, John Ridgely, and Dorothy Malone. Written by William Faulkner, James Furthman, and Leigh Brackett. Directed by Howard Hawks.

English: “Copyright 1952 United Artists Corp.”, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The African Queen: In a departure from his usual screen persona as a jaded and indifferent loner, this film pairs him with Katherine Hepburn in a romantic epic set in the wilds of Africa. Charlie Allnut (Bogart), a boorish working-class mechanic, operates a small launch, The African Queen, that delivers supplies to a remote missionary post manned by Sam Sayer (Robert Morley) and his sister Rose (Katherine Hepburn). When the post is overrun by German troops in the early days of World War I, and Sayer is killed, Rose is forced to flee with Charley aboard his ship. Deciding to brave the wilds of the Ulanga River to exact revenge on the Germans, Charley and Rose find themselves falling in love. Notable for Bogart’s performance as a simple man suddenly transformed by the power of love for which he won his only Academy Award.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull, Theodore Bikel, and Walter Gotell. Written by John Huston, James Agee, William Verteil, and John Collier. Directed by John Huston.

English: Vitagraph Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Bros. at the time of publication., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Maltese Falcon: Based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel, Bogart continued enhancing his screen persona of the street smart and cynical private eye with a sterling moral compass. After his partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) is killed while trying to track down the sister of a client (Mary Astor), he is killed, Sam Spade (Bogart) investigates and is drawn into a convoluted plot to acquire a gem-encrusted statue, the Maltese Falcon, led by Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet). Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre), Gutman’s associate, attempts to hire Spade to find the bird. Spade—seeing an opportunity to solve the murder of his partner—agrees to assist them. Double-crosses and machinations multiply until the truth is finally uncovered. Notable for the intense chemistry produced between Bogart and Greenstreet during their encounters.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Jerome Cowan, Ward Bond, and Elisha Cook, Jr. Written and directed by John Huston (based on the book by Dashiell Hammett).

The Caine Mutiny: In one of his last roles, Bogart plays Captain Queeg, a mentally unstable Navy captain whose actions during a crisis lead his officers to stage a mutiny. After Queeg is initially assigned to the minesweeper U.S.S. Caine, he first alienates the men and his officers Steve Maryk (Van Johnson), Tom Keefer (Fred MacMurray), and others by instituting strict discipline. Following a series of mishaps, including a cut towline, abandoning a numboer of landing craft during an invasion, searching for some purloined strawberries, and jeopardizing the ship’s welfare during a typhoon, Maryk and the other officers relieve Queeg from duty Maryk and several officers are court-martialed for their actions. Defended by Barney Greenwald, (Jose Ferrer), the men behind the Caine mutiny receiver their final justice. Notable for MacMurray’s performance as a manipulative weasel.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, Jose Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Claude Akins, and Robert Francis. Written by Stanley Roberts. Directed by Edward Dmytryk.

High Sierra: In one of Bogart’s earliest breakout roles, he plays Roy “Mad Dog” Earle, a lifetime criminal who is persuaded to go on a heist with an old associate named “Big Mac” and his gang. One of the guys has brought along his girlfriend Marie (Ida Lupino). Earle witnesses a car crash and meets one of the victims, Velma (Joan Leslie) who has a club foot. Earle, infatuated with the girl, agrees to pay for her operation, and—even though she already has a fiance—he asks her to marry him. After the robbery goes bad, Earle is forced to flee to the mountains where the police relentlessly hunt him down, finally resorting to using his pet dog, Pard, to sniff him out. Notable for Bogart’s portrayal of a gangster with a heart of gold, allowing him to develop new complexities in his screen presence.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino, Joan Leslie, Alan Curtis, Arthur Kennedy, Henry Hull, and Henry Travers. Written by John Huston and W.R. Burnett. Directed by Raoul Walsh.