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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

RIP Lauren Bacall (1924–2014)

Legendary actress and icon Lauren Bacall died of a massive stroke at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. She was 89.


Her death was confirmed by Robbert de Klerk, the co-managing partner of the Humphrey Bogart Estate with her son Stephen Bogart. In a statement he said: "She passed away peacefully earlier today in New York."

Her daughter, Leslie Bogart, said the family was not sharing any additional information at this time.

Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, in New York City. When she was a school girl, Lauren originally wanted to be a dancer, but later, she became enthralled with acting, so she switched gears to head into that field. She had studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York after high school, which enabled her to get her feet wet in some off-Broadway productions.

Once out of school, Lauren entered modeling and, because of her beauty, appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar, one of the most popular magazines in the US at that time. The wife of famed director Howard Hawks spotted the picture in the publication and arranged with her husband to have Lauren take a screen test. As a result, which was entirely positive, she was given the part of Marie Browning in To Have and Have Not , a thriller opposite Humphrey Bogart, when she was just 19 years old. Thus began one of Hollywood's greatest love stories (she married Bogart in 1945). It was also the first of several Bogie-Bacall films.



After 1945's Confidential Agent, Lauren received second billing in The Big Sleep  with Bogart. The mystery, in the role of Vivian Sternwood Rutledge, was a resounding success. Although she was making one film a year, each production would be eagerly awaited by the public. In 1947, again with her husband, Lauren starred in the thriller Dark Passage. The following year, she starred with Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and Lionel Barrymore in Key Largo. In 1950, Lauren starred in Bright Leaf  a drama set in 1894. It was a film of note because she appeared without her husband - her co-star was Gary Cooper. In 1953, Lauren appeared in her first comedy as Schatze Page in How to Marry a Millionaire  The film, with co-stars Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable.

After filming Designing Woman , which was released in 1957, Bogart died on January 14 from throat cancer. Devastated at being a widow, Lauren returned to the silver screen with The Gift of Love in 1958 opposite Robert Stack. The production turned out to be a big disappointment. Undaunted, Lauren moved back to New York City and appeared in several Broadway plays to huge critical acclaim. She was enjoying acting before live audiences who in turn enjoyed seeing her performances.

Lauren was away from the big screen for five years, but she returned in 1964 to appear in Shock Treatment  and Sex and the Single Girl--a comedy starring Henry Fonda and Tony Curtis. In 1966, Lauren starred in Harper  with Paul Newman and Julie Harris. Alternating her time between films and the stage, Lauren returned in 1974's Murder on the Orient Express Two years later, in 1976, Lauren co-starred with John Wayne in The Shootist  The film was Wayne's last - he died from cancer in 1979.

In 1981, Lauren played an actress being stalked by a crazed admirer in The Fan. The thriller was absolutely great with Lauren in the lead role. She was away from films again, this time for seven years. In the interim, she again appeared on the stages of Broadway. When she returned, it was for the filming of 1988's Mr. North  After Misery, in 1990, she made several television films. She appeared in 1996's My Fellow Americans a wonderful comedy with Jack Lemmon and James Garner as two ex-Presidents.

There's more--Lauren Bacall as Remembered by Hollywood--5 Roles That Made Lauren Bacall the Coolest Woman in Movie History

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