Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart was born on December 25, 1899 in New York City. He used to joke that he was cheated out of a present every year because of his birth date.

For many years it was rumored that Humphrey Bogart’s birthday had been moved by 336 days, from January 23rd to Christmas Day, because Warner Brothers thought it more ‘romantic’ for their leading man. When he died, it was discovered that December 25th was his birthday after all.

As a boy, Humphrey Bogart was teased for his curls, his tidiness, the "cute" pictures his mother had him pose for, the Little Lord Faunteloy clothes she dressed him in—and the name "Humphrey."

Humphrey Bogart had a variety of jobs before he became an actor. He worked as a truck driver, a clerk, a delivery boy, and a bond salesman. 

He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1918 and spent much of his service ferrying troops back home from the Western Front.

In 1921, Bogart began his acting career on the stage. He appeared in several Broadway productions, including The Dark Tower (1921), The Wild Party (1929), and The Petrified Forest (1935).

Bogart made his film debut in 1930 with the motion picture Up the River. He had a small role in the movie, but he quickly began to get more prominent roles. In 1936, he had his breakthrough role as Duke Mantee in The Petrified Forest. This film was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to launch Bogart's career as a leading man.

Bogart went on to star in many classic films, including The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), The Big Sleep (1946), and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were one of the most iconic couples in Hollywood history. They met on the set of the film To Have and Have Not in 1944, when Bacall was just 19 years old and Bogart was 45. They quickly fell in love, and were married a year later. They had two children together, Stephen and Leslie. 

Humphrey Bogart repeatedly clashed with his studio chief Jack Warner. He said that when he refused to appear on set, he would receive a letter from Jack, "saying that if I didn’t report, he’d cut my throat. He’d sign it 'Love to Betty'." [Bogart’s wife, Lauren Bacall].

Casablanca, the movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, premiered in New York City on November 6, 1942. Contrary to common belief, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) never said "Play it again, Sam" in Casablanca. 

Greenstreet and Bogart

Humphrey Bogart was an avid chess player, often playing on set between takes. During World War II, he played correspondence chess with GIs posted overseas or in hospitals. The FBI intercepted this mail and thought he was sending secret codes to Europe.

Though a poor student, Bogart was a lifelong reader. He could quote Plato, Alexander Pope, Ralph Waldo Emerson and over a thousand lines of Shakespeare. He admired writers, and some of his best friends were screenwriters.

Humphrey Bogart: “I came out here with one suit and everybody said I looked like a bum. Twenty years later Marlon Brando came out with only a sweatshirt and the town drooled over him. That shows how much Hollywood has progressed."

In 1956, while still in the prime of his career, Bogart was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Surgery failed to remove the cancerous growth and he died of esophageal cancer in Los Angeles on January 14, 1957. Humphrey Bogart was 57 years old. His attributed last words were "I should never have switched from scotch to martinis."

Humphrey Bogart is buried with a silver whistle bearing the legend "If you need anything just whistle," a constant reminder of the first film he made with his wife, Lauren Bacall, To Have and Have Not.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

Humphrey Bogart was a seventh cousin twice removed of Princess Diana. They were both descended from Robert Spencer, the 2nd Earl of Sunderland, who was born in 1641.