I posted earlier about how Bogart is the ultimate tough guy, anti-hero, hero, what-have-you. True, the guy was only 5' 8 1/2" tall, but his soul seemed like he could kick Goliath's ass, or at least smash his nose with his gun.

I didn't know anything about Bogie when I was young, but I gradually started staying up late at night (before cable, when your local stations played all those used-car commercials [do they still do that? I would guess so.]) Anyhow, the guy just stood out and eventually I knew that he was the real thing. He also happened to be in movies that seemed way-above- average compared to others of the same era.

Anybody have something personal to share about Bogart?

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Originally posted by mark f:
He also happened to be in movies that seemed way-above- average compared to others of the same era.

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Since I am obviously after his time could you clue me in on what some of his films were.

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Originally posted by Eccentro:

Since I am obviously after his time could you clue me in on what some of his films were.

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There are so many good Bogart films and performances that it's difficult to know where to start, but I guess I'll start with the best. You should be able to tell if you like Bogart from watching:

"The Maltese Falcon" - His Sam Spade is basically the good guy, but he's not a nice person.

"Casablanca" - Awesome cast and script, but it really works because Bogart was so convincing in his first "romantic hero" role, Rick Blaine.

"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" - An adventure film with an easy-to-take message. After Bogart, at least in the movies, helped win WW II and become Hollywood's biggest hero, he played down-on-his-luck Fred C. Dobbs. This is my favorite performance. Bogart seems to take his character to depths never shown in film before and it's a real pleasure to watch.

"The African Queen" - Bogart finally got his Oscar here, playing Charlie Allnut. It's a fun film that holds fond memories for many viewers. He and Katharine Hepburn have great chemistry.

"The Caine Mutiny" - Bogart's Captain Queeg returns him to his "mental" mode, but this character draws much more sympathy than Dobbs. The closing military court scene with Queeg on the stand should be the definition for AWESOME.

There's dozens others, but maybe someone else would like to share. Bye.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark f,

The Big Sleep is a great film. His line about it being to early to use his slapping hand is one of my favorite movie lines of all time!

Maltese Falcon is definately a great place to start with Bogart. Not only is his performance great, but Maltese Falcon is one of the original and still best "film noir" genre films ever made.

Nobody else has any opinions on the coolest actor ever?

Bogart often has a depth of character that is way out of proportion to the seemingly shallow characters he plays. The only current actor who comes slightly close to Bogart's greatness might be Russell Crowe. Another great thing about Bogart is that his characters are seldom the black and white moralistic portrayals of people that are still prevalent in the film industry.

bogey was one of the greats,but if it hadn't been for george raft our man bogart might not have had a career in the movies as he played secondary characters in his early days,but when raft started to turn down roles[the maltese falcon-casablanca]then bogey got his shot and made the best of it.

My favorite Bogart film is "Casablanca".

Just caught "Key Largo" recently for the first time. Bogart plays a WWII vet going up against gangster Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson). I've been told the storyline is somewhat similiar to another Bogie film, "The Petrrified Forest", which I haven't yet seen. Anyway, "Key Largo" is well worth hunting down on dvd.

Maybe it's just me but the Bogart comedies/comedy-dramas don't get the attention they deserve. Though the pace was slow, I enjoyed "We're No Angels" where Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray play escaped convincts. My favorite Bogie-light is "Sabrina". Always a pleasure watching Bogart with Audrey Hepburn.

"Yes, we have no bananas! We have no bananas today."

Well Bogie is in my personal pantheon. My favorite actors, in this order, are Cagney, Bogie and Robert Mitchum. The difference between Cagney & Bogie is that Bogie became a star a decade after Cagney and made several films that could be put in the pantheon as greatest films ever/required viewing for anyone serious about cinema. Those films would include: CASABLANCA (best film ever made in my opinion), THE BIG SLEEP, THE MALTESE FALCON & THE AFRICAN QUEEN. He made several other films a notch below those classics, including HIGH SIERRA & THE HARDER THEY FALL. Cagney, on the other hand, has only one real great film, WHITE HEAT, and I'm not sure I'd include that in the pantheon with Bogie's finest films.

I did catch up with one of Bogie's lesser films recently, THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS. It was relatively late Bogie and he co-starred with Barbara Stanwyck & Alexis Smith. The film is mediocre and similar to Hitchcock's SUSPICION. The problem with TTMC is that there is not enough ambiguity in Bogie's character.

Oh, one more Bogie film that is terrific, maybe a tad below his four certifiable classics, is Nick Ray's IN A LONELY PLACE. A terrific yarn.

While The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca are my two favorite Bogie films, there are a couple of fantastic movies that haven't even been mentioned yet!


To Have and Have Not has some of the best chemistry between Bogie and Bacall.

Beat the Devil is one of the oddest, quirky films every made, but it's also one of the best spoofs ever made.

Yes, THE MALTESE FALCON and CASABLANCA are cornerstones in any reputable film library, but I like Bogart in a film like SAHARA where he elevates an otherwise forgettable film to a Bogey experience.