Fans everywhere are mourning the loss of Hollywood super star, Lauren Bacall who passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Bacall, who was born Betty Joan Perske, got her start as a young model appearing in Vogue Magazine and on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar; her acting career began in 1942 when she received a role in the Broadway production of Johnny 2 x 4. Her break-through role came in 1944’s To Have and Have Not where she starred opposite Humphrey Bogart, whom she later married. Bacall’s acting skills were well respected and her career continued well into the 2000s where she received roles in movies such as Dogville and Birth. While Bacall’s on screen credits include more than 30 appearances, I have compiled a list of her five best movies.
5. Dark Passage – 1947
In this 1947 film starring both Bacall and Bogart, Bacall stars as Irene Jansen, a woman who gives shelter to a convicted murderer who has escaped from prison. The prisoner, played by Bogart, undergoes plastic surgery in order to alter his very recognizable features and soon develops feelings for Irene.
4. The Shootist – 1976
In this western themed film starring John Wayne, Bacall co-stars as Bond Rogers, a widow who rents a room to J.B. Brooks who is an aging man who has just been diagnosed with a deadly and painful type of cancer. When Bacall took this role she was a widow herself, as her husband, Humphrey Bogart, had died of cancer several years prior in 1957.
3. Key Largo – 1948
Key Largo was Bacall and Bogart’s final film together. In the film, Bacall stars as a widow, Nora Temple, whose husband George was killed in action while serving in the Army. Nora is visited by Frank McCloud, a former major in the army who served with George; Frank tells Nora and George’s father about about George’s heroic duty and also where he is buried. With a storm approaching, George’s father in turn invites Frank to stay at the hotel with him and Nora.
2. The Big Sleep – 1946
In this film Bacall plays Mrs. Vivian Rutledge, the daughter of millionaire General Sternwood. Bacall’s character gets caught up in an investigation conducted by the private investigator who was hired by her father.
1. To Have and Have Not – 1944
In Bacall’s break-through role she stars Marie Browning, a wanderer who falls in love with Humphrey Bogart’s character. Her most famous line: “You know you don’t have to act with me, Steve. You don’t have to say anything and you don’t have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow” comes from this film. The film was also made into an hour long radio play in October of 1946 where Bacall and Bogart returned to their original roles.
(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)
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