Even though most of the coverage out of Hollywood today is about Robin Williams, there was a brief announcement on the news a few minutes ago that Lauren Bacall has passed away in New York.  The legendary actress was 89.

Bacall got her first movie role in 1944 at the age of 19, with Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not.  The sparks onscreen mirrored those off, and they were married the next year.  He was 25 years older than she was.  Their marriage lasted until Bogart’s death from cancer 12 years later.

Bogey and Bacall in To Have and Have Not

Bacall excelled as a hardboiled woman.  Her sultry voice was perfect for a romantic lead in a noir film.  To this day, she is the epitome of that type of character.

When I was a teenager, my favorite actor was Humphrey Bogart.  (Still is.)  Naturally, that means that Bacall had a major influence on me.  I’ve not seen one of her films for quite a while.  (I hate to be interrupted by anything while watching a film, something my wife, my son, and my dogs refuse to take into consideration.)  That’s a failing I need to correct, and I’ll probably watch To Have and Have Not.

Steve and Slim appraise a sticky situation.

Of the four films Bacall and Bogey made together, this is probably my favorite.  The dialogue crackles, Steve (Bogey) and Slim (Bacall) are both tough and tender at the same time, and Hoagy Carmichael and Walter Brennan between the two of them nearly steal the show.  It’s the movie Bogey  made right after Casablanca (my all time favorite), and there are a number of similarities in the two stories.