Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924 in New York City. Her parents were middle-class with her father working as a salesman and her mother as a secretary. They divorced when she was five. When she was a young school girl, Lauren originally wanted to be a dancer, but later 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. 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 a part as Marie Browning in To have or have not (1944), a thriller opposite the great Humphrey Bogart, when she was just 19 years old. This not only set the tone for a fabulous career, but also one of Hollywood's greatest love stories. (She married him in 1945.) It was, also, the first of several Bogie-Bacall films. After  Confidential agent (1945), Lauren received second billing in The big sleep (1946) with Bogart. The mystery, in the role of Vivian Sternwood Rutledge, would be 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 (1947). The film kept movie patrons on the edge of their seats. The following year she starred with Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and Lionel Barrymore in Key Largo (1948). The crime drama was even more of a nail biter than the previous film. In 1950, Lauren played in Bright leaf (1950), 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 (1953). The film, with co-stars Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable, was a smash hit all across the theaters of America. After filming Designing woman (1957), Humphrey Bogart died on January 14, 1957 from throat cancer. Devastated at being a widow, Lauren returned to the silver screen with The gift of love (1958) opposite Gregory Peck. The production turned out to be a big disappointment. Not undaunted, Lauren moved back to New York City and appeared in several Broadway plays to huge critical acclaim. She was enjoying playing before live audiences and the audiences in turn enjoyed her fine performances. Lauren was away from the big screen for five years returning in 1964 to appear in Shock treatment (1964) and Sex and the single girl (1964). The latter film was a comedy starring Henry Fonda and Tony Curtis. In 1966, Lauren starred in Harper (1966) with Paul Newman and Julie Harris. It was one of Newman's signature films. Alternating her time between films and the stage, Lauren returned in Murder on the Orient Express (1974). The film, based on Agatha Christie's best selling book was a huge hit. It, also, garnered Ingrid Bergman her third Oscar. Actually, the huge star studded cast helped to ensure its success. Two years later Lauren co-starred with John Wayne in The Shootist (1976). The film was to be Wayne's last. He died from cancer in 1979. In 1981, Lauren played an actress being stalked by a crazed admirer in The fan (1981). The thriller was absolutely fascinating with Lauren in the lead role. After that production, Lauren 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  Mr. North (1988). After Misery (1990), and several made for television films, Lauren appeared in My fellow Americans (1996). It was a wonderful comedy romp with Jack Lemmon and James Garner as two ex-presidents and their escapades. In 1997 Lauren was nominated for an Oscar for her role in The Mirror has two faces (1996), directed by Barbra Streisand.  Lauren's last public performance was in the TV mini-series "Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke". Currently she has completed two films scheduled for release in 1999, Diamonds and Johnny hit and run Pauline. Both are in different phases of production.

 

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