Lauren Bacall
September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014
Boy, we’ve lost some big ones this week. Lauren Bacall will forever be known as Humphrey Bogart’s wife and co-star, so I’m pulling her out from under Bogey’s sizable shadow—highlighting her part in one of my favorite films of the 60s, Harper (1966). Based on the first of Ross MacDonald’s wonderful Archer books, The Moving Target, it gives you Paul Newman at his coolest — and Bacall in a great part as Lew Harper’s rich client.
Ms. Bacall passed away today at 89.
Bacall was brought to Howard Hawks’ attention by his wife, Slim. He tested her, told her to scream some hoarseness into her voice and paired her with Humphrey Bogart in To Have And Have Not (1944). She built a pretty solid career from there.
The Hannibal 8 
Definitely sad to see the Golden Era great leave us one by one…
On Bacall and Hawks and hoarseness: When I interviewed Coleen Gray, she told me Hawks wanted her to do the same thing, scream all weekend until she was hoarse and then come in for her RED RIVER test. She said she thought he was nuts and refused, though she tried to lower her voice as much as she could for her test. She got the part anyway. 🙂 It was Gray’s first film although it was released after some of her other key films such as KISS OF DEATH and NIGHTMARE ALLEY.
Best wishes,
Laura
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