Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( BOH-gart; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. Often known for his leading roles as both gangsters and detectives in film noirs, his performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. He won an Academy Award and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Bogart started his career on stage, and made his Broadway debut in 1922. He acted in 16 plays where he often took in supporting roles, regularly portraying gangsters, and was praised for his work in the play The Petrified Forest (1936). He made his feature film debut the pre-code film A Devil with Women (1930) and took early roles in the dramas Dead End (1937), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) and Dark Victory (1939). He rose to stardom in 1941, by taking leading roles in two film noirs, playing a career criminal in High Sierra and Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon.

He went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a rough steamboat captain in the adventure film The African Queen (1951). He was Oscar-nominated for playing a nightclub owner in the romantic drama Casablanca (1942) and as an unstable captain in the military drama The Caine Mutiny (1954). Bogart further established himself as a leading man in films such as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), In a Lonely Place (1950), Sabrina (1954), and The Barefoot Contessa (1954). He also acted opposite Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948). His final film role was in the boxing drama The Harder They Fall (1956).

Bogart married four times including to actress Bacall from 1945 until his death. A heavy smoker and drinker, Bogart died from esophageal cancer in January 1957. Bogart was also known for his roles on the radio and television. He kept a private life and spoke out rarely except as an opponent of actions of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the 1950s. The American Film Institute selected him as the greatest male star of classic American cinema in 1999. Four of his films were named in the AFI's Top 100 films of all time.