Tough Without a Gun: The Extraordinary Life of Humphrey Bogart

Tough Without a Gun: The Extraordinary Life of Humphrey Bogart

by StefanKanfer (Author)

Synopsis

A Humphrey Bogart comes along only once in a century: someone who isn't conventionally handsome or particularly versatile, but who can convince an audience that whatever character he's playing is of great importance, because he represents something vital about themselves and their time. He honed his craft for years in the theatre only becoming a star at the age of 42 as Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon. In the 16 years that were left to him, he made an indelible mark on movies - such that film-makers as diverse as Woody Allen and Jean-Luc Godard paid homage to him in their films. At the heart of this biography is Bogey's love affair with the 19-year-old Lauren Bacall, who stole TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT - and his heart - by lolling in a doorway, tossing insolent remarks and teaching him to put his lips together and whistle.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Published: 17 Feb 2011

ISBN 10: 0571260721
ISBN 13: 9780571260720
Book Overview: Tough Without a Gun: The Extraordinary Life of Humphrey Bogart, by Stefan Kanfer. 'Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. . .'

Media Reviews
Compelling . . . An entertaining, definitive portrait. - Publishers Weekly In this possibly definitive Bogart biography, Kanfer convincingly presents the reasons for the actor's continuing relevance . . . eminently readable. -Roy Liebman, Library Journal (starred) . . . [A] revealing account of Bogart's life and legacy . . . what separates Kanfer's book from other Bogart bios . . . is the emphasis on the actor's afterlife, the way that somehow his persona-- integrity, stoicism, sexual charisma accompanied by a cool indifference to women --has never gone out of style. Bogart divided the world into professionals and bums, and Kanfer makes a convincing case that, with so many bums surrounding us today, the real pros never grow stale. -Bill Ott, Booklist Stefan Kanfer's Bogart biography . . . is called Tough Without a
Author Bio
Stefan Kanfer is the author of Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball and Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando. He was a writer and editor for Time magazine for more than twenty years. He lives in New York and on Cape Cod.