Bogart

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It's the season of battling Bogarts: two biographies, each worthwhile for different reasons. If you want a leisurely, formidably well-documented account of Humphrey Bogart's legendary screen career and four marriages (including a happy final one to Lauren Bacall), this is it. A. M. Sperber conducted some 200 interviews with people who knew the actor before his death in 1994; Eric Lax draws on her seven years of research to create a nuanced, in-depth, elegantly written portrait of the man recently dubbed Hollywood's greatest star by Premiere magazine.

Book Description

He was a top box-office draw in his day, an Oscar-winning actor, a principled man of rare conviction, and -- long after his death -- a cult figure revered by moviegoers who weren't even born while he was making his movies. But over the years, Humphrey Bogart has remained an enigma, despite what we have learned of him from wife Lauren Bacall's own fond memories and from the various biographies that have appeared over the years since his death in 1957.

With Bogart, this wonderful enigma is brought under the light as never before. Although authors Ann M. Sperber and Eric Lax never met, Bogart is a unique collaboration, combining the strengths of two prize-winning biographers. Sperber, the author of the New York Times best-selling Pulitzer-Prize finalist Murrow: His Life and Times (1986), spent seven years before her death in 1994 amassing a vast archive of original research on the life and times of Humphrey Bogart, including more than 200 interviews she conducted with people who had known and worked with him, including Katharine Hepburn and John Huston. Eric Lax, whose Woody Allen was a national bestseller in 1991, took over the project after Sperber's death and spent two years completing it. The result is the definitive portrait of the actor who merged his screen anti-heroism with his own staunch personal integrity in a manner new to Hollywood, fashioning a persona as timely today, forty years after his death, as it was during his own life.

Customer Reviews:

Seen the Movies? Meet the Man........2006-12-10

The definitive bio of one of Filmdom's Gods.

You will learn alot about the man as actor, and human being, and about Hollywood in the Golden Age here.

Fantastic!

A Definitive Biography.......2006-07-18

Bogart is the definitive biography of Humphrey Bogart. A. M. Sperber, who also wrote a marvelous book about Edward R. Murrow, has done painstaking research that included over 200 interviews. I have previously read the short biography of Bogart by Joe Hyams and Lauren Bacall's autobiography, which helped to gauge some of the information in this book. A. M. Sperber died before she could complete this book so it was completed by Eric Lax.

This is the kind of book that is difficult to put down; a well written book that moves along giving a non-judgmental view of its famous subject. What I came away with was a much broader portrait of Humphrey Bogart and the realization of how unhappy he was. An interesting revelation was that despite his success as an actor there was some regret that he not become a writer. An aspect of Bogart's life that I wish was better covered was his personal likes and dislikes. As in Lauren Bacall's autobiography, this book revealed that he was very fond of Bach and Debussy and the music of both composers was played at his funeral. This was certainly different from his tough guy image! So, although I learned a great deal about his battles with Jack Warner and Mayo and his passionate defense of the First Amendment, it is a portrait lacking a spark of life.

The book goes into detail about his childhood and his parents, who were both drug addicts and near alcoholics. As the book progresses, one can vividly see how his parents affected Humphrey Bogart's personality, making him introverted but also instilling in him the qualities of a gentleman and the Victorian ideal of doing what must be done. The book presents a balanced viewpoint of Bogart's good and bad traits, including his belligerent needling that he seems to make a change in this character during the 1950's.

One minor item that I found to be incorrect was the report in the book that the Bogart dog Harvey had to be put to sleep. Lauren Bacall said in her autobiography that Harvey died at the veterinarian's office shortly after she visited him of a heart attack. Otherwise, this is an impressive book that anyone who has an interest in Humphrey Bogart will want to read.

Well documented Bogart bio.......2005-10-12

Several years ago, the American Film Institute, Entertainment Weekly, and Premiere magazine all named Humphrey Bogart the greatest film star of all time, a selection few film buffs would argue with. Like John Wayne and Cary Grant, Bogart was larger than life, yet, unlike them, he was also down in the dirt with the rest of us. An average guy in many ways, the characters he played beat the odds, but only after enormous effort and struggle.

A.M. Sperber's generally excellent biography shows that Bogart the icon and Bogart the man shared many similar traits. Though the son of a wealthy doctor and his artist wife, there was a dark side to Bogart's outwardly pampered life. His mother was distant, his father was addicted to morphine, and the young boy and his sisters, one of whom suffered from mental illness, were abused by the servants. Bogart was an academic failure with little hope for success until distinguishing himself on Broadway with his classic portrayal of Duke Mantee in "The Petrified Forest."

But even when Hollywood beckoned, life didn't get easier for the insecure actor. While James Cagney, George Raft, Paul Muni, and Edward G. Robinson were "stars" who got the best roles Warner Bros. had to offer, Bogart was taken for granted, a mere contract player who played supporting roles in the important projects, and spent years buried in a series of undistinguished B flicks churned out on the Hollywood assembly line. Well paid, especially by Depression era standards, he nonetheless struggled to support his ailing sisters and to pay off his late father's debts.

Today, it's hard to believe his employers took so long to recognize the charisma and talent that Bogart would bring to "High Sierra" and "The Maltese Falcon," both of which were intended for that great non-entity George Raft. "Casablanca," of course, made Bogart the biggest star on the Warner lot, and Sperber shoots down the myth that both Raft and Ronald Reagan were initially considered for the role of Hollywood's ultimate romantic hero. For once, a role was tailor-made for Bogart, and the legend was born.

Bogart's early life isn't covered as thoroughly as hoped, but that's not a surprise since most of those who could provide insight into the future superstar had died long before Sperber began her book. But the career is well documented, and the man behind the myth emerges as a flesh and blood figure, a fiercely intelligent and generally admirable one, on every page.

Brian W. Fairbanks

EXCELLENT - TOOK YEARS OF WORK BY TWO PEOPLE........2002-03-13

No question, by the time you finish this book, you are whirling with knowledge of Humphrey Bogart, whom no one can ever really know because he was so complex with a mixture of his shadow and light side that it seems he was the most confused of all about himself. One thing is certain: He had a great, great talent, and his films are as much loved today as when he was in his prime.

Several things are left out of the book, and I wonder why. One is the fact that Mr. Lax states that Bogart's sister was a great financial responsibility for him as she was in a private sanitarium for mental illness. In 1955 Frances Bogart Rose was a patient in the Metropolitan State Hospital (for the mentally ill) at Norwalk, California. She was allowed occasional visits to the Bogart home, but her return was always a concern because of the heavy drinking at Bogart's home and its effects on her. Perhaps it was at an earlier time that she was in a private sanitarium, but Mr. Lax gives the reader the impression it was for life. Since Bogart, who died in 1957, left her no bequest in his will (in spite of leaving small bequests to the household cook and his secretary), one can assume he knew she in some way would be cared for during her lifetime

Another issue not covered is Bogart's involvement with women during his mariage to Bacall, which even Bacall speaks of in her autobiography, stating she did not find out about some of the women until after Bogart's death (perhaps the best documented claim is about the young lady who cut his children's hair, a total opposite from Ms. Bacall). Yet the author points out Ms. Bacall's attractions (and in the case of Adlai Stevenson, she obviously had fallen in love). As Bacall states in her book, she did not have an actual affair because she knew that Bogart would leave her if she did. This is not to say they did not love each other deeply. Perhaps if she had not rejected another great love of his life, his yaught and sailing, and snooted the crew, preferring instead to attend Hollywood parties, the time and experiences they could have shared there would have resulted in a more close-knit bond. On the other hand, she was only twenty when she married him, and the fact that she lived with such a complex and difficult man until his death says something for her.

This book packs you with a wallop because it is so well written, very well researched and documented, the photos are great. Remember, he was an extremely heavy drinker and all his activities were lived under a cloud of alcohol or the affects of alcohol, even his greatest preformances. A gentleman and a boor. crude and erudite. kind and cruel. But talented, talented, talented!

Great Book About The Greatest Actor.......2000-04-26

If you go by the poll by the American Film Institute[...],Humphrey Bogart was the greatest actor EVER, numero uno. Iwholeheartedly agree, having seen just about all of his movies overthe years. I used to catch some of them on the Late Show(or even Late Late Show)while babysitting back in high school days, then over the years I've started collecting his films. Bogie was a very complex, highly intelligent man-considering he hated school, he was one smart, tough cookie(sorry-couldn't resist). Expertly researched and detailed, the book is chock full of photos & filmography info at the end. Of the Bogart biographies out there, this one stands out from all the rest. Highly recommended.

Bogie: A Celebration of the Life and Films of Humphrey Bogart

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bogie; a celebration of the life and films of humphrey bogart
Back to basics on Bogart...

Bogie: A Celebration of the Life and Films of Humphrey Bogart
Richard Schickel
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312366299
Release Date: 2006-12-12

Book Description

In the fifty years since his death in 1957 Humphrey Bogart has firmly established his position as one of the iconic figures in the history of cinema, a star of the same magnitude as Monroe, Gable or Chaplin, and the personaification of one of Hollywood's most enduring genres, film noir. In this lavishly illsutrated survey of Bogart's life and work, Richard Schickel assesses his career and enduring legacy while George Perry provides a detailed review of the films he made over three decades, with a particular focus on his key roles. Published with the authorization of the Estate of Humphrey Bogart, this official celebration is a fitting tribute to a much-loved star.

Having started out playing a series of supporting roles and "B" movie leads in routine gangster films, Bogart first emerged as a figure to be reckoned with in High Sierra before starring as the private eye Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon in 1941. Then, two years later, came Casablanca, the film in which, for the first time, he was allowed to show the humanity that lay behind the mask of the laconic, wisecracking tough guy. A humanity that was fully realized in the part of Charlie Allnut in The African Queen for which he won an Oscar in 1952.

In all, Bogart appeared in over seventy-five films, and consistently lived up to his own definition of stardom -- "you have to drag your weight at the box office and be recognized wherever you go" -- and was later adopted as a cult figure by a new generation of fans, who saw him as an existentialist hero. Five decades after his death, he remains an invigorating presence in our imaginations.

While Bogart's magnetism is to this day unmatched on screen, his private life was equally entrancing. He had already been married three times when he met Lauren Bacall on the set of Passage to Marseille and told her, "I saw your test. We're going to have a lot of fun together." She provided a much-needed stabilizing influence to his life and together they formed one of the most celebrated on- and off-screen couples. They had a son and daughter and appeared together in four movies including Key Largo and The Big Sleep.

On the night Bogart won his Oscar for The African Queen, Bacall reflected that "Bogie had everything now-- a happy marriage, a son, another child on the way, an ocean racing yacht [the legendary Santana], success, and the peak of recognition in his work."

Customer Reviews:

bogie; a celebration of the life and films of humphrey bogart.......2007-08-07

great book, if you want to know everything about humphrey bogart , buy this book
j .gomez

Back to basics on Bogart..........2007-04-10

In addition to excellent photos covering Humphrey's life and career, this volume has a concise biography, an insightful appreciation of his acting, and details on all of his nearly 80 films and his dozen or so appearances on the Broadway stage. For casual fans, it is a must-read, and for fanatic fans a must-own. Good job from the creators and publishers, it would make a fine gift for any Bogie-lover one knows.

Bogie and Me: The Love Story of Humphrey Bogart and Verita Thompson

Average customer rating:

Approach with skepticism...
Bogie and Me
Wishful Thinking And Spiteful Jealousy Perhaps?
A Book With No Substance.
They hated phonies

Bogie and Me: The Love Story of Humphrey Bogart and Verita Thompson
Verita Thompson
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312087381

Customer Reviews:

Approach with skepticism..........2007-01-04

One approaches this book with an air of caution and curiosity as to the author's motives. I stumbled upon this after reading Lauren Bacall's wonderful autobiography which, incidentally, was published a few short years before Bogie & Me. I have to wonder if the attention given to Ms. Bacall's bio was Ms. Thompson's motivation for writing this memoir.

Ms. Thompson actually explains that her motivation is that Bogie would love to see her shake everyone up with the information that he had a long-time mistress, since he loved shocking people. No doubt his wife and children were shaken up by the news.

I had hoped to come away from this book believing that this woman is a con, but some of it rings true. That said, I think you could call this more of a collection of anecdotes rather than a thoughtful and introspective memoir. The author remains morally ambiguous throughout the text. At any rate, a lot can be learned from this book about Bogie's personality.

Bogie and Me.......2006-08-26

Haven't read it. I just was looking at the reviews of this book because my husband and I met the author in a bar in New Orleans one afternoon in June, 2006. We frequent Touche's on Royal Street,when we are there. Donna the bar "hostess extraordinaire" serves her usual local characters and there is always a couple of locals you can just sit back and listen to while queching your thirst on a hot and humid New Orleans afternoon. Ms. Thompson was sitting at the bar that Saturday afternoon, dressed the part too, hat and all. It was a show to watch and a story to hear. I was struck how sad it is that she is now alone with her memories and has only the past to keep her company. However, I think she does get a kick out of seeing peoples reaction when the find out who she is and she begins to banter about her life with a Hollywood Icon.

Wishful Thinking And Spiteful Jealousy Perhaps?.......2005-04-19

This book details a clandestine affair between the author and hard drinking Hollywood Star Humphrey Bogart while he was married to Ms. Lauren Bacall. Wether or not this affair actually happened or is just "wishful think" on behalf of Ms. Thompson is open to debate. The author has quite a few unflattering things to say about Ms. Bacall who I believe is one of the few actresses left in Hollywood with any real Class which is a rarity these days. One gets the impression that Ms. Thompson was and is very jealous of the fact that Ms. Bacall was Humphrey Bogart's Legal wife and she wanted to be that instead of just being his mistress.I do find it very sad and pathetic that some unknown hairdresser tries to "cash in" on a deceased celebrity's fame who is not around to offer his version of events. I give this book one star and intend to thrown it into the trash can where it belongs.

A Book With No Substance........2003-12-24

Sometimes I enjoy reading trash. I read the two reader reviews and decided to purchase this book as they were both positive reviews. After reading it - I realized I had read basically NOTHING. I can only guess the writer was badly in need of money to write this. If she did indeed care for Bogart, and there was an affair (which I'm not convinced of after reading this fluff), then why would she want to hurt his still living wife and children, knowing it would be something he would never have wanted, would have in fact been deeply hurt by? My copy is going into the garbage where it belongs. I like at least a little fact and substance when I'm reading trash.

They hated phonies.......2003-02-11

It's actually hilarious when you consider Bacall's memoirs (By Myself) and Bogie's lectures to Bacall on the subject of marital fidelity and how much he hated phonies, to realize that he was having a fifteen year affair with his hairdresser, simultaneous with two of his marriages. But he was a high-functioning alcoholic and he actually had his life beautifully arranged; the girlfriend tended to him on the set and on publicity tours and the wife at home.
The book is quite readable and enjoyable, if slight, and these are two people whose company you'd enjoy if you like to go out and drink a lot which apparently they spent a lot of time doing. I'm sure Thompson had no notion how revealing this book would be about their characters. They're both quite amusing, quick with the wisecracks and were obviously good friends as well as lovers. She was apparently his primary enabler, but didn't go over the edge herself. Since both of them were justly proud of their professional accomplishments, they managed to maintain the discipline they needed for professional purposes.
Thompson also has a few entertaining stories to tell about him and their adventures together. The book is slight, but you do get a picture of the Hollywood they inhabited and some more insight into Bogie's character, a man who enjoyed putting people on and practical jokes and was a world class chess player also. You can't help liking them and admiring what they accomplished in their lives, although neither is someone you'd put on a pedestal.
I just can't stop shaking my head over the "phonies" thing. If you read it, you'll see. Bogie had some act going. Well, he was a truly great actor. It shows.

The Rat Pack: The Hey-Hey Days of Frank and the Boys

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Out-ratting the Rats
fuhgettaboutit
Save your dough
CLIFF "RAT" NOTES
Ratty

The Rat Pack: The Hey-Hey Days of Frank and the Boys
Lawrence J. Quirk
Manufacturer: Taylor Trade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0878339922

Amazon.com

Quirk and Schoell's rehashing of the biographical details of Frank Sinatra and the rest of his crew is only intermittently able to disguise its contempt for their personal and professional lives. If there's an opportunity for a pot shot, rest assured this book will take it, from the admittedly deserved (Cannonball Run II, anyone?) to the probably uncalled for (a charity performance for a halfway house for ex-convicts is dismissed with snide comments about Sinatra the wannabe gangster). Much of the source material is drawn from Quirk's footwork as an entertainment reporter in the 1960s; interviews that he conducted with Peter Lawford over the years also provide some juicy tales of sex and drugs, as well as the inside scoop on his ouster from "the Clan" after brother-in-law President Kennedy backed out of his planned Palm Springs vacation at Frank Sinatra's home. (The same stories, with much less venom and some more pizazz, can be found in Shawn Levy's Rat Pack Confidential.)

Book Description

The Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop -- had talent, money, and power to burn. They also had something else even more important.

They had fun.

Customer Reviews:

Out-ratting the Rats.......2007-07-16

The back cover suggests that the main reason for the Rat Pack's appeal was the fun they seemed to be having. The contents, however, seem to be intended to deconstruct this premise. One by one, in numbing detail, the five men (and "mascot" Shirley Maclaine) are subjected to jaundiced, gossipy biographies that portray them as pathetic characters. Very little of the information is original - many of the anecdotes related here are familiar and seem selectively drawn from more in-depth biographies. The tone is consistently vulgar and deprecating. There are also tedious reviews of all the films of every Pack member, including critiques of seemingly every cast member's performance, prolonging an already unpleasant read. It is as if the authors wished to undermine the undeniable talent and charm these performers had, and which remains their legacy. This cheap anthology simply exploits that legacy.

fuhgettaboutit.......2006-12-14

I'm going to throw away my copy, too. Perhaps the most annoying aspect, for a film buff, is how the authors add insult to injury with their "film reviews." It's bad enough that they get facts wrong -- most of the score to ON THE TOWN was NOT written by Leonard Bernstein, for example -- but then these ignoramuses presume to pass negative judgment on classics like ON THE TOWN and FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, a right they clearly haven't earned with their "research."

Save your dough.......2004-01-28

The only reason I give this book one star is because zero stars wasn't an option. It took two guys to write this tripe? One monkey could have done a better job. This book is lazy and poorly written and I am ticked off that I wasted my money on it. The definitive book on the Rat Pack has got to be Shawn Levy's. After reading the first two pages of Levy's book I was hooked. The difference between a real writer and a couple of hacks.

CLIFF "RAT" NOTES.......2002-05-15

Here is the deal. If you are just starting to get into the Rat Pack or any of the players individually. Then this book is a good start. I would call it the Cliff notes of the individuals and their movies. If you have seen all the movies including the Matt Helm movies or if you have already read books on Dean, Frank, Sammy's biography then you are way ahead of this book and pass it by.

But if you have not seen the movies and want to learn the basics of each man and then from there search into each one of them seperatly then this is a good starter. There are some great books on all the guys but you will finded Sammy's Biography to be the most fun. Remember to check out deanmartinfancenter.com for more info on the Rat Pack. For the guys who wrote this you could have given us some fun facts or answered some questions, instead they read everyone else book and put together their own version.

Ratty.......2002-01-28

The blurb on the cover of THE RAT PACK says "They had fun" but there's precious little fun to be found here. This book is a tedious listing of (mostly negative) events. It lacks any sparkle and vigor, and if I believed half of it, I'd have to wonder just what the appeal of this group of overgrown adolescents could be. There had to be more.

The Chairman of The Board is the centerpiece as an egomaniacal bully who uses his star power to make the world feel indebted to him. His reported temper tantrums seem utterly absurd. Anyone who used his fists or threats of mob violence as much as the authors claim Sinatra did, should have and would have been locked up, "different era" or no. The Frank Sinatra in these pages wouldn't be a "King of Cool". He wouldn't be anything much.

The rest of the boys orbit around Frank like some kind of an inebriated solar system. The boozing and skirt-chasing is leaden, so where's the thrill? Where are the laughs? If this book is at all accurate (and it isn't, listing Dean Martin's date of death incorrectly), it means that this group of supremely talented entertainers valued nothing, not even themselves.

The bulk of the book is made up of mostly scathing summaries of the Rat Pack movies. Nary a word is said about either Frank or Dean's musical careers. Sammy Davis Jr. is dismissed as little more than the Rat Pack houseboy. Peter Lawford is depicted as a sexually confused drug addict craving the attention of the others. Joey Bishop is virtually forgotten. The Rat Pack Mascots (Shirley MacLaine and Angie Dickinson) get barely honorable mentions (MacLaine far more than Dickinson). One has to wonder why Shirley MacLaine would continue to associate with The Rat Pack after being assaulted by mobster Sam Giancana twice in their company. The book begs an answer. MacLaine is no slouch, so obviously more and better was happening with the "Clan" than this sordid book deigns to tell us.

To really appreciate the Rat Pack give a listen to The Rat Pack Live at the Sands or The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection: Live & Swingin (CD & DVD).

Average customer rating:

Bogart

Manufacturer: Books on Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000H0UJOU

Discovering The Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade: The Evolution of Dashiell Hammett's Masterpiece, Including John Huston's Movie with Humphrey Bogart (The Ace Performer Collection series)

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Amazing Collection of Materials on the Genesis and Legacy of "The Maltese Falcon".
No Question Left Unanswered
A Rare Treat For The Fan Of Sam Spade
Dashiell Hammett
A "must-read" for mystery movie trivia buffs

Discovering The Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade: The Evolution of Dashiell Hammett's Masterpiece, Including John Huston's Movie with Humphrey Bogart (The Ace Performer Collection series)

Manufacturer: Vince Emery Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0972589864

Book Description

The Maltese Falcon has been widely lauded since its original publication in 1930. In its movie adaptation, it not only birthed American film noir but also ranks as one of the 100 greatest movies of all time, as selected by the American Film Institute. Now this treasury of memorabilia on Sam Spade and his creator, Dashiell Hammett, uncovers a wealth of documents and photos about the book and movie from institutional and private archives, many of which are previously unpublished and are available nowhere else. Providing far more information than any resource before it, the book delves deeply into the tale of the jeweled avian statue, including a full account of Hammett's detective career, a chronology of his life and publications, sources and notes the author used in constructing the book, and never-before-seen documents from the book's film, stage, and radio adaptations. This version has been updated to include additional contents, color photos, and an index. Available now for any audience, it will be a joy for fans of Sam Spade, Hammett, film noir, and the history of cinema and literature.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Collection of Materials on the Genesis and Legacy of "The Maltese Falcon". .......2007-01-07

"Discovering the Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade" is an amazing collection of materials related to Dashiell Hammett, his greatest novel "The Maltese Falcon", the film adaptations of the book, and other spin-offs assembled by Hammett biographer Richard Layman. Layman states in his introduction, "The purpose of this volume is to provide researchers basic materials useful in studying 'The Maltese Falcon'." Not everything ever written about "The Maltese Falcon" is here, but the contents of this book are remarkably varied. The collection is probably too dense for casual fans of "The Maltese Falcon", but it's indispensable for Hammett scholars and aficionados. The only fault I find is that reproductions of newspaper and other type-written materials are sometimes poor and would have benefited from enhancement.

The book is organized into five parts. The first part, "Detective Days", provides biographical information on Dashiell Hammett, a history of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, an interview with a colleague of Hammett's at Pinkerton, excerpts from books on criminal investigation that Hammett studied, and some non-fiction pieces that Hammett wrote about his detective days. The second section, "The Pulps and the Making of the Novel", includes a history of "Black Mask" magazine, the historical basis for the Maltese Falcon statuette, comments by "Black Mask" editor Joseph T. Shaw, some reviews of Hammett's mystery fiction, and many excerpts from Hammett's stories that later inspired characters and events in "The Maltese Falcon".

"Magazine and Book Publication" begins with a copy of Hammett's book contract with Knopf and correspondence with publisher Harry Block. There are covers of "Black Mask" issues that serialized "The Maltese Falcon", examples of text that was revised between magazine publication and book publication, early book jackets, many favorable reviews of the book, Dorothy Parker's tepid review of "The Glass Key", articles about Cecil Henderson's plagiarism, and sales data for the novel. The forth section, "Critical Views of 'The Maltese Falcon'", is seven pieces of relatively recent literary criticism that explore American individualism, Sam Spade's vernacular, the novel as introverted romance, as allegory of international politics between the wars, and the pursuit of tangible wealth, among other themes.

The last section, "Movies, Stage, and Radio: Hammett's Novel in Popular Culture", follows Hammett's life after the publication of the novel, followed by discussions of the script, budget, and reviews for the first film adaptation at Warner Brothers in 1931. More letters from Warner Brothers, title suggestions, correspondence with the Breen Office, and reviews of the second movie adaptation, "Satan Met a Lady", in 1936. For John Huston's 1941 adaptation, there is a letter from Joseph Breen citing Production Code violations in the script, a budget, letters about filming, Mary Astor's recollections of the film, 3 movie reviews, and 4 critical analyses. There is a bit about an abortive stage play and the legal challenges over "The Adventures of Sam Spade" radio show. There is a list of selected publications of "The Maltese Falcon" in the back of the book as well as an index.

No Question Left Unanswered.......2006-06-08

I love the story of THE MALTESE FALCON, not only as it is told in Hammett's novel but also as it is portrayed in John Huston's movie. I can never read enough about Dashiell Hammett, Joseph Shaw, Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr., Mary Astor, Barton MacLane, Robert and William Pinkerton, John Huston, Lillian Hellman, the Knights of Malta, BLACK MASK, San Francisco after World War I and Raymond Chandler.

This book has enough anecdotes and background material to satisfy even the most ardent enthusiast. My own favorite piece is an account by Mary Astor of her experiences while filming for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in the 1941 version of THE MALTESE FALCON.

A Rare Treat For The Fan Of Sam Spade.......2006-06-06

DISCOVERING THE MALTESE FALCON AND SAM SPADE is the complete book for the fan of Sam Spade in both film and fiction. Fortunately, a very detailed index is provided which allows the reader to choose from among an array of tantalizing topics.The latter includes an account of Dashiell Hammett's days as a Pinkerton detective as well as his work for BLACK MASK. The author also gives us much information about THE MALTESE FALCON in the movies and on stage and radio.The book represents an admirable effort by Layman and it will be enjoyed by anyone captivated by the lure of this enduring tale.

Dashiell Hammett.......2005-10-27

Dashiel Hammett is one of my favorite authors, I have all of his stories, including a couple of biographies. I'm also a fan of Noir stories and movies. This is a great book to add to my collection.

A "must-read" for mystery movie trivia buffs .......2005-10-07

Discovering The Maltese Falcon And Sam Spade is a tribute to the novel by Dashiell Hammett featuring the hardboiled detective Sam Spade and his involvement in the doomed quest for a mysterious artifact, as well as the three film noir movies based from it including the classic that made Humphrey Bogart a star. Chapters tell of Hammett's days as a detective, his publication in pulps, the making of the classic novel, critical views of the movies, the reverberations of The Maltese Falcon in popular culture, and much more. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, selections of Hammett's pre-publication material, copies of news articles and other primary sources, and much more, Discovering The Maltese Falcon And Sam Spade is a "must-read" for mystery movie trivia buffs and anyone else curious about the history behind a legendary 'hard boiled PI" adventure story.

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Bogie and Me
Verita Thompson , and Donald Shepherd
Manufacturer: Pinnacle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0523420781

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casablanca

The Complete Films of Humphrey Bogart
Clifford McCarty , and Lauren Bacall
Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Guides & Reviews | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0806509554

Customer Reviews:

casablanca.......2000-01-21

I think this is a wonderful romance film. As a personal fan of Humphrey Bogart I think his part was excellent. This book is deffiently worth reading.

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City Boys: Cagney, Bogart, Garfield
Robert Sklar
Manufacturer: Princeton Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Actors & Actresses | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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The White Man's Indian: Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present

ASIN: 0691047952

Book Description

Often presented as a gangster, newspaper reporter, or private eye, the "city boy" seemed the quintessential product of urban America, although he was more a model for his audience than a mirror of social actuality. While blending the stories of the professional and political lives of Cagney, Bogart, and Garfield into one fascinating narrative, Robert Sklar probes the cultural forces that produced this vivid cultural icon and examines its power over masculine self-definition. Often presented as a gangster, newspaper reporter, or private eye, the "city boy" seemed the quintessential product of urban America, although he was more a model for his audience than a mirror of social actuality. While blending the stories of the professional and political lives of Cagney, Bogart, and Garfield into one fascinating narrative, Robert Sklar probes the cultural forces that produced this vivid cultural icon and examines its power over masculine self-definition.

Humphrey Bogart: A Bio-Bibliography (Popular Culture Bio-Bibliographies)

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Humphrey Bogart: A Bio-Bibliography (Popular Culture Bio-Bibliographies)
Gerald Duchovnay
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Actors & Actresses | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0313223386

Book Description

More than forty years after his death, Humphrey Bogart remains a symbol of the Golden Age of Hollywood and a popular culture icon. His legacy has impacted American popular culture beyond the scope of American film history. His image graces buttons, greeting cards, and postal cards and he has been the subject of plays, films, novels, and poems. This work presents a precise biography of Bogart and examines his place in American popular culture. Scholarly and substantive articles written about Bogart's life, films, and career are analyzed and summarized. Essays and new and previously published interviews present insightful ideas by and about Bogart. Film and popular culture scholars and Humphrey Bogart enthusiasts alike will appreciate the extensive and thorough listing of articles and books about Bogart and his career. As a guide to further research, the author has provided a filmography, discography, and videography and has documented theater listings, radio and television appearances, and a directory of Bogart websites. This extensive review of Bogart and his career helps to define his success within an American cultural context.

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