Bertie Higgins – “Key Largo”
“Anybody got a match?”
Yeah, I got a match:
Bogie and Bacall.
I have ‘swerved’ once more into Lauren ‘Bacal’ (Jewish spelling of her name before Hollywood COERCED her into changing it) and Bogie whirlwind of late.
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Lauren Bacall, who died Tuesday (Aug. 12) at 89, had mixed feelings about her Jewishness. In “By Myself,” her autobiography, (Which I have read, cover to cover–twice)) she wrote that she “felt totally Jewish and always would,” yet chided herself for not being more open about her Jewish identity.
Below, five facts about Lauren Bacall’s Jewish life and — in her own words — how she felt to be Jewish:She was born Betty Joan Perske.
Bacall was born in Brooklyn to a Jewish family, but her Jewish-sounding name just wouldn’t cut it in the Hollywood of the 1940s and ‘50s. She changed it to a version of her mother’s family name, Weinstein-Bacal.
“It was a period when people believed that you demonstrated your Americanization by Americanizing your name, and very frequently, Americanizing your nose,” said Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University.
“She did not hide the fact that she had these Jewish origins, but it was expected in Hollywood at the time that you would have an American name and persona,” he added.
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Fun Fact:
I once wrote a term paper for the head of the English Department at ETSU. Unbeknownst to me, he was writing an autobiography on Humphrey Bogart at the time. Had I known this, I most probably would not have written my term paper on Bogie and Becall.
But then again, I probably would have anyhow….
And I received an A++ on my paper.
My Prof loved it. Probably ’cause he was a Russian Jew.
Or Maybe not.
It was a great paper.
And he loved it.
(Of course I was drunk when I wrote it)
Took me all of 45 minutes to write.
That is how I ‘rolled’ back then.
Always waited until the very last ‘minuet…’
Bogie was forty-five when he met Bacal.
She was nineteen.
Perhaps there is hope for me yet…
Bogie an’ Baby
If there is just one thing the Navy taught me, it is this:
“No never means no”
“Nothing is ‘written’.”
This is how I got back into SEAL training when I was two years too old…
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Oh
My
God!
She was / is so beautiful!
I Will Forever LOVE Her!
She Enriched My Life So Much!
She Was A Delight To Behold!
And to Dream Of
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One last ‘fun fact.’
In her book, Lauren described how she came up with
“The Look.”
She recounted of how she was so nervous…
when she played along side Bogie, she had to keep her chin tucked into her chest to keep from shaking uncontrollably.
She also tells the story of how the director, Howard Hawks told her she would have to sing in the movie.
She was mortified.
Lauren cannot sing.
She knew this.
But she did it anyway…
It was in the script.
And she was charming.
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So Charming!
Great article. link below:
Must watch this below.
It relates!
Here is a clue
And some Nickles:
To Have and Have Not
This (below) is for film buffs
Do NOT Watch if You’re Not
Such
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Had to Add:
Street Cred for Vid: Somewheremaybe