Bogie

Well I think that this wasn't the best movie I've seen in my life but it is watchable. I mean it was shallow yes but okay just to be if nothing on the face of the earth was on I guess I would watch it.I happened to think quite little of it. Yeah it pretty much wasn't all that but hey it'ws watchable. Again some of these bio's are fairly boring but people still manage to watch them. Yes so their you have it it is a pain free boring movie with guarauntee you will turn it off in twenty minutes tops. Well this is just me but I didn't like it and some of my friends didn't like it. If your a bio person you'll love it but if your not run for the hills. To me this was painful and would not watch it again.

This movie is a cheesy Melodrama biopic on the life of the Great One Humphrey Bogart. The movie lacks any real substance on Bogie's Life. The film mainly focuses on his tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic wife Mayo Methot (Played by Ann Wedgeworth who was Lana on the Three's company episodes) and the Cancer that eventually killed him. Kevin O'Conner is pretty good as Bogie, he looks, talks, and even laughs like the real Bogie. Kathryn Harrold playing Lauren Bacall is just gorgeous, and bares a striking resemblance to The real thing as well. The problem with this made for T.V. film is that is really never gives you anything, no personal relationships with stars and directors, not even some insight to how he became a star. To save money on the film we get cheap fading B/W stills staggered throughout the film (mind you not even real ones, but ones with the actor playing Bogie). The sets are minimal and repetitive, and a cheesy ending make you wonder if there is any justice out there for dead stars that are brought back to life in biopics

A really good film biography of Humphrey Bogart would have concentrated on his difficult rise to stardom during the 1930s and early 40s. However, this pedestrian movie emphasizes his battles with Mayo Methot and his marriage to Lauren Bacall. Kevin O'Connor tries, but cannot come close to matching the real Bogart; Kathryn Harrold is much, much better as Bacall, and turns in a fine performance. Bogart's final battle with throat cancer is portrayed as a shallow soap opera, and the inconclusive ending (Bogart sailing in his boat) is particularly bad. Might be worth watching on a slow night, but don't confuse this movie with a good biographical film...it's not even close.

Having read Joe Hyams' book on his friend Humphrey Bogart, I found the film interesting and entertaining, as I am a fan of Old Hollywood bio pics.

Unlike another reviewer noted, I found O'Connor's portrayal spot on and his voice and looks to be remarkably similar to Bogart's. However, Harrold, though attractive, looked and sounded nothing like Lauren Bacall, nor did the scene she re-enacted from "Have and Have Not" contain any of the nuances or appeal of Bacall's impressive debut.

Additionally, while I could not recall what Methot sounded like in the few movies I've seen with her, I thought Wedgeworth looked pretty close in appearance. She also acted exactly like she was portrayed in Hyams' bio too, which was an alcoholic explosive (yet sad) ticking time bomb. You felt sorry for her weakness and ruination of her marriage to Bogart.

The married couple portrayed in the film, Zelma (O'Neal) O'Moore and Patrick O'Moore, were real friends of Bogart's and were also in movies of his time period, and the two actors playing the couple acquitted themselves nicely. Patricia Barry (Zelma) was barely recognizable (except for her voice) after seeing her play a man eater in "Dear Heart" with Glenn Ford.

If you are a long-time TCM viewer, as am I, you have probably seen the director Vincent Sherman interviewed. He must have been a friend of Bogart's too and did a sympathetic portrayal of him. I always thought Sherman seemed like a class act in his interviews and will make an effort to seek out more of his directorial efforts.

Overall, if you are a fan of Humphrey Bogart, you will enjoy this leisurely movie. I do agree with another reviewer that O'Connor's teeth were a tad distracting. Not sure if they were his actual teeth or a mouthpiece to emulate Bogart's mouth. Bogart was definitely more handsome.

Sadly, O'Connor died at 53, an even earlier age than Bogart at 57, both of cancer. RIP gentlemen and God bless.

Bogie (1980)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Vincent Sherman directs this bio of screen legend Humphrey Bogart, which is interesting since Sherman directed several Bogart pictures including The Return of Dr. X and All Through the Night. Kevin O'Connor gets the part of Bogart as we see the star struggle in Hollywood but eventually take off into a major star. We also see his personal life including his troubled marriage to Mayo Methot (Ann Wedgeworth) and eventual love Lauren Bacall (Kathryn Harrold). I think the hardest thing for an actor to do is try and play another legendary character and that rings true here. O'Connor really doesn't look like Bogart, certainly doesn't sound like him and he never perfectly captures the Bogart feel but there's not an actor alive who could capture Bogart except Bogart himself. With that said, O'Connor really isn't too bad here and overall I could put aside the obvious differences and enjoy his performance. Wedgeworth is a tad bit over the top as the alcoholic Mayo but Harrold isn't too bad as Bacall. For the most part the film looks at the two marriages of Bogart, which is fine but I wish they had paid more attention to Bogart the actor. There are a couple great scenes with Bogart in the office of Jack Warner arguing about roles and I wish there were more of this.