Customer Reviews (1)

Photography spanning a film career
This is a very nice coffee table size book with great photographyshowcased.The text is minimal amounting to more or less captions for thephotos but you don't buy this book for the words.The photos do all thetalking.Bogie was one of the greats and you can see it in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
An account of Humphrey Bogart's life - his three failed marriages, his improbably successful partnership with Lauren Bacall, and his late role as a family man. It also provides a reappraisal of his films such as "The Big Sleep", "In a Lonely Place" and "Black Legion". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is Bogie
If you like Bogie than this is the book for you.Great photos accompany areadable text spanning the film great's lifetime.Bogie had an aura aroundhim and this comes out in this book in photos such as the two on pp 156-157where the original tough guy has Bacall on one arm and Norma Jean on theother.With Bogie what you saw was what you got.If you liked what yousaw then check out this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

For what it is, excellent...
Basically, this book is a visual or pictorial filmography for Humphrey Bogart that features an introduction along with captions for each picture and occasional quotes. The entire book is tri-lingual (I believe they are English, French, and German), and I found this to be a fun aspect, even though I cannot read either French or German.

While the entire book is an "ocular" filmography (sans introduction), there is also a quick and dirty filmography at the end of the book which provides movie titles in brief fashion.

You will also find in this book an insubstantial, but useful, chronology of Bogarts life.

I find myself occasionally sitting down on the couch and quite simply flipping my way through the book, studying the pictures, the way they wore clothes, how they donned their hats, and the way people used to view movies. I regret very much that I do not have all of the movies that Bogart played in (whether as the star or not), but that fault is one I am currently putting right.

Lastly, the case bound volume is sewn, uses glossy paper, has a dust jacket, decorated end-papers (photographs), head and tail bands, and is generally pleasing to look at. It should last for a good while.

I have found this to be both fun and handy (when I need to look up a movie and don't want to turn the computer on). You should get it if you are interested in Bogart, period photographs and stills, or need a handy filmography (with pictures). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very Fishy -and I'll tell you why...
I am always amazed at people who believe anything they read.This woman obviously knows something about Mr. Bogart's makeup from knowing him personally.But the "plot" is full of holes and poorly constructed, as might happen by making up stories rather than assembling chronology. For one thing, she says Bogart would have enjoyed this joke. On tensiltown, yes. But anyone who knew him will attest that he would have abhorred this kind of "joke" on Betty and the kids. Secondly, she says that he cut his tongue by biting a glass. This ignores the fact that several of his teeth were knocked loose in the same accident.Did glass do that, too, Verita?Thirdly, no global icon of Bogart's stature could possibly hide an illicit affair from hotel staff, wife, family, friends, friends of friends, media, neighbors, etc etc etc for fifteen years in any country -the concept is ludicrous.I could go on with examples, but you get the point.I am left with no alternative but to believe this lonely old eccentric had a score to settle and took it out on Bogart's surviving family.I only hope for the author's sake there is no Hell, because she used the last year of her life to brutally hurt innocents for profit, with what strongly appear to be a string of bitter lies.

Reached one of two goals
To be successful, this book had to do two things: convince me that she was telling the truth, that Ms. Thompson and Bogie had a long affair, and tell a good story.

That she and Bogie had an affair I am ready to believe. The tantrums she described of Bogie's are in sync with the ones Bacall described in By Myself. Her story arc of Bogie's relationships,is believable; Bogie had affairs on each of his previous wives, why not his fourth? Thompson's need to keep the story secret in a time when adultry could ruin your career (and there's not much else he could have done for a living)made it quite plausible that there are no photos to speak of. And since Bacall never mentioned Thompson in her memoirs (that I remember), that adds credibility to the story, as if she needed to expunge the memory. Bogart's hairdresser being so close to the family she cut their son's hair should have been in Bacall's book unless she had a personal reason to leave that out.And while the Eric Lax/Amy Sperber bio of Bogart doesn't come right out and give the story credence, certain events for that book work out to support the story as well. For instance, Bogie becoming enraged when he learned Bacall was pregnant--that kind of works if he was trying to back out of the marriage.

Thompson is, in her hard-boiled way, generous to most in her Hollywood circle. She even does the unprecedented in having nice things to say about Mayo Methot, and saying she could see why Bogie and Methot were a good couple for a while.

But (yawn) Thompson has done the impossible. She made a book about Humphrey Bogart boring.He was just a drunken bully, a good actor and chess player but emotionally so distant he was only happy WHILE distant.Phooey, what kind of lover is that? I could not swoon over her affair with Bogart when I just couldn't see why she didn't end it. Jerk.

Thompson has (OK, had) no ear for dialogue; all the conversations sound like cheap movies. She is not writing history nor does she pretend to, so there is no index, which makes hard to skip around to stories that might actually hold one's interest.

True Bogie fans may hope that one day this story is told better.

Approach with skepticism...
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
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?
This book details a clandestine affair betweenthe 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'sLegal 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 famewho 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. ... Read more

Product Description
Maud Humphrey was one of the most popular illustrators in America at the turn of the century. Unfortunately, through the years, Maud's impact on American illustration was lost, until it seemed her only claim to fame was as the mother of Hollywood legend Humphrey Bogart. However, Maud's role on the American art scene was as remarkable as any role her son ever played on stage or screen. Today, there is a resurgence of interest in Maud Humphrey's work, and that interest has prompted this book. It is a look at a young woman growing up in Victorian times and the limitations those times set before her. Maud went beyond the limitations to become an early suffragette; she maintained her art career even after marriage and a family. Many of her images grace the pages of this biography and bring her art to life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Maud Humphrey: Her Permanent Imprint on American Illustratio
This is a beautifuly done book which truly captures the exquisite works of Ms. Bogart. This is a real collectible. I have collected some of her figures which I love to display and am saddened that they have beendiscontinued.I hope more will be done featuring her works (i.e.crosstitch books,prints suitable for framing, etc.)If anyone is aware ofanything of this sort, please advise.Thanks. ... Read more

Product Description
During his broadcasting career Alistair Cooke met and knew some of the twentieth century's most fascinating and legendary figures, in journalism, politics, public life, sport and film. This is his highly personal and revealing account of six remarkable men who crossed Cooke's path during his lifetime and who, each in their own way, made a lasting impression on him.\n\nHere are candid portraits of the lovable yet unreliable Charlie Chaplin, who, when asked to be Cooke's best man, mysteriously vanished on the day; the complex and private man behind Humphrey Bogart's tough guy image; and the charming yet childlike 'golden boy' Edward VIII. Cooke also recalls his friend and mentor, the flawed contrarian and satirist H.L. Mencken, the larger-than-life liberal politician Adlai Stevenson and the heroic social reformer Bertrand Russell. Each superbly realized portrait gives us an insight into a golden age of 'great men', and is a masterpiece of observation, warmth and humour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Insightful and Unbiased
As is usual with any of Alistair Cooke's writing, that unmistakable transatlantic voice can be heard behind the words as if the author himself was reading his work to an audience of one - you. The generations who would remember the men of whom he has written are fast coming to an end, but there is enough in each of these insightful vignettes to whet the appetite of a true biography-phile of whatever era. I would say that Cooke enjoyed the company of each of his subjects, but that did not put him beyond objective honesty. The saddest, most poignant and ultimately most honest comment of all was that of his summing up of Edward VIII - "The most damning epitaph you can compose about Edward - as a prince, as a king, as a man - is one that all comfortable people should cower from deserving:he was at his best only when the going was good"

An all class act
Many of us who appreciate the work of truly great non-fiction writers were deeply saddened by the recent passing of Alistair Cooke.

Although best remembered for his long running radio commentary "A Letter from America" and his various television shows of earlier years, it makes for a pleasant change to go back and rediscover some of Mr Cooke's more substantial literary efforts.

A graduate in English literature from Cambridge University and a print journalist of considerable experience, Cooke managed to perfect a difficult balancing act. Throughout his long and prestigious career he steadfastly adhered to the highest professional and intellectual standards yet still managed to enjoy enviable success within the mass media. In many ways he raised the bar in his field by proving that there was, indeed, a solid market for quality work if it was cleverly presented in an entertaining and accessible style.

In this book the veteran newspaper man draws upon his impressive array of observational and descriptive skills to create a striking collection of penetrating celebrity profiles. Cooke wrote with the deft, light hand of a popular scribe but also with the probing incisiveness of a psychology professor. At all times he examined the inner workings of his subjects with an almost clinical thoroughness and a commendable sense of fairness. When it came to creating word pictures, the man was an old master.

Alistair Cooke was a consummate journalist, an all class act and a credit to his chosen calling .

Incisive, Beautifully Written
Mr. Cooke is a very bright, amusing, observant man -- who writes so extraordinarily well you'll wish to re-read passage after passage for the pleasure of the sounds. He has chosen six men of diverse background and writes about them with sympathy -- but more importantly for this reader, with an acute sense of their singularity and what made them so. Any reader would only wish the book much longer because it's a beautiful one.

Interesting biographies by an interpreter of their lives.
Six famous transatlantic figures: 3 English and 3 American men, all of whom had a legendary meaning in the seventies: Charles Chaplin, H. L. Mencken, Humphrey Bogart, Adlai Stevenson, Bertrand Russell and Edward VIII.I liked his style of writing and he really provided insightful surprises on each of these famous men.An interesting read, if not for the history alone. ... Read more