Lauren Bacall Biography: Movies, Cause of Death, Pictures, Parents, Height, Husband, Children, Net Worth, Age, Awards

Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske, is an actress and a prominent figure in Hollywood’s Golden Age, renowned for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.

She gained widespread recognition with her debut film role in To Have and Have Not, where her on-screen chemistry with Humphrey Bogart captivated audiences.

Profile

• Full name: Betty Joan Perske
• Nickname: “The Look”
• Date of birth: September 16, 1924
• Age: Deceased
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
• State of origin: New York
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Actress
• Height: 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm)
• Parents: William Perske (father), Natalie Weinstein-Bacal (mother)
• Siblings: None
• Spouse: Humphrey Bogart (m. 1945–1957), Jason Robards (m. 1961–1969)
• Children: Stephen Humphrey Bogart, Leslie Howard Bogart, Sam Robards
• Relationship status: N/A (Deceased)
• Religion: Jewish
• Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
• Net worth: $50 million at the time of her death in 2014

Early Life and Education

Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, in New York City, was the only child of William Perske and Natalie Weinstein-Bacal. Her father, William, worked as a salesman, while her mother, Natalie, was a secretary.

Both parents were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with roots tracing back to Poland and Romania. Bacall‘s parents divorced when she was five years old, leading her to adopt her mother’s last name, Bacal, which she later modified to Bacall.

Raised by her mother, Bacall grew up in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She attended the Highland Manor Boarding School for Girls in Tarrytown, New York, and later Julia Richman High School in Manhattan. After high school, she studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

Personal Life

Lauren Bacall met Humphrey Bogart in 1944 on the set of To Have and Have Not. Despite a 25-year age difference, their connection was immediate. They married on May 21, 1945, at Malabar Farm in Lucas, Ohio. The couple had two children: Stephen Humphrey Bogart, born in 1949, and Leslie Howard Bogart, born in 1952.

Their marriage lasted until Bogart‘s death in 1957. In 1961, Bacall married actor Jason Robards. They had one child together, Sam Robards, born in 1961. This marriage ended in divorce in 1969, reportedly due to Robards‘ struggles with alcoholism. Bacall was also briefly engaged to Frank Sinatra after Bogart‘s death, but the engagement was called off.

Career

Lauren Bacall‘s career spanned over seven decades, beginning as a fashion model before transitioning to film. Her debut in To Have and Have Not (1944) opposite Humphrey Bogart catapulted her to stardom. She continued to make a significant impact in Hollywood with notable films such as The Big Sleep (1946), Key Largo (1948), and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953).

In the 1960s, Bacall shifted her focus to Broadway, earning Tony Awards for her performances in Applause (1970) and Woman of the Year (1981). She also appeared in television and continued to act in films, including The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), for which she received an Academy Award nomination.

Awards

Tony Awards:

• Best Actress in a Musical for Applause (1970)
• Best Actress in a Musical for Woman of the Year (1981)

Golden Globe Awards:

• Best Supporting Actress for The Mirror Has Two Faces (1997)

Academy Awards:

• Honorary Academy Award in recognition of her central place in the Golden Age of motion pictures (2009)

Net Worth

At the time of her death in 2014, Lauren Bacall‘s estate was estimated to be worth approximately $50 million. This wealth was accumulated through her extensive career in film, theater, and television, as well as through wise investments and real estate holdings.

Death

Lauren Bacall passed away on August 12, 2014, at the age of 89, due to a stroke. She died in her longtime home in The Dakota, a historic building in Manhattan, New York City.

Controversy

Throughout her illustrious career, Lauren Bacall was embroiled i. controversies and rumors that occasionally overshadowed her professional achievements. One notable incident occurred in 2004 during the Venice Film Festival. While promoting the film Birth, in which she co-starred with Nicole Kidman, Bacall made headlines by challenging the media’s portrayal of Kidman as a “legend.”

Bacall asserted that labeling a contemporary actress as a legend was premature, stating that such a title should be reserved for those with enduring, decades-long careers.

This comment sparked debates within the entertainment industry about the criteria for legendary status and was perceived by some as a critique of Kidman‘s accomplishments. Bacall later clarified that her remarks were not intended to diminish Kidman‘s talent but to emphasize the distinction between current stardom and lasting legacy.

Another aspect of Bacall‘s life that attracted attention was her involvement in political activism during the 1940s and 1950s, a period marked by heightened anti-communist sentiment in the United States.

Alongside her husband, Humphrey Bogart, Bacall was a member of the Committee for the First Amendment, a group formed to support individuals in the entertainment industry accused of communist affiliations.

In 1947, the couple participated in a high-profile delegation to Washington, D.C., protesting the House Un-American Activities Committee’s (HUAC) investigation into alleged communist influences in Hollywood. This activism subjected both Bacall and Bogart to scrutiny, with critics accusing them of being sympathetic to communist causes.

Bacall‘s personal relationships also faced public scrutiny, particularly her brief engagement to Frank Sinatra following Humphrey Bogart‘s death. The engagement ended abruptly, reportedly due to Sinatra‘s discomfort with the media attention and Bacall‘s candid discussions about their relationship.

This episode fueled gossip columns and led to speculation about the reasons behind the breakup, casting a shadow over Bacall‘s personal life during that period.

Social Media

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Filmography

• To Have and Have Not (1944)
• The Big Sleep (1946)
• Dark Passage (1947)
• Key Largo (1948)
• Young Man with a Horn (1950)
• How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
• Designing Woman (1957)
• Harper (1966)
• Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
• The Fan (1981)
• The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
• Dogville (2003)
• Manderlay (2005)
• The Forger (2012)

Books

• By Myself (1978)
• Now (1994)
• By Myself and Then Some (2005)