Humphrey Bogart is the most important person in the history of male screen acting. If you want to know where Brando got his edge check out Bogart’s performance in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, if you want to see the controlled, nuanced, menace that Pacino shows in The Godfather Part 2 watch Bogart in Nicholas Ray’s In a Lonely Place, and if you’re wondering where Denzel Washington got the ease and charm he radiates in every movie he’s ever starred in, take a look at both To Have and Have Not and The African Queen.
What to Watch First:
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The movie that codified and perfected the film-noir. The script crackles with intensity and is brought to life by one of the greatest casts of all time. This movie is the perfect introduction to Bogart’s tough but lovable persona.
The Big One
Casablanca (1943)
There is not much to say about Casablanca that hasn’t already been said. It is the greatest movie of all time and Boggie’s performance is the center of the film. What makes the performance legendary is how Bogart communicates the emotion that his character is feeling right under the surface without breaking his cool façade.
What to Watch Next
To Have and Have not (1944)
Howard Hawks is the greatest director of all time and this is him at the height of his powers, give or take a Rio Bravo. While this is essentially a rip-off of Casablanca, what puts it into rarefied air is Bogart’s chemistry with his co-stars. The heat between Bogart and his future wife Lauren Bacall is off the charts but pay attention to the interactions between Harry, a loveable drunk, played by the great character actor Walter Brennan.
The Big Sleep (1946)
This is another quintessential Bogart film. This time we find him in a detective story as Philip Marlowe. It goes on for too long and is overly convoluted, but it’s still a great ride. If you want an updated version of the Philip Marlowe character, check out Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
This movie represents a big departure for the Humphrey Bogart character. Bogart plays a down on his luck prospector in Mexico who happens upon a large amount of gold. This was a chance for Bogart to show his range and he knocks it out of the park. This is another collaboration with John Huston, and it shows in the tightly written script and great direction.
The African Queen (1950)
This is one of the last great Bogart pictures and it’s pure star power. In one of the all-time great matchups, Humphrey Bogart, and Katherine Hepburn pilot a riverboat down the Nile at the height of World War II.
Where it All Began
High Sierra (1941)
Audiences’ first introduction to Bogart as a lovable rogue. The ending showed viewers that they could fall in love with the villain.
Further Watching
Dark Passage (1947)
Key Largo (1948)
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Barefoot Contessa (1954)