Overview

Many film fans consider Humphrey Bogart the ultimate star of Hollywood’s golden era. He rose from supporting roles in the early 1930s to become a superstar by the end of the decade. Bogart appeared in more classic films than just about any other actor in American cinema. In addition to The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Big Sleep, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, and The African Queen, Bogart starred in dozens of other highly regarded films until his death in 1956. In The Essential Humphrey Bogart, Constantine Santas looks at the most important films of this Hollywood legend’s career. Along with the established classics, this book discusses other films that showcase Bogart’s superb acting talents, such as High Sierra, To Have and Have Not, Key Largo, In a Lonely Place, Beat the Devil, The Caine Mutiny, Sabrina, and The Desperate Hours. Presented in chronological order, these films chart the actor’s ascent from stereotypical roles as gangsters in The Petrified Forest and Dead End to iconic roles like that of Sam Spade, Rick Blaine, and Philip Marlowe. In all of these performances Bogart showed his versatility, playing a variety of characters from tough detectives and war heroes to a lawyer, writer, gold prospector, river rat, and even a priest. Containing a brief biographical sketch of the actor, this volume then looks at each of Bogart’s most significant films. Each entry states why the particular movie was included and is followed by a plot analysis, critical views from film historians, and DVD/Blu-ray availability. A key to the ranking system helps the reader select what film to view at his or her leisure. Highlighting more than thirty-five films, The Essential Humphrey Bogart is a must-have companion for every fan of this actor’s work and will no doubt introduce viewers to other films to put on their must-see list.

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9781442260931

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Reviews

Santas' book is a great and extremely useful guide to the best Bogart's titles, and its complete explanation. After owning this book, you will probably forget about IMDB or google, as it has everything you need to know about Bogart, his personal life, films, the approach he needed to take that made his screen look unforgettable. Bogart certainly had a unique charisma that allowed him to outlive his time and become an ultimate Hollywood star, as well as Santas' book that you'll soon starting using as 'Bogartclopedia'. Let The Movie Move Us

What makes the book such a great read is the fact that the author places each film within the political and social environment of the time, replete with details and facts that make for interesting myth and reality... Although the book is a product of scientific and academic research, it is anything but boring. Conversely, the uplifting material and deep exploration of the unknown aspects of the actor and his films make for lively reading. Personally, from the first to last word of its 212 pages, I discovered an unknown multidimensional Humphrey Bogart and learned of his very significant contribution to the golden era of American cinema! The Huffington Post Santas' book is a great and extremely useful guide to the best Bogart's titles, and its complete explanation. After owning this book, you will probably forget about IMDB or google, as it has everything you need to know about Bogart, his personal life, films, the approach he needed to take that made his screen look unforgettable. Bogart certainly had a unique charisma that allowed him to outlive his time and become an ultimate Hollywood star, as well as Santas' book that you'll soon starting using as 'Bogartclopedia'. Let The Movie Move Us

Author Information

Constantine Santas is professor emeritus and former chair in the Department of English at Flagler College, Florida. He is the author of Responding to Film (2002), The Epic in Film: From Myth to Blockbuster (2008), and The Epic Films of David Lean (2012), as well as coauthor of The Encyclopedia of Epic Films (2014), all published by Rowman & Littlefield.

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