Bacall, Lauren, 1924-2014 (1924-2014)
Dates
- Existence: 1924-2014
Biography
Lauren Bacall was an acclaimed actress, working in Hollywood for over half a century. Born Betty Joan Perske in the Bronx, New York in 1924, Bacall took the Romanian form of her mother's last name when her parents divorced in 1930. Bacall attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, modeling on the side to pay for classes. In 1943, at the age of 18, Bacall found herself on the cover of Harper's Bazaar. The cover caught the attention of Slim Hawks, wife of the Hollywood producer Howard Hawks, who persuaded her husband to bring the young model to Hollywood for a screen test. During the test, Hawks instructed Bacall to speak in a lower register, which became Bacall's signature. Hawks cast Bacall in To Have and To Have Not in 1944. The film became a massive success and helped propel Bacall to stardom. On the set of that film, she met her future husband, Humphrey Bogart. The two married within a year of meeting and would remain so until Bogart's death in 1957. In addition to To Have and To Have Not, the couple starred in three other films together between 1946 and 1948. Bacall would continue her career in Hollywood throughout the 20th and early 21st century. The actress also worked on Broadway, winning a Tony Award in 1970 for her performance in Applause. Lauren Bacall passed away on August 12, 2014 at the age of 89.
Bacall was the subject of the exhibition Lauren Bacall: The Look at The Museum at FIT from March 3-April 4, 2015.