| Biography 
Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September  16,  1924  in
  New  York  City.  Her  parents  were  middle-class  with  her father
  working as a salesman and her mother as a secretary.  They  divorced
  when  she  was  five.  When  she was a young sbackchool girl, Lauren
  originally wanted to be a dancer, but later became  enthralled  with
  acting  so  she  switched  gears  to  head  into that field. She had
  studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York,  after
  high  school,  which  enabled  her  to  get  her  feet  wet  in some
  off-Broadway  productions.  Once  out  of  school,  Lauren   entered
  modeling  and,  because  of  her  beauty,  appeared  on the cover of
  Harper's Bazaar, one of the most popular magazines in  the  US.  The
  wife  of  famed  director,  Howard  Hawks spotted the picture in the
  publication and arranged with her husband  to  have  Lauren  take  a
  screen  test.  As  a  result,  which  was entirely positive, she was
  given a part as Marie Browning in TO HAVE  OR  HAVE  NOT  (1944),  a
  thriller  opposite  the  great Humphrey Bogart, when she was just 19
  years old. This not only set the tone for  a  fabulous  career,  but
  also  one  of Hollywood's greatest love stories. (She married him in
  1945.) It was, also, the first of several Bogie-Bacall films.  After
  1945's  CONFIDENTIAL  AGENT,  Lauren  received second billing in THE
  BIG SLEEP (1946) with Bogart. The mystery, in  the  role  of  Vivian
  Sternwood  Rutledge, would be a resounding success. Although she was
  making one film a year, each production would be eagerly awaited  by
  the  public.  In 1947, again with her husband, Lauren starred in the
  thriller DARK PASSAGE. The film kept movie patrons on  the  edge  of
  their  seats.  The following year she starred with Bogart, Edward G.
  Robinson, and Lionel Barrymore in KEY LARGO.  The  crime  drama  was
  even  more  of  a nail biter than the previous film. In 1950, Lauren
  played in BRIGHT LEAF (1950), a drama set in 1894. It was a film  of
  note  because she appeared without her husband. Her co-star was Gary
  Cooper. In 1953, Lauren appeared in  her  first  comedy  as  Schatze
  Page  in HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE. The film, with co-stars Marilyn
  Monroe and Betty Grable, was a smash hit all across the theaters  of
  America.  After  filming DESIGNING WOMEN which was released in 1957,
  Humphrey Bogart  died  on  January  14,  1957  from  throat  cancer.
  Devastated  at  being  a widow, Lauren returned to the silver screen
  with THE GIFT OF LOVE in 1958 opposite Gregory Peck. The  production
  turned  out  to be a big disappointment. Not undaunted, Lauren moved
  back to New York City and appeared  in  several  Broadway  plays  to
  huge   critical  acclaim.  She  was  enjoying  playing  before  live
  audiences and the audiences in turn enjoyed her  fine  performances.
  Lauren  was  away  from  the  big screen for five years returning in
  1964 to appear in SHOCK TREATMENT and SEX AND THE SINGLE  GIRL.  The
  latter  film  was  a comedy starring Henry Fonda and Tony Curtis. In
  1966, Lauren starred in HARPER with Paul Newman  and  Julie  Harris.
  It  was  one  of  Newman's  signature  films.  Alternating  her time
  between films and the stage, Lauren returned  in  1974's  MURDER  ON
  THE  ORIENT  EXPRESS.  The  film,  based  on  Agatha Christie's best
  selling book was a huge hit. It, also, garnered Ingrid  Bergman  her
  third  Oscar.  Actually, the huge star studded cast helped to ensure
  its success. Two years later, in 1976, Lauren co-starred  with  John
  Wayne  in  THE  SHOOTIST.  The  film was to be Wayne's last. He died
  from cancer in  1979.  In  1981,  Lauren  played  an  actress  being
  stalked  by a crazed admirer in THE FAN. The thriller was absolutely
  fascinating with Lauren in the lead  role.  After  that  production,
  Lauren  was  away  from  films, again, this time for seven years. In
  the interim, she again appeared on the stages of Broadway. When  she
  returned,  it was for the filming of 1988's MR. NORTH. After MISERY,
  in 1990, and several made for television films, Lauren  appeared  in
  1996's  MY  FELLOW  AMERICANS.  It  was a wonderful comedy romp with
  Jack  Lemmon  and  James  Garner  as  two  ex-presidents  and  their
  escapades.   Lauren's   last   public  performance  was  in  the  TV
  mini-series "Too Rich: The Secret Life  of  Doris  Duke".  Currently
  she  has completed two films scheduled for release in 1999, DIAMONDS
  and JOHNNY HIT AND RUN PAULINE. Both  are  in  different  phases  of
  production.
 Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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