Man Of Emphasis

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 4

Man Of Emphasis

The Bogey Man. By Jonah Ruddy and Jonathan Hill. Souvenir Press. 243 pp.

The sub-title of this book is “Portrait of a Legend,” and. no doubt, it was written, in the first place, to contribute something to the posthumous name of Humphrey Bogart. Films in which Bogart appeared enjoy a perennial popularity in the United States: and if indeed there is to

be a legend or a myth. the reason for it would be worth discovering. Unfortunately. the authors do not take the reader very far in this direction On page 12, they say, "What Valentino meant to romance, what GaryCooper meant to the Western ■nd Fred Astaire to the musical, Bogart meant to the gangster film, until his hoodlum trail led him to romantic leads in films such as ’Casablanca’ and ‘Sabrina Fair.’ ”

The begim.ing of his career did not provide much encouragement. Alexander Wool!cott in a wounding and ele-gantly-turned critique mentioned Bogart as one who •’might be mercifully described as inadequate.” In spite of slights like that, the young actor persisted. Broadway seemed to have nothing to offer, so in the late 'twenties he tried Hollywood. His failure was just as decisive, and he returned to New York. There, after all. he had his first stroke of luck. He

I was cast as Duke Mantee, the gangster, in the stage version of “The Petrified Forest,” and, in addition, he was fortunate enough to be playing opposite Leslie Howard, then at the height of his power and celebrity. Mr Howard was nothing if not a loyal friend, as events soon showed; for when negotiations for the filming of “The Petrified Forest” followed, Howard would not accept the leading part, unless Bogart appeared as well. By- this time Bogart was almost forgotten in Hollywood, but with the release of “The Petrified Forest” in 1936, his reputation was made there as well. Directors called him “a menace type;" and so popular did he become that, in the years before the Second World War, his annual output was six films on the average. Some of these, .for example “San Quentin” and “Angels With Dirty Faces,” still have numerous admirers, although they are not so frequently revived as the films made after 1939.

Actually it was the new social situation and the new interests arising from a world at war that changed filmmaking and Bogart's career with it. For one thing, he i was able to get out of the ; rather limiting type-casting to which he had been subjected. Quite unexpectedly, he i became a figure on the internatioial scene. After “The Petrified Forest,” “Casa- | blanca” was the second i turning-point in his career. He was seen to be quite a complicated character now. Weary and disillusioned, he was still a dangerous man, 'capable of dealing with | Gestapo agents, with crooks 'from Lisbon and Marseilles, and of course with beautiful women from anywhere. In ! “Casablanca” he was starring i with Ingrid Bergman, and this fact spetiks for itself. The world-weariness which Bogart so successfully projected in this and in subse- ' quent films was hardly (genuine, as his private life abundantly proves: but for the movie-goer it looked like true 'sophistication and accounted for the charm of a succession of starring roles. Indeed what (would “Sirocco” or “The I African Queen,” or “The Barefoot Contessa” have 'been without it? I

Paradoxically, however, his greatest achievement was

‘The Caine Mutiny” of 1954, in which he really created the part of Commander Queeg. Here was a man of unsound mind, totally withdrawn, except on the occasions when he chose to be offensive to his officersand crew. An unattractive role on the face of it, perhaps hardly a challenging one either. But Queeg was played without any of the usual Bogart specialities, in what proved to be a performance of sombre distinction. There were other fine actors in the film; but it was Bogart who made “The Caine Mutiny” one of the pictures of the ’fifties.

“Sabrina” which belongs to the same year as “The Caine Mutiny” was not so successful. Bogart, who was 54, was proud to be chosen to play romantic lead to Audrey Hepburn; but film-goers, for their part, were quick to realise that, beside her and William Holden, Bogart was really an ageing man. Later, however, direction of a more discerning kind did something to retrieve the position. Bogart was seen to great advantage with Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov in “We’re No Angels” in 1955. He was perfectly cast as the sharp-witted member of a dangerous team of convicts in a French penal settlement; and the rather curious comedy of this remarkable play seemed to suit him to perfection. It is for a selection of films of the excellence of those mentioned above that Bogart’s name will live in the history of Hollywood. The authors of “The Bogey Man,” however, seek something more. They present their hero as a man of outstanding personality and claim for him a distinction that not all readers of their book will see. Bogart took good care that his private life was a very public one; and this, of course, brings its own penalty. He floated along the surface of life, drinking, shouting, and brawling in a way that must often have been tiresome to himself as well as to all those connected with him. Here is some of the wisdom he distilled from life. “Money you just got to have. The reason is that once you’ve got it, you’re independent and can tell any 5.0.8. in the world to go to hell.” Or again, “I don’t trust anyone who doesn't drink.” Evidently the great feature of his opinions, as well as of his private life in general, was emphasis.

YOUNG READERS

Uncle Cleans Up. By J. P. Martin. Cape. 176 pp.

Uncle Is an eccentric and wealthy elephant, who wears a purple dressing gown and travels about in a traction engine. Most of his cronies are animals, like the Old Monkey, but a few human beings are lucky enough to find employment with him, or to serve him in their shops. This book is a sequel to “Uncle,” and again the Badfort crowd are busy making trouble. Their nasty schemes are Usually foiled and young children will enjoy hearing about their resulting discomfiture. Uncle's own punishment is usually to kick one of them into the swamp. J. P. Martin, a retired minister who invented Uncle more than 30 years ago to amuse his own children, has made a pleasant contribution to the tradition of slightly mad English humour. Quentin Blake’s pleasantly grotesque illustrations add considerably to the book’s attraction for children.

“I am very sorry but we do not appear to have anything from you since I heard from you last.” From the secretary of an Irish motoring oganisation to an English pro-1 spective entrant for its forthcoming international rally.