BOGIE

US, 1980, 100 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Mc Nally, Kathryn Harrold, Ann Wedgworth.
Directed by Vincent Sherman.

Bogie is a 1980 telemovie, a portrait of Humphrey Bogart. Kevin O'Connor sufficiently resembles Bogart for the sake of the film and offers his manner and mannerisms. Kathryn Harold is attractive as Lauren Bacall. Ann Wedgeworth gives an impressive performance as Bogart's estranged wife Mayo Methot.

The film traces Bogart's early career on stage and on screen, the tangle of his marriage with Mayo Methot, the war years and his change from character actor to star and his encounter with Betty Bacall. The film idealises their marriage. It then builds up to Bogart's final illness, his battle with cancer and death.

The script is by Daniel Tarradash, author of such screenplays as From Here To Eternity. Direction is by Vincent Sherman who directed many Warner Bros films of the '30s and '40s including some Bogart vehicles like All Through The Night.

1. Audience interest in Humphrey Bogart? As a personality? His films? A cult figure many decades after his death? Television and film societies perpetuating his memory? The telemovie as a memoir and tribute? Sufficient offered of the person and his career in this telemovie?

2. The evocation of Bogart as a person, film star, his films?

3. The period of the '30s to the '50s? The re-creation of Hollywood, California and its lifestyle?

4. Authentic characters introduced into the screenplay: Mayo Methot, Leslie Howard, Betty Bacall, Howard Hawks, Michael Curtiz, Peter Lorre etc? How satisfactory the impersonations? Throwing light on Bogart's career and his relationship with these people?

5. Bogart's background, acting, his father and his death? The serious side of Bogart and his life? His work in The Petrified Forest? The audition? Success? The growing list of films and the collage of these? His changing image? The Bogart persona? The real Bogart?

6. His relationship with Mary, the separation? The encounter with Mayo and his being a Slugger? The vigorous relationship, their life together, scenes, gossip, marrying? Enjoying life together? Drinking? Mayo going down, depression? Her career? Bogart trying to cope? Mutual angers? Treatment and failure? Her attempt at stabbing him? The inevitability of divorce?

7. Bogart's meeting Betty Bacall, the audition, staring, the easy relationship? Mayo in the background? Their falling in love? The decision to marry? Children? The moods? Their work together? Bogart's continued success? The ambition of buying the yacht? Relationship with Hollywood friends? Their lifestyle? The '50s and his illness building up to his death?

8. The sketch of Lauren Bacall: tough, nice? young? Her career? Children? Devoted to Bogart? His illness and death? The children and the sailing?

9. The background of Hollywood, films, publicity, the producers and directors?

10. Bogart's achievement? As a film star? His age? The significance of his illness and his final decisions? The ending with his yacht, the sea, his belief in God?

11. How satisfying a movie biopic?