Mike Cline's THEN PLAYING: 2014

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

WILLIAM BOYD as HOPPY - - 1938 - 1941

BAR 20 JUSTICE
1938

PRIDE OF THE WEST
1938

IN OLD MEXICO
1938

THE FRONTIERSMEN
1938

SUNSET TRAIL
1939

SILVER ON THE SAGE
1939

RENEGADE TRAIL
1939

RANGE WAR
1939

LAW OF THE PAMPAS
1939

SANTA FE MARSHAL
1940

THE SHOWDOWN
1940

HIDDEN GOLD
1940

STAGECOACH WAR
1940

THREE MEN FROM TEXAS
1940

DOOMED CARAVAN
1941

IN OLD COLORADO
1941

Monday, June 2, 2014

THE BOGART YEARS - - 1930 - 1937

HUMPHREY DEFOREST BOGART

(1899 - 1957)

He was a giant of the movie industry, but stood only 5' 8" in height. He was never a struggling actor living from hand to mouth, but struggled for over a decade before becoming a high tier performer.

The man known as "Bogie" was born into an uppercrust family. His father was a Manhattan surgeon, and his mother was a well-known magazine illustrator. His parents sent him to private schools (Trinity School and Phillips Academy).

Plans were for young Bogart to attend Yale Medical School, but his being expelled from Phillips Academy put a quick halt to that. Instead, the young man joined the U.S. Navy.

He signed a contract with Fox in 1930 but was dropped after two years. The next four years, Bogart freelanced in films until Warner Bros. gave him a long-term contract in 1936.

But, in spite of always giving great performances, WB saw him as a supporting player and cast him as such until he broke the barrier in 1941 with the feature HIGH SIERRA.

THE MALTESE FALCON soon followed, and from then on, Humphrey Bogart topped the credits until he passed away of cancer in 1957.