Bogie

by Joe Hyams

Bogie does more than report events. It relives a life. The brawls, the sprees, the razor-edged Hyams describes them all. He recapture the deep friendships--with Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Katherine Hepburn.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

174 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Kevin Findley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you look up the author, you'll find that Joe Hyams had an extensive career in Hollywood and the trust of many of its residents. Considering how actors and studios felt about the Press in general, this was quite an accomplishment.

There's no doubt that his friendship with Bogie shows through, but Joe never claimed he was going to present a 'balanced' biography of the man. Even so, we got quite a few chapters that were not flattering to the man; in the end, it provided for a better book. We got an honest portrait that refused to condemn or deify Bogart, instead Hyams gave us a look at the actor, the man, and the world that shaped him. Difficult to do with a contemporary, but he succeeded at it.

If you enjoy reading about the golden age of Hollywood, Bogart specifically, or biographies in general, this is definitely a book for you. I can't see why anyone would not enjoy it, unless they are looking only for a sleaze report like so many other Hollywood bios.

FIND IT! BUY IT! READ IT!

[Birdie Duplessis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well written. As a huge fan of Mr Bogart's work I drank up every word. The very touching & tender retelling of Bogie's last days was incredibly moving, there just weren't enough tissues in my house. I read Lauren's book just after this one & probably because it is too raw of a topic for her, I actually found Hyams account even more heart wrenching. Great book, I learned a lot about Bogie.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book about the life of one of the greatest movie stars ever.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Bogart's acting and, I've read two memoirs by Lauren Bacall. Some of the stories in this book have been described by others in ways less flattering to Bogart. Of course I have no way of knowing which version is correct, if either are. This version is only flattering. Even the less admirable behavior throughout his life is presented as wonderful. It's the actor who really interests me.

[Scoats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of antidotes about Bogie. The writer was a friend but that doesn't get in the way. If you are curious about Bogart's life, this is worth a good skim. If you are really interested, it is probably worth a full read. I gave it a hard skim.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked this bio up till the very end. The author was making some sweeping statements about the timeless appeal of Bogie, then he started in on the culture of homosexuality and the general public want a macho man, and bla, bla, bla. I mean, the book was written over 30 years ago, so I expected a bit of that. It was just a very weird way to end what was otherwise a great read. Oh well, there were two color advertisements for Sanka and Brut cologne in the middle of the book, so what can you expect? Anyway, the end left a bad taste in my mouth. Kinda like Sanka.

[Ian Hallam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting read, which starts from his birth then progresses through his four marriages and extensive movie career. He appeared in 75 films and got top billing in the last 35 films he was in. There are many interesting facts about Bogie who always lived by his own ideals and stuck too his principles.

[Scoats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of antidotes about Bogie. The writer was a friend but that doesn't get in the way. If you are curious about Bogart's life, this is worth a good skim. If you are really interested, it is probably worth a full read. I gave it a hard skim.

[Birdie Duplessis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. Great stories. I found this book to be interesting from behind the scenes of his movies to behind the man stories. After reading the book I was left wishing I could've hung out with him.