Humphrey Bogart outed in new biography
On the silver screen he was tough, cool and sophisticated; in real-life, one of Hollywood's legendary lovers. Sexually voracious and habitually unfaithful, Humphrey Bogart had three unhappy marriages before he met the love of his life, Lauren Bacall.
Now it has emerged that before marrying her in 1945, Bogie had bedded an estimated 1,000 women including Bette Davis, Jean Harlow, Marlene Dietrich and Ingrid Bergman - but still feared he might be gay.
The extraordinary claim is made in a new biography of the actor, best known for the movie Casablanca.
It suggests that during his second marriage to American stage and film actress Mary Philips, Bogart became riddled with uncertainty that made him impotent and question his sexuality - and even drove him to consider suicide.
The biography's author Darwin Porter, a journalist who worked in Hollywood in the 1960s, says Philips insisted on openly maintaining her previous relationships, even spending the night before their marriage in 1928 with a friend of Bogart's 'as a farewell gift'.
According to the unflattering new book, Bogart told another friend: 'If only Mary didn't make it worse. When I can't perform she mocks and ridicules me. I should never have married her.'
He is said to have confessed to another confidante to thoughts of killing himself. 'But I never get beyond the thinking stage. I just can't see myself taking a razor to my throat,' he reportedly said.
The book, Humphrey Bogart, the Making of a Legend, due out next month, is based on unpublished memoirs and interviews with some of the actor's contemporaries.
It suggests his mental turmoil stemmed from his childhood. His father, who was a surgeon, beat him and split his lip, then stitched it up so badly that Bogart was left with a permanent lisp. He ran away to Broadway, where during the 1920s he found fame and fortune - and began his incredible catalogue of sexual conquests.
'When Broadway had around 120 theatres, there were four actresses for every available actor. No one has estimated this before, but it's likely Bogart slept with 1000 women, mostly at this time,' Porter said.
More at the Daily Mail.
Now it has emerged that before marrying her in 1945, Bogie had bedded an estimated 1,000 women including Bette Davis, Jean Harlow, Marlene Dietrich and Ingrid Bergman - but still feared he might be gay.The extraordinary claim is made in a new biography of the actor, best known for the movie Casablanca.
It suggests that during his second marriage to American stage and film actress Mary Philips, Bogart became riddled with uncertainty that made him impotent and question his sexuality - and even drove him to consider suicide.
The biography's author Darwin Porter, a journalist who worked in Hollywood in the 1960s, says Philips insisted on openly maintaining her previous relationships, even spending the night before their marriage in 1928 with a friend of Bogart's 'as a farewell gift'.
According to the unflattering new book, Bogart told another friend: 'If only Mary didn't make it worse. When I can't perform she mocks and ridicules me. I should never have married her.'
He is said to have confessed to another confidante to thoughts of killing himself. 'But I never get beyond the thinking stage. I just can't see myself taking a razor to my throat,' he reportedly said.
The book, Humphrey Bogart, the Making of a Legend, due out next month, is based on unpublished memoirs and interviews with some of the actor's contemporaries.
It suggests his mental turmoil stemmed from his childhood. His father, who was a surgeon, beat him and split his lip, then stitched it up so badly that Bogart was left with a permanent lisp. He ran away to Broadway, where during the 1920s he found fame and fortune - and began his incredible catalogue of sexual conquests.
'When Broadway had around 120 theatres, there were four actresses for every available actor. No one has estimated this before, but it's likely Bogart slept with 1000 women, mostly at this time,' Porter said.
More at the Daily Mail.
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