How much was Lauren Bacall worth?
| Net Worth: | $50 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Actress |
| Date of Birth: | September 16, 1924 (aged 89) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 1.74 m |
About Lauren Bacall
American actress Lauren Bacall, who passed away on August 12, 2014, was born on September 16, 1924, and her estimated net worth was $50 million. In Howard Hawks’ To Have and Have Not, Lauren Bacall, then 19 years old, faced up against Humphrey Bogart, her future husband. Bacall catapulted to popularity and never looked back because to her commanding presence on cinema.
Although she is most known for her roles opposite Bogie in vintage film noirs, Bacall also had a successful later-life Broadway and television career. She slowed down in the 1980s before making a comeback with the first performance of her illustrious career, The Mirror Has Two Faces, for which she was nominated for an Oscar.
Early Years of Bacall
She was raised in a middle-class home after being born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, in New York City, New York. When Bacall was five years old, her parents had divorced, and she moved in with her mother, Natalie. After the divorce, she was unable to communicate with her father, William.
Getting Her Start
Bacall worked as a model and appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar magazine after completing her studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Howard Hawks, who was captivated by Bacall’s attractiveness and had her undergo a screen test for To Have and Have Not, was made aware of the photograph.
Hawks took the teenage Bacall under his wing, persuaded the actress to alter her name, and assisted her in achieving the famous chin-down, smoldering eyes-up pose that has become synonymous with her.
Marriage to Bogie
In addition to being an overnight success because to her role in To Have and Have Not, Bacall also attracted Humphrey Bogart’s attention despite the fact that he was 25 years her senior and in a troubled marriage to Mayo Methot.
After divorcing Methot, Bogie began a brief but discreet relationship with Bacall, which ended in marriage on May 21, 1945. They became one of the most well-known couples in the annals of Hollywood.
Leading Lady of Film Noir
Despite being on track to become a bigger celebrity, Bacall faltered when Warner Bros. decided to cast her in the spy thriller Confidential Agent instead of the French actor Charles Boyer. The movie received Bacall’s worst career reviews.
Beginning with the cinematic adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s book The Big Sleep, recognized as one of the best film noirs of all time, Bacall and Bogie appeared together in three films back-to-back. While occasionally confusing, The Great Sleep was a big smash at a time when post-war viewers were looking for gritty and realistic films, and it sparkled with electricity between Bacall and Bogart.
Following that, Bacall and Bogart released the suspenseful noir thriller Dark Passage, which was nevertheless their least successful film as a team while again showcasing their great on-screen chemistry.
But in John Huston’s film Key Largo, about a furious war veteran who falls in love with the wife of a friend slain in action while running afoul of a Florida mob lord, Bacall and Bogart were in top form (Edward G. Robinson). This was the final time Bacall and Bogie shared a screen together.
Maximum Popularity
Bacall, who was at the pinnacle of her profession, took a backseat while raising son Stephen and daughter Leslie with Bogart. She also joined her husband in condemning the House Un-American Activities Committee, becoming close to President Harry Truman in the process. At the same time, she entered the political arena.
In fact, a photograph of Bacall subtly draped over a piano played by Truman appeared in Life magazine, causing a stir and becoming an iconic representation of the post-war era.
Back on the big screen, she played the femme fatale opposite Kirk Douglas in Young Man with a Horn and exhibited her strong comedic skills in How to Marry a Millionaire alongside Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable.
Unfortunate Turns
After a decade of blissful marriage, Bacall witnessed Bogart’s condition steadily worsen. After receiving a throat cancer diagnosis, Bogart was eventually forced to put his career on hold, despite his heroic efforts to do so.
Bacall, who was only just entering her 30s, likewise delayed her career to take care of her ailing spouse. On January 14, 1957, Bogart passed away from cancer, leaving Bacall bereaved and lost.
Personal and Professional Errors
Bacall appeared in one of her best comedies, Designing Women, which was shot during Bogart’s final days, just four months following his passing. She started an affair with vocalist Frank Sinatra while she was alone for the first time in her adult life, but it quickly went south.
It was difficult for Bacall to land suitable jobs without Bogie by her side. She starred in The Gift of Love, a somewhat somber drama, and did marginally better with North West Frontier, a British military film.
Remaining Fixed on Family
As she approached 40, Bacall wed actor Jason Robarbs; the couple had a son named Sam. She did very little work during this time, appearing in the thriller Shock Treatment, the Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood comedic classic Sex and the Single Girl, and the Paul Newman-starring Harper criminal drama.
By the end of the 1960s, Bacall had become tired of Robard’s alcoholism, and their relationship had broken down. The actress still had some of her best work ahead of her despite the personal setback.
A Successful Period
Bacall transitioned from the cinema to the stage and found success portraying aging diva Margo Channing in the 1970s Broadway musical Applause, which was based on the iconic movie All About Eve.
Despite not being the best singer, Bacall was nominated for an Emmy and received excellent reviews for a 1973 television adaption for which she received a Tony Award for Best Actress.
Return to Screen
In Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, which also starred Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Perkins, Ingrid Bergman, and Albert Finney, a revitalized Bacall made her cinematic comeback as socialite Harriet Hubbard.
Bacall was overshadowed in Robert Altman’s lackluster comedy H.E.A.L.T.H. while having the distinction of playing John Wayne’s opposite in his final film, The Shootist.
She gained notice for releasing The Fan, a thriller about a stalker tormenting a star, only a few months after John Lennon was fatally shot. Both critically and financially, it failed.
Once more revitalized on stage, Bacall gave a standout performance in the Broadway musical adaption of the 1942 Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn film Woman of the Year.
A Ten-Year Break and a Return to Work
At the end of the 1980s, Bacall made a comeback with the movie Appointment with Death and Mr. North, which was helmed by Danny Huston, a former classmate and collaborator.
But it was difficult to get good jobs, especially for an actress who was far into her sixties. In Ready to Wear, she reconnected with Robert Altman after a brief appearance in Misery. The Mirror Has Two Faces, a Barbra Streisand vanity project, featured her best late-career performance, for which the celebrated actress received her lone Oscar nod.
Later Career
In her 80s, Bacall acquired a liking for avant-garde productions and acted alongside Nicole Kidman in Jonathan Glazer’s Birth and Lars Von Trier’s Dogville. She collaborated once again with Von Trier on the race-themed film Manderlay, starring Danny Glover and Willem Dafoe, and she was at her sarcastic best in Paul Schrader’s The Walker with Ned Beatty and Lily Tomlin.
Death
On August 12, 2014, one month before turning 90, Bacall passed away in her Manhattan residence. Lauren Bacall had a $50 million net worth when she passed away.
Her three children, Leslie Bogart, Stephen Humphrey-Bogart, and Sam Robards, received the most of her estate. Bacall also gifted her two youngest grandsons $250,000 apiece for education.
Summing-Up
In her 70 years in the entertainment industry, Bacall—a dazzling beauty in her youth and a brazen, opinionated veteran later in her career—had pretty much seen and done it all. She appeared in some of the most recognizable classic Hollywood films and was married to its biggest star, yet strangely enough, she was not given the Oscar. Despite her lack of Hollywood laurels, Bacall was nevertheless a legendary figure in film.
