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Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske, was 20 years old when she starred in the 1946 film noir The Big Sleep. The film, directed by Howard Hawks, was her second on-screen appearance after her debut in To Have and Have Not (1944), in which she first worked with Humphrey Bogart, her future husband. The Big Sleep was the first of four films in which Bogart and Bacall starred as a married couple.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lauren Bacall's birth name | Betty Joan Perske |
| Date of birth | 16 September 1924 |
| Age when filming The Big Sleep | 20 |
| Age when The Big Sleep was released | 21 or 22 |
| Height | 5 feet 8+1⁄2 inches (1.74 meters) |
| Notable characteristics | A "smoky, sexual growl" and a "throaty purr" |
| The Big Sleep release date | 31 August 1946 |
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What You'll Learn
Lauren Bacall was 20 when she filmed 'The Big Sleep'
Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske, was 20 when she filmed The Big Sleep in 1944. The film was released in 1946, the same year she married her co-star Humphrey Bogart. The Big Sleep was Bacall and Bogart's second film together, and the first in which they played a married couple. It was directed by Howard Hawks and based on Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name.
Bacall made her film debut at the age of 20 in To Have and Have Not (1944), in which she starred opposite Bogart. The on-screen chemistry between the two stars was undeniable, and they went on to marry in real life. Their real-life love story made headlines around the world, and their on-screen chemistry continued to captivate audiences in subsequent films.
The Big Sleep was initially filmed between October 1944 and January 1945. However, due to Bogart's increased drinking and the end of his tumultuous marriage to his wife Mayo Methot, the production was delayed. Bogart was unable to work for several days due to his drinking and the abuse he received from Methot. Despite these challenges, the cast reportedly got along well, and the film was completed successfully.
Bacall's performance in The Big Sleep as the mysterious, acid-tongued Vivian Rutledge marked a quick career resurgence after the critical and commercial disappointment of her previous film, Confidential Agent (1945). The Big Sleep laid the foundation for Bacall's status as an icon of film noir, and she became strongly associated with the genre. Her deep, sultry voice and commanding screen presence in The Big Sleep captivated audiences and critics alike.
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She was 21 when it was released
Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske, was 21 years old when The Big Sleep was released in 1946. The film was directed by Howard Hawks and starred Humphrey Bogart as private detective Philip Marlowe. It was the first of four movies in which Bacall and Bogart would co-star as a married couple.
Bacall had made her film debut two years earlier, in 1944, at the age of 20, in To Have and Have Not. She played the leading lady opposite Bogart, and the pair began a relationship and married in 1945. Their real-life love story made headlines around the world, and their on-screen chemistry was electric.
Bacall's performance in The Big Sleep as the mysterious, acid-tongued Vivian Rutledge laid the foundation for her status as an icon of film noir. She was often cast in roles that were variations of the independent and sultry femme fatale character of Vivian. Bacall's distinctive voice, described as a "smoky, sexual growl" and a "throaty purr", became her trademark.
The Big Sleep premiered in New York City on 23 August 1946 and was released on 31 August. It was a box office success, earning $3,493,000 domestically and $1,375,000 in foreign markets. Bacall's performance received mixed reviews, with Time film critic James Agee characterising her role as "an adolescent cougar". However, the film cemented her star status in Hollywood, and she went on to have a long and illustrious career in film and theatre.
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She played Vivian Rutledge
Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske, was 20 years old when she starred in the 1946 film noir "The Big Sleep". This was her second film role, and she played Vivian Rutledge, a mysterious, acid-tongued femme fatale, opposite her soon-to-be husband Humphrey Bogart. The film was directed by Howard Hawks and based on Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name.
Bacall's character, Vivian Rutledge, is a strong and independent woman who displays a "total command of movement and gesture". She is described as a "dangerous-looking female" by critic Bosley Crowther, who also noted that Bacall "still hasn't learned to act". However, other critics have praised her performance, with James Agee calling the film "witty" and "incredibly complicated", and praising the "hard talk and harder action" of the characters. Pauline Kael also noted that "the dialogue and the entertaining qualities of the individual sequences make the movie".
"The Big Sleep" was the first of four films in which Bacall and Bogart starred together as a married couple. The couple first met on the set of Bacall's film debut, "To Have and Have Not" (1944), and their real-life love story made headlines around the world. Their on-screen chemistry was so popular that "The Big Sleep" was re-shot to include more intimate scenes involving the married couple, and this version was better received than the original.
Bacall's performance in "The Big Sleep" laid the foundation for her status as an icon of film noir, and she often played roles that were variations of the independent and sultry femme fatale character of Vivian Rutledge. Bacall went on to have a successful career in both film and theatre, winning two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in "Applause" (1970) and "Woman of the Year" (1981). She was also recognised with an Academy Honorary Award in 2009 for her contribution to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
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It was her second film
The Big Sleep was Lauren Bacall's second film. She made her film debut at the age of twenty in To Have and Have Not (1944) as the leading lady opposite Humphrey Bogart, whom she later married.
Born Betty Joan Perske in 1924, Bacall began her career as a model before making her Broadway debut in Johnny 2x4 (1942). She was then cast in To Have and Have Not, which was directed by Howard Hawks, who gave her a seven-year contract and changed her first name to Lauren.
Bacall's second film, The Big Sleep, was also directed by Hawks and co-starred Bogart. It was the first of four films they would make together, and the first time they would play a married couple on screen. The film is a noir thriller based on Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name. It follows a private detective who gets caught up in a mysterious murder investigation.
Bacall was just 20 when The Big Sleep was filmed between October 1944 and January 1945, and she plays the "mysterious, acid-tongued" Vivian Rutledge. The film was released in 1946, by which time Bacall and Bogart were married.
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It was released in 1946
The film noir "The Big Sleep" was released in 1946, marking the first time Hollywood legends Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall would act together as a married couple. The film was directed by Howard Hawks and based on Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name. It follows a private detective, Philip Marlowe, who gets caught up in a mysterious murder investigation.
Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, in the Bronx, New York City. She began her career as a model before making her film debut at the age of twenty in "To Have and Have Not" (1944), where she played the leading lady opposite Humphrey Bogart. They fell in love and got married, and she took on her new husband's last name.
In "The Big Sleep," Bacall played the role of Vivian Rutledge, a mysterious, acid-tongued femme fatale. The film was initially produced in late 1944, but its release was delayed by the studio, which wanted to release war films in anticipation of the end of World War II. During this delay, Bogart and Bacall married, and Bacall filmed "Confidential Agent" (1945), which was a critical and commercial disappointment.
To capitalize on the public's fascination with the couple, known as "Bogie and Bacall," the studio decided to reshoot scenes for "The Big Sleep" in early 1946. These reshoots added more intimate scenes involving the married couple, and the re-cut version of the film was met with a positive reception. "The Big Sleep" premiered in New York City on August 23, 1946, and was released on August 31, 1946.
At the time of the film's release, Lauren Bacall was 21 years old. She had turned 20 in September of 1944, the year she made her film debut and met Humphrey Bogart. Their on-screen chemistry in "The Big Sleep" laid the foundation for Bacall's status as an icon of film noir, and she would be strongly associated with the genre for the rest of her career.
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Frequently asked questions
Lauren Bacall was 20 years old when she starred in 'The Big Sleep'.
Lauren Bacall was 21/22 years old when 'The Big Sleep' was released in 1946. She was born in 1924, making her a Virgo!
Humphrey Bogart was 45/46 years old when 'The Big Sleep' was released in 1946. He was born in 1899, making him a Sagittarius!
Yes, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart worked on three other films together: 'To Have and Have Not' (1944), 'Dark Passage' (1947), and 'Key Largo' (1948).
Yes, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart had a real-life love story that made headlines around the world. They married in 1945 and remained together until Bogart's death in 1957.
