Talk:Lauren Bacall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article must adhere to the policy on biographies of living persons. Controversial material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libellous. If such material is repeatedly inserted or if there are other concerns relative to this policy, report it on the living persons biographies noticeboard.

	This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.	Biography Portal
B	This article has been rated as B-Class on the project's quality scale. [FAQ]
	This article is supported by WikiProject Actors and Filmmakers, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed biographical guide to actors and filmmakers on Wikipedia.

Contents 1 Bogart Bacall and "baby" 2 A Member of the Golden Age of Hollywood Generation? 3 Bacall and HUAC 4 Pictures 5 Pop songs that sample Bacall? 6 Stephen Bogart 7 Cashing in on Bacall

[edit] Bogart Bacall and "baby"

Isn't this just a way to say, "honey", "sweetheart", "hey baby", like "hey mama", doesn't have anything to with age, you just say, "hey daddy", or "the old lady", but you don't mean age. ???? WikiDon 02:54, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Not in this case. This was his public pet name for her, not just talking to her, but talking about her. You could look it up. Wahkeenah 03:00, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

A) Where would I look it up at?

B) Talking about her, "that's my baby", "she's my baby", "I love that baby", still can have nothing to with age. How did you get the idea I was only talking about talking "to her?" I didn't say that. WikiDon 03:08, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

His public pet name for her was "Baby", both talking to her and about her. Check out this contemporary reference, for example: [1] I can tell you more about the dialogue of that cartoon, if you're interested. :) Wahkeenah 03:10, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

This still does not say "why" he called her that, it says nothing of "AGE".

On several occasions I distinctly recall Bogart calling his female co-stars “baby” and “sweetheart” in his movies, and it didn’t have anything to do with age, but was a term of endearment or affection. WikiDon 03:19, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

This particular reference doesn't say anything about age, it just points out (as does the cartoon itself) that it was "Baby" with a capital B, not just "baby". Check out Google by putting in "Bacall" and "Baby" and you'll find a number of references, at least some of which assert that it had to do with the age difference. Bogie was a plain-speaking kind of guy, so he could be hot for the much-younger Lauren and make fun of that fact at the same time. Wahkeenah 03:34, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

In Slick Hare, there is this climactic dialogue:

• Elmer (waiter): I'm sowwy Mr. Bogawt, I couldn't get a wabbit! I twied and I twied.
• Bogart (reaching into his coat, seemingly for a gun): Well, in that case there's only one thing to do...
• Elmer: No! Pwease! Don't shoot!
• Bogart (pulling out a hankie and mopping his forehead): Baby will just have to have a ham sandwich instead!
• Bugsy (emerging from hiding): Baby?! (Leaps onto the table on a silver tray) Remember, garcon, the customer is always right! If it's rabbit Baby wants, rabbit Baby gets! (Proceeds to do his best "Hollywood wolf" shtick, howling and panting and making goo-goo eyes at the fetching Bacall). Wahkeenah 03:40, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for the cartoon text. I looked through 200 websites, couldn't find anything that made it an age issue, or why. WikiDon 04:39, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

My main point, in both the Bacall and the Bogart articles, was to remind the readers that "Baby" is what Bogie called her, with a capital "B", not just the generic "baby" that lovers call each other. Her friends call her Betty, which of course is her real name. I reckon I'll have to go to my Barnes & Ignoble to get an in-depth bio of one or both of them that would prove the specifics of why he called her "Baby", although it seems obvious, but it's not a point worth my while to obsess over. :) Wahkeenah 05:03, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

I agree with you that he called her Baby, there is no doubt about it. She has been know as Baby for years. I left in the fact that he called her that, just re-wrote the entry to break the infurance that it was because of age, until I can find a reference. I would say Bacall's book (s) would be the best place to look. Keep up the good work. WikiDon 05:22, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

I don't have Bacall's autobiography, but I think I know someone that does, so if I find out more I'll get back to you. Certainly Bogie is not the first to use "Baby" with a capital B. An example is the 1930s comedy "Bringing Up Baby", Baby being the leading lady's pet leopard. As a generic (lower case) term, the early 1900s song that WB's famous frog sings is a good example, as it starts, "Hello, mah baby, hello mah honey, hello mah ragtime gal..." The use of "babe", is in "a babe", in particular, in reference to any "hot" young woman is also very old usage. Good grief, there's almost enough here for a separate article, if I feel like writing it... the concept of "encyclopedic" being used rather generously in this case. :) Wahkeenah 11:08, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] A Member of the Golden Age of Hollywood Generation?

User:23skidoo added the following:

"....one of the few actors of the "Golden Age of Hollywood" generation still active in the industry."

EXCEPTION: Because the "Golden Age of Hollywood" is considered to be: "...the period beginning with the advent of sound until after the end of WWII." Her first film was 1944, marking the end of the Golden Age and the beginning of the post-war rise of the film noir period. Also, she was a generation younger than Bogart, K. Hepburn, Tracy, Wayne, Grant, Chaplin, Pickford, Gable, Welles, Astair, Loy, W. Powell, etc.

So, because she acted in ONE film in the "Golden Age" she was a "Golden Age" actor? That is a s.t.r.e.t.c.h.... That does NOT make her of the "Golden Age of Hollywood" generation.

I say that she is in with: Doris Day (1924), Eva Marie Saint (1924), Shelley Winters (1920), Tony Randall (1920), Walter Matthau (1920), Ricardo Montalban (1920), Donna Reed (1921), Carol Channing (1921), Cyd Charisse (1921), Gordon MacRae (1921), Simone Signoret (1921), Alexis Smith (1921), Yves Montand (1921), Kathryn Grayson (1922), Richard Kiley (1922), Judy Garland (1922), Barbara Bel Geddes (1922), Veronica Lake (1922), Anne Baxter (1923), Marlon Brando (1924), Paul Newman (1925), Dorothy Malone (1925), Jack Lemmon (1925), Hal Holbrook (1925), Rod Steiger (1925), Jeanne Crain (1925), Tony Curtis (1925), Patricia Neal (1926), Audrey Meadows (1926), Marilyn Monroe (1926), George C. Scott (1927), Richard Crenna (1927), etc.

These are HER generation, her contemporaries.

Anyone else have an opinion? WikiDon 09:23, 3 November 2005 (UTC)

I rephrased it. Hope it's more satisfying now.--Downtownstar 23:50, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

Two responses to the first post. First, the "classic period" of film noir actually started in the early 40's. Second, the Golden Age of Hollywood is considered to be the heyday of the Studio System, which is considered to be from the advent of sound to the late 40's/early 50's. --PhantomS 17:06, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bacall and HUAC

I am amazed that there is nothing in this article about Bacall being called before HUAC and her connection to the "Hollywood 10." The McCarthy hearings, and her association with them, are major historical events. Much more important than her quotes about Tom Cruise or Nicole Kidman. Danflave 20:34, 21 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pictures

This is an extensive article on a legendary person. There's a desperate need for more pictures of her, don't you think? Even the main shot has her with another person. If anyone can find one or two or three shots of Lauren that could be used here, it would be greatly appreciated. That's all Folks.Downtownstar 16:47, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pop songs that sample Bacall?

There was a big UK hit from the late 80s/early 90s which used the Bacall sample ("You know how to whistle, don't you?.."). Anyone remember which band it was?Bmathew 22:27, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Stephen Bogart

Why does the link for Stephen Bogart redirect to Humphrey Bogart's page? Phaethon 0130 02:33, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cashing in on Bacall

The following trivia were grandly presented as "cultural references". Beats me how Lloyd Webber's schlock can be regarded as "culture"; but that aside, the following don't seem to add to our knowledge of Bacall. So I cut them all. -- Hoary 02:39, 21 October 2007 (UTC)