Bogie (1980 TV Movie) User Reviews

We'll always have... Casablanca. Forgive them, Bogie for they know not what they did!

[jwpeel-1 · 4/10 · 8 July 2005]

Kevin O'Connor is as much like Humphrey Bogart as Victor Buono was like Marlon Brando. What were they thinking when they cast this thing? Okay, I'll give you Kathryn Harrold as Bacall. She's not perfect, but she can act and is fetching enough ("fetching" is a word that isn't used nearly enough) but this boring, by-the-book shallow TV biography is as tacky as a coin operated TV set in a hotel room. The best things about this turkey was the work of Anne Wedgeworth as Mayo Methot (who doesn't look a thing like the real Methot, but how many of you even know what she looks like? She only did a few small parts in Warner Brother flicks so...) and the actor who played Peter Lorre for about a hot second.

If you want a bio of Humphrey DeForest Bogart, there are plenty of good books out there, especially the latest and the Lauren Bacall autobiography from a few years back, but this hackneyed mess is about as pathetic as they come. Who ARE these people that think O'Connor was well cast anyway? And I thought MY vision was bad. Not to mention, the man sounds and acts nothing like the real thing. One day, they'll do this story right and cast the perfect guy so I can say in characteristic Bogie fashion, "You're good, kid. Real good!" This ain't the one, folkies. I'm gonna get a good belt of scotch now and watch the real Bogart in "Casablanca" or "The Maltese Falcon" and wash this bad memory from my mind.

A Shallow Biography of the Hollywood's Best Actor

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 18 October 2004]

The life of Humphrey Bogart, mainly during his marriage with the alcoholic actress Mayo Methot and with Lauren Bacall, is presented in a shallow biography. The movie looks like a soap opera and does not show, for example, how he became a great actor, or his problems with the Joseph McCarthy communist witch-hunters. The good points are the selection of Kevin O'Connor, perfect in the role of Humphrey Bogart, having inclusive the same voice and movements, and the gorgeous and elegant Kathryn Harrold in the role of Lauren Bacall. I believe that the great Humphrey Bogart deserves a better homage than this film. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): 'O Outro Lado de Humphrey Bogart' ('The Other Side of Humphrey Bogart')

yah betta be careful...seee!!...when you think of watching this film.

[czar-10 · 6/10 · 11 October 2000]

This movie is a cheesy Melodrama biopic on the life of the Great One Humphrey Bogart. The movie lacks any real substance on Bogie's Life. The film mainly focuses on his tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic wife Mayo Methot (Played by Ann Wedgeworth who was Lana on the Three's company episodes) and the Cancer that eventually killed him. Kevin O'Conner is pretty good as Bogie, he looks, talks, and even laughs like the real Bogie. Kathryn Harrold playing Lauren Bacall is just gorgeous, and bares a striking resemblance to The real thing as well. The problem with this made for T.V. film is that is really never gives you anything, no personal relationships with stars and directors, not even some insight to how he became a star. To save money on the film we get cheap fading B/W stills staggered throughout the film (mind you not even real ones, but ones with the actor playing Bogie). The sets are minimal and repetitive, and a cheesy ending make you wonder if there is any justice out there for dead stars that are brought back to life in biopics

Pretty Blah

[mrb1980 · 3/10 · 22 November 2006]

A really good film biography of Humphrey Bogart would have concentrated on his difficult rise to stardom during the 1930s and early 40s. However, this pedestrian movie emphasizes his battles with Mayo Methot and his marriage to Lauren Bacall. Kevin O'Connor tries, but cannot come close to matching the real Bogart; Kathryn Harrold is much, much better as Bacall, and turns in a fine performance. Bogart's final battle with throat cancer is portrayed as a shallow soap opera, and the inconclusive ending (Bogart sailing in his boat) is particularly bad. Might be worth watching on a slow night, but don't confuse this movie with a good biographical film...it's not even close.

Decent

[Michael_Elliott · 27 February 2008]

Bogie (1980)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Vincent Sherman directs this bio of screen legend Humphrey Bogart, which is interesting since Sherman directed several Bogart pictures including The Return of Dr. X and All Through the Night. Kevin O'Connor gets the part of Bogart as we see the star struggle in Hollywood but eventually take off into a major star. We also see his personal life including his troubled marriage to Mayo Methot (Ann Wedgeworth) and eventual love Lauren Bacall (Kathryn Harrold). I think the hardest thing for an actor to do is try and play another legendary character and that rings true here. O'Connor really doesn't look like Bogart, certainly doesn't sound like him and he never perfectly captures the Bogart feel but there's not an actor alive who could capture Bogart except Bogart himself. With that said, O'Connor really isn't too bad here and overall I could put aside the obvious differences and enjoy his performance. Wedgeworth is a tad bit over the top as the alcoholic Mayo but Harrold isn't too bad as Bacall. For the most part the film looks at the two marriages of Bogart, which is fine but I wish they had paid more attention to Bogart the actor. There are a couple great scenes with Bogart in the office of Jack Warner arguing about roles and I wish there were more of this.

Another Bio.....

[Drew-Barrymore-Obsessed · 4/10 · 20 June 2005]

Well I think that this wasn't the best movie I've seen in my life but it is watchable. I mean it was shallow yes but okay just to be if nothing on the face of the earth was on I guess I would watch it.I happened to think quite little of it. Yeah it pretty much wasn't all that but hey it'ws watchable. Again some of these bio's are fairly boring but people still manage to watch them. Yes so their you have it it is a pain free boring movie with guarauntee you will turn it off in twenty minutes tops. Well this is just me but I didn't like it and some of my friends didn't like it. If your a bio person you'll love it but if your not run for the hills. To me this was painful and would not watch it again.

Bogie

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 30 November 2023]

I have a big weakness for made for TV biopics, often because they're rarely good and yet that keeps me coming back to them. The blame lies at the feet of the multiple tabloids my grandmother subscribed to as I learned about Liz's sad last days, Liberace and Rock Hudson's watermelon diet and who was beating who, who was doing drugs and who was getting surgery.

Based on Joe Hyams' 1966 novel, Bogie: The Biography of Humphrey Bogart, this stars Kevin O'Connor as Humphrey Bogart, who was my father's favorite actor. O'Connor has an interesting list of credits, like playing Irijah in The Passover Plot and Woody in Let's Scare Jessica to Death.

In the roles of the two loves of his life are Ann Wedgeworth (Aunt Fern from Steel Magnolias) as Mayo Methot and Kathryn Harrold (Raw Deal) as Lauren Bacall.

Director Vincent Sherman made The Return of Dr. X, All Through the Night, Crime School, Across the Pacific and King of the Underworld with Bogie and writer Daniel Taradash wrote Knock on Any Door, so they knew that man. It's hard to say if this was right, because it seems like it tries to get in so much in such a short time. The transitions where it shows Bogart in his many roles seem like something out of pictures you would get in a Wild West saloon at a theme park. Nothing feels authentic. Much of the film is O'Connor mugging for the camera and trying to get his face to look like the star.

You can spot a young Drew Barrymore as Bogie's daughter Leslie.

When asked about the movie, his widow Lauren Bacall said, It's a bunch of crap, and there's no way to stop it. It's a crock, unadulterated garbage, and it's untrue. They're just going to use him. Jesus, there's no creativity left in the world. People will do anything for money. Anything."

Oddly enough, both Bogart and O'Connor died from cancer.

Film is true to Joe Hyams' Bio of Friend "Bogie"

[Somesweetkid · 7/10 · 29 March 2024]

Having read Joe Hyams' book on his friend Humphrey Bogart, I found the film interesting and entertaining, as I am a fan of Old Hollywood bio pics.

Unlike another reviewer noted, I found O'Connor's portrayal spot on and his voice and looks to be remarkably similar to Bogart's. However, Harrold, though attractive, looked and sounded nothing like Lauren Bacall, nor did the scene she re-enacted from "Have and Have Not" contain any of the nuances or appeal of Bacall's impressive debut.

Additionally, while I could not recall what Methot sounded like in the few movies I've seen with her, I thought Wedgeworth looked pretty close in appearance. She also acted exactly like she was portrayed in Hyams' bio too, which was an alcoholic explosive (yet sad) ticking time bomb. You felt sorry for her weakness and ruination of her marriage to Bogart.

The married couple portrayed in the film, Zelma (O'Neal) O'Moore and Patrick O'Moore, were real friends of Bogart's and were also in movies of his time period, and the two actors playing the couple acquitted themselves nicely. Patricia Barry (Zelma) was barely recognizable (except for her voice) after seeing her play a man eater in "Dear Heart" with Glenn Ford.

If you are a long-time TCM viewer, as am I, you have probably seen the director Vincent Sherman interviewed. He must have been a friend of Bogart's too and did a sympathetic portrayal of him. I always thought Sherman seemed like a class act in his interviews and will make an effort to seek out more of his directorial efforts.

Overall, if you are a fan of Humphrey Bogart, you will enjoy this leisurely movie. I do agree with another reviewer that O'Connor's teeth were a tad distracting. Not sure if they were his actual teeth or a mouthpiece to emulate Bogart's mouth. Bogart was definitely more handsome.

Sadly, O'Connor died at 53, an even earlier age than Bogart at 57, both of cancer. RIP gentlemen and God bless.

Lousy. I doubt it could have been done better.

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 5/10 · 8 September 2018]

There have been many fine actors, and a few who were truly unique. Spencer Tracy comes to mind. But I'm not sure that in terms of looks and behavior and story line that a good bio-pic of Humphrey Bogart is even possible. And this tv-movie seemed to prove that.

I'm sure Kevin O'Connor (who???) did the best he could playing Bogie. But it was none too good. Yes, there was something about the face and the way he said certain things...but this is another example where a famous person's persona was so unique that probably no one could quite capture it. And...pardon me...but O'Connor's teeth were a constant distraction for me. Similarly, Kathryn Harrold's portrayal of Lauren Bacall missed the mark, as well. Though not quite as unique as Bogie, Bacall just didn't look or sound like this portrayal of her.

As far as Ann Wedgeworth's portrayal of Mayo Methot...I have no idea. I suppose I've seen Methot in some old films, but if I did, I had no idea it was her. None of the other parts stand out...with the possible exception of Richard Dysart as Jack Warner.

The story line seems to be a rather sterile portrayal of Bogart's life. Films have unique abilities to tell a biography. But so do books. And frankly, a good book about Bogie is far more satisfying than this biopic.