Inauspicious film debuts are part and parcel of the celebrity story. Stars whose first appearances are “Woman At Checkout” or “Man Shouting At Tree” is a fact of modern Hollywood that speaks to the death of the studio system. Of course there are exceptions; for every actor who began by dressing as a chicken and handing out leaflets, there are members of theatrical dynasties, thespians with aunts who are casting agents, and actors who got their break by being friends with influential people. But back in the days when smoking was sultry and cirrhosis of the liver was the most likely way to go, one could be spotted at a bus stop, given a stylist, a dye job, and a three-year contract. No faffing about and building cred, the first role could be a lead role, as was the case with Lauren Bacall’s debut as Marie “Slim” Browning in To Have And Have Not, a picture directed by Academy Award nominee Howard Hawks and starring talk-of-the-town, Humphrey Bogart.

To Have And Have Not isn’t a literary masterpiece, although apparently that was the point: the story goes that author Ernest Hemingway was skeptical of Hollywood, still reeling with disappointment from the 1932 cinematic adaptation of A Farewell To Arms. One fine day, Hemingway and film director/ fishing companion Howard Hawks took a boat out to sea, and used the opportunity to talk shop. Hawks was adamant he could make a hit from the author’s “worst story.” And which would that be? “That God-damned piece of junk called “To Have And Have Not." Luckily for Hawks, it would be another 16 years before Patricia Highsmith published The Talented Mr Ripley, thereby saving him from being pummeled to death with an oar.

Lauren Bacall-To Have and Have Not

Meanwhile, as Hawks and Hemingway were busy comparing the size of their trout, Betty Joan Perske had enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and assumed her mother’s maiden name, Bacal. Despite being asked to return for the second year’s training, with finances tight in the household and scholarships a male-only prospect, Betty Bacal opted for the next best thing, and took her lithe 5 foot 8 frame to modeling agencies around New York. After a series of jobs which proved she could wear clothing while standing still, Bacal was introduced via a friend (naturally), to Harper’s Bazaar guru, Diana Vreeland. Vreeland took one look at Bacal, liked the cut of her jib, and immediately put her on the front cover (of course).

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It wasn’t long before Hawks’ wife, socialite Nancy “Slim'' Keith, picked up this latest Harper's edition and decided to embark upon a new project. Convincing her husband to champion Betty Bacal wasn’t a challenge, with Hawks enjoying a reputation for spotting soon-to-be stars including Carole Lombard, Rita Hayworth, and other plain-looking women. The Hawks’ took Bacall under their wing with their first task being to sign their ingenue to a seven-year contract, before taking it upon themselves to effectively manage her career. “Betty” became “Lauren”, “Bacal” gained an extra “l”, and Slim, as an ex-model and socialite, used her experience to guide Bacall in matters of dress, deportment, and how to hide gin around the house. Perhaps the most important change was the new voice. One can only assume Bacall’s natural tones were reminiscent of an Oompa Loompa, as Hawks refused to debut Bacall until she had mastered her now infamous pack-a-day vocals. According to Bacall, she achieved her lower register by routinely driving to the canyons near Mulholland Drive and screaming passages from The Robe at coyotes. Embellished as the story may be, actresses have done a lot more for a lot less. With her new husky voice, stylish wardrobe, and that merciful extra “l” to her name, Hawks was confident his creation was ready for her first role, and a lead one at that: Marie “Slim” Browning, in his adaptation of Hemingway’s worst novel.

Bogart_and_Bacall_To_Have_and_Have_Not

Hawks’ film bears little resemblance to its source. The Depression setting of the book is shifted to the beginning of World War II, the positioning of the American government as villains who prevent protagonist Harry Morgan from feeding his family are instead the good guys doing their best to fight Nazis, and Morgan himself, a formerly seditious character who loses an arm and eventually, his life, is turned into a patriot, fighting the good fight with both arms in working order. And then there’s Bacall. As far as opening scenes go, she was gifted with a doozy- “Anybody got a match?” She smolders like Xena Warrior Princess in a two-piece. Her next appearance is sauntering toward Bogart, making herself comfortable on his lap and purring the famous “You know how to whistle, don’t you?” line. Quite an achievement for someone not yet of drinking age. Another of Bacall’s trademarks, second only to the “I’ve been yelling at wild dogs” voice, is on full display: the downcast chin with eyes peering upward. But this was one aspect of the actress' debut that was not maneuvered by Hawks. Apparently so fixated with her adoption of a new voice and that elusive extra "l", Hawks had forgotten to prep Bacall for the actual acting. Having skipped the chicken costumes and gone straight to leading lady, not to mention playing opposite an A-list sex symbol, would put anyone on edge, and Bacall was a bundle of nerves. Shaking with anxiety, the simple task of lighting a match required multiple takes, until eventually the actress found it was only by resting her chin on her chest and gazing upward at her co-star, that she was able to stop the trembling.

Not only did To Have And Have Not afford Bacall some iconic gestures, but also a husband. The film marked the beginning of the Bogie-Bacall romance, a partnership that would see the two forever intrinsically linked in the eyes of the public, culminating in two children and a sign that a 25-year age gap is no obstacle for romance. Of course those were different times. These days the discrepancy would result in a series of police checks, not to mention the unfortunate portmanteau, HumpBac.

Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

The mythos surrounding Bacall was also helped along by substantial studio PR, with Charles Einfeld earning his paycheck as Warner Bros. Publicity Chief by regularly releasing statements along the lines of “nothing like Bacall has been seen on the screen since Garbo and Dietrich. This is one of the biggest and hottest attractions we have ever had.” Mickey Seltzer, To Have And Have Not’s publicist, constantly made reference to the “electricity” between the leads, declaring it to be “so tangible you could feel it in the air.” For Hawks, the relationship was an insult, rendering him furious for the duration of filming and was the cause of multiple dressing downs for Bacall. Accusations of ungrateful behavior, threats of selling her to B-grade studios, and guarantees that Bogart would throw her away once production wrapped became common, although the assertions were not without merit: Hawks had discovered, molded, and in essence created Bacall, and Bogart was still married, albeit unhappily, to actress and resident lush, Mayo Methot. However, there was no doubt Hawks' diatribes were motivated by jealousy rather than justice, and Bacall opted to wait out the storm.

Yet there was another reality that confronted Hawks. Despite his legwork, not only had his ingénue fallen for the grizzly Bogart, but the fizz between the two leads was undeniably magic. Even if Hawks spent hours berating himself for taking on this ingrate and ruing the day he went fishing, there was no denying that the camera was picking up chemistry that would carry the film to substantial box office earnings. And so, despite a bruised ego, Hawks pressed on.

Critics were divided when it came to Bacall. While some lauded the birth of a new star, others were scathing. “A more embarrassing portrayal of a femme fatale I have ever seen,” claimed Sight & Sound magazine, while Bosley Crowther of The New York Times felt her performance worthy of little more than a physical description, “softly reedy along the lines of Veronica Lake.” However, there were others, multitudes, who were quick to praise the advent of a new femme fatale, with her obvious good looks being one thing, but her ability to not just hold her own, but outshine her experienced colleagues. Despite the reality of her nerves and the questionable motivations of her mentor, To Have And Have Not presents the audience with the essence of Lauren Bacall: unapologetically independent, desirable, and purveyor of an additional “l”.