Essential Humphrey Bogart - by Constantine Santas (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book looks at approximately 45 of the best movies featuring screen icon Humphrey Bogart, from his early films as a second lead to his starring roles in such classics as The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and The African Queen.

Book Synopsis

This book looks at approximately 45 of the best movies featuring screen icon Humphrey Bogart, from his early films as a second lead to his starring roles in such classics as The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and The African Queen.

Review Quotes

Of course, over the years, there have been many books written about the legendary Bogart - but this handsome looking volume reviews no less than thirty eight of the stars films (complete with plots, full cast lists and behind-the-scenes information) from 'The Petrified Forest' in 1936 to 'The Harder They Fall in 1956.... I found this book absolutely fact filled, with much research undertaken and I certainly recommend it to MVM readers and Humphrey Bogart fans alike.

Santas' book is a great and extremely useful guide to the best Bogart's titles, and its complete explanation. After owning this book, you will probably forget about IMDB or google, as it has everything you need to know about Bogart, his personal life, films, the approach he needed to take that made his screen look unforgettable. Bogart certainly had a unique charisma that allowed him to outlive his time and become an ultimate Hollywood star, as well as Santas' book that you'll soon starting using as 'Bogartclopedia'.

What makes the book such a great read is the fact that the author places each film within the political and social environment of the time, replete with details and facts that make for interesting myth and reality.... Although the book is a product of scientific and academic research, it is anything but boring. Conversely, the uplifting material and deep exploration of the unknown aspects of the actor and his films make for lively reading. Personally, from the first to last word of its 212 pages, I discovered an unknown multidimensional Humphrey Bogart and learned of his very significant contribution to the golden era of American cinema!

About the Author

Constantine Santas is professor emeritus and former chair in the Department of English at Flagler College, Florida. He is the author of Responding to Film (2002), The Epic in Film: From Myth to Blockbuster (2008), and The Epic Films of David Lean (2012), as well as coauthor of The Encyclopedia of Epic Films (2014), all published by Rowman & Littlefield.