Lauren Bacall is one of cinema’s most iconic names.
As Bacall got older, her career continued.
Bacall died at the age of 89 in 2014, but her legacy has endured (viaNPR).
You just put your lips together and blow."
Nevertheless, there are a few things that even the biggest Bacall fans may not know.
Here is the untold truth of Lauren Bacall.
Indeed, Bacall’s deep voice has become one of her most memorable features.
AsThe Guardianexplained in her obituary, Bacall’s voice wasn’t always so gruff.
According to Bacall, however, her voice had never been high-pitched.
Of course, she acknowledged that her voice was a big part of her success.
“I don’t want to change it and I can’t change it.”
Bacall’s real name was Betty Joan Perske.
First, she changed it to Weistein-Bacal, after her mother, and this eventually became Lauren Bacall.
Additionally, when Bacall later had children with Humphrey Bogart, he wanted them to be christened.
In her book “By Myself,” she wrote, “I felt totally Jewish and always would.
At the time, she was afraid she might lose her career if she revealed the truth.
“I wanted to be like Bette Davis.”
“She made me feel more than anybody else did,” she continued.
She reportedly told Bacall, “You’re the only one who could have played the part.”
And although she appeared to be steady and self-assured, this could not have been further from the truth.
In a 1979 episode ofThe Dick Cavett Show, Bacall explained that it was all an illusion.
On set, she was so nervous she was “shaking myself to pieces.”
Her chin wobbled, her knees trembled, and her voice wavered.
In her book “By Myself,” Bacall recalled the moment the spark was lit.
Bogart had come to her trailer after filming to say goodnight, and Bacall was sitting at her mirror.
“Suddenly he leaned over, put his hand under my chin, andkissedme,” she wrote.
“It was impulsive he was a bit shy no lunging wolf tactics.”
They exchanged numbers and began a secret affair (viaVanity Fair).
The rest, of course, is history.
He didn’t want an actress.”
“I was a baby and he was established, so why wouldn’t he come first?”
she confessed in a 1985interview.
Bogart wanted children and Bacall wanted to give him what he wanted.
The marriage also changed how Bacall was perceived in Hollywood.
“I think the minute I married Bogie I was just considered his wife.
My career kind of stopped,” she explained toInterview.
However, it turns out, some Hollywood producers initially tried to change it all.
In fact, she reportedly instructed Crown to use specific tools in a specific way.
I really believe that," she revealed in reference to meeting Humphrey Bogart.
Bacall went on to explain that this fatalistic belief had made her interested in astrology.
It seems like Bacall always believed that fate was in control of her life.
For Bacall, honesty went hand-in-hand with trust.
“I couldn’t have a friend that I didn’t trust,” she continued.
So, she made it her commitment to be honest in every facet of her life.
Shortly thereafter, Lauren Bacall began seeing another famous star: Frank Sinatra.
Sinatra filled the gap nicely.
The couple became engaged in 1958, one year after Bogart’s death.
Bacall said yes immediately.
“I questioned nothing.
That was my trouble one of my troubles,” she explained.
That night, Sinatra even asked her to sign an autograph with her “new name” Betty Sinatra.
The next time Bacall saw him was at a dinner party and he blanked her.
He didn’t even acknowledge she was there.
“You have to be 20 years old for your whole life,” she said with exasperation.
“I mean I think it’s absolutely ridiculous I just think it’s wrong.”
For that reason, Bacall never tried to act or look younger than her real age.
As Bacall got older, she continued to accept her age gracefully.
According toThe Guardian, she refused to become obsessed with how old she was.
In fact, she even mocked people who dreaded their birthday each year.
It’s clear that Bacall never let a fear of getting old get in her way.
It turns out, she and Lauren Bacall were close friends.
Talk about BFF goals!
“Katie is a very, very private person and I respect that … For Bacall, every moment she spent with Hepburn was to be treasured.
In fact, Bacall even compared her to a female Bogart because of her strength of character.
She and Bogart formed a friendship with Hepburn and her husband, Spencer Tracey.
Later, Hepburn even helped Bacall get through Bogart’s death and remained her friend until her own death.
Lauren Bacall ended up hating her Oscar
Lauren Bacall won an honorary Oscar in 2009.
Oddly enough, Bacall never really felt happy about the award.
Even looking at the award filled her with disgust.
Bacall went on to explain that the memory of her acceptance speech is what made her feel so uncomfortable.
“I only talked about Bogie,” she recalled.
Even though her children were in the audience, she didn’t mention them.
“I just kind of went blank,” she continued.
However, she never felt satisfied with it, especially when it came to her films.
As she told theLos Angeles Times, “I was never given the opportunity to have any variety.
I don’t know why.”
For Bacall, movies were a let down because she started with such big expectations.
Luckily, Bacall’s theatrical career was her saving grace.
