MovieChat Forums > Humphrey Bogart Discussion > His looks

His looks

posted 5 years ago by snepts (11123)
7 replies | jump to latest

There are a couple of Bogart movies trending at the moment, and people inevitably wonder what his attraction is. It's a complicated subject (at least to me) but I just saw Treasure of the Sierra Madre and there is a scene early on where he gets a professional shave and haircut and I have to believe the director intentionally lit the scene and filmed it so he looked just brutal. Of course, the whole role makes him out to be a low-life, but I was shocked how homely he looked while trying to admire his new "makeover." I also think his hair was intentionally oiled to beyond ugly for this scene. Just an odd - and perhaps brilliant - touch in this very well regarded film.

[–] liscarkat (16530) 5 years ago

"people inevitably wonder what his attraction is"

There's a lot more to an actor's attraction than what his face looks like. Bogart is magnetic, while unbelievably handsome John Gavin is a piece of lumber. Also, there's the concept of "ugly-attractive", which middle-aged Bogart exemplified.

In his very young days on stage, Bogart played prettyboys. Fortunately, he matured into his familiar "brutal" look.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I'm just reporting what I see here a lot. I have no issues with his looks. But that scene in SM really struck me as very unsparing. Maybe that was part of the brilliance of it, but he gets this supposedly quality shave and haircut and examines himself in the mirror. Maybe it's part of his method acting, but the way he changes his mouth to see what the shave looks like is almost grotesque. Again, I love Bogart but this is not a sympathetic role for him, and I'm unaccustomed to seeing him like this. Even as a bad guy like in The Petrified Forest or The Desperate Hours or In A Lonely Place he had a certain charm (maybe not so much Lonely Place, he's was pretty weird in that one) he is magnetic. In SM he was pretty odious.

[–] liscarkat (16530) 5 years ago

Yes, odious and ugly, yet still magnetic.

[–] ProductionNow (1072) 5 years ago

Just need to ask: why are extreme adjectives used so much?
Bogart was not ugly at all; he was average-looking at the very least (regardless of his charisma). I see this a lot, a person either being ugly or beautiful.

[–] thalia (313) 5 years ago

He is one of teh main singers in teh band Nsync

[–] huwdj (4562) 5 years ago

I always thought that scene was to intentionally make the character appear riduculous.
But I don't think Bogart's looks was the reason he became a big star. I think it's more to do with the roles he played and perhaps they were a reflection of the man himself. His looks fitted the roles and the times and many of the films he made have aged well and continue to find an audience. I don't particularly like lists but if forced one there would be several Bogart films in my top 20.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I agree with your assessment as to how and why the scene is shot. Again, I love Bogie and I admire he tackled such an unpleasant role. It simply caught me by surprise and it was almost comic with all the goop in his hair and it was supposed to be sort of a make over but the results were not kind. Really good movie but kind of brutal if you like Humphrey Bogart.