Betty Joan Perske Analysis

Chronological/Timeline: Lauren Bacall/ Betty Joan Perske
“I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.” That’s what I, Lauren Bacall, thought. So, this is my life. I was born on September 16, 1924 in New York City as Betty Joan Perske. My parents, Natalie Weinstein-Bacal and William Perske, were both Jewish. They got divorced when I was five. My father, William, was an alcoholic who left our family when I was only six, and soon after I became fascinated with theater. I never had a huge connection with my father; I was always closer to my mother, so his departure never really affected me. I became more independent when my mother and I changed our last name to Bacal, my grandmother's maiden name, and added the
During this film I developed my trademark facial expression look, which oddly enough started out as a way to control nerves by pressing my chin against my chest. So, when the camera turned on, I began the scene with a smoldering stare. Although Bogart and I had a 25 year age difference, we fell in love. Bogart was married at the time to Mayo Methot, but eventually got a divorce and we married on May 21, 1945 in Ohio. This put a hold on my acting career because I was occupied with my marriage. Twelve years later, my husband, Bogart, died of cancer. Soon after, I returned to the silver screen with The Gift of Love in 1958. The production sadly turned out to be a big disappointment. But, I moved back to New York City and appeared in several Broadway plays. Not much later, I had a short and disastrous fling and engagement with Frank Sinatra. Sinatra backed out of the engagement when it was announced to the press. After our breakup I put more focus back onto my own life and went into theater and acting. I earned a Tony for Best Actress and I won my second Tony in 1981 for a role in the play Woman of the Year. With my insider view of the Hollywood actress life, I wrote my