The one movie Humphrey Bogart was always proudest of: “It is practically a masterpiece”
As one of ‘Golden Age’ Hollywood’s definitive leading men, Humphrey Bogart made no shortage of movies that continue to stand the test of time, cementing him as one of the industry’s most indelible icons, which shows no signs of diminishing, even half a century after his passing.
That comes with the territory of being seared into the cinematic consciousness, with the actor’s signature persona, most closely associated with the chain-smoking, fedora-wearing, and trench coat-sporting leading man of countless noirs that unfolded in many a dimly lit, smoky room.
Casablanca will always be the defining film of his career, which is inevitable, since it’s also one of Tinseltown’s most beloved and enduringly popular flicks. One of the all-time greats, it’s your favourite actor’s favourite actor’s favourite movie, which goes to show how its appeal has spanned generations.
It’s a masterpiece, of that there’s no doubt, but it wasn’t the one ‘Bogie’ was proudest of. It wasn’t The Return of Dr X, either, but that goes without saying when the star tried his hardest to pretend the “rotten” Z-grade horror didn’t exist, although it did make for an interesting footnote.
Besides his legendary on and offscreen partnership with Lauren Bacall, the definitive creative collaboration of Bogart’s professional life was with John Huston. The pair made six features together between 1941 and 1953, and at least three of them are stone-cold classics, which isn’t bad going.
They could well have made more had they not drifted apart and severed their actor/director bond for good, but ‘Bogie’ always remembered their first time working together on The Maltese Falcon as the one he cherished the most. A benchmark in film noir, it’s a masterpiece in every sense of the word, even if he stopped just ever so short of calling it that.
“It is practically a masterpiece,” the actor conceded. “I don’t have many things I’m proud of, but that’s one.” Most people would suggest that the word “practically” isn’t needed when The Maltese Falcon fulfils all of the criteria required for top-tier cinema, but since he was in it, Bogart could call it what he wanted.
Sam Spade is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable private eyes, and his journey into mystery, death, intrigue, and conspiracy was instrumental in shaping the direction of mainstream noir, with virtually every other movie indebted to Huston’s seminal thriller in one way or another.
Did Bogart make better films? Perhaps, but that’s entirely down to personal preference. For his money, though, The Maltese Falcon was the pinnacle, and he’d never been prouder of anything, before or since.
