Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Ferguson Looks at a Movie Icon

Cinema | January 27th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

In a little more than a quarter of the 20th century spanning the 1930s, 1940s and part of the 1950s, Humphrey Bogart built one of the quintessential American filmographies. Stubborn, tenacious, and devoted to his craft, the actor played plenty of thugs and toughs before the eventual turn that would establish leading man bona fides and open the door to a more satisfying range of roles. Belfast-born filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson, whose excellent “Nothing Compares” brought all the necessary fire and fury to the life of Sinead O’Connor, compiles a handsome and worthwhile overview of Bogie in “Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes.” The new feature may not unfold with the same degree of urgency as Ferguson’s look at the Irish pop music star (like Bogart, an iconoclast and legend in her own right), but it is still a terrific overview of one of the great Hollywood icons.

Ferguson bookends the movie at All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills with footage of Bogart’s memorial service in 1957, a spectacle of mourning attended by a constellation of friends including David Niven, Danny Kaye, Marlene Dietrich, Gregory Peck, Joan Bennett, Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Errol Flynn and many others. In a fashion not unlike the recent Mark Cousins doc “My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock,” Ferguson aims to present as much information as possible in the words of her subject. As performed by Kerry Shale, whose approximation of Bogie is passable, the direct quotations allow the filmmaker to craft enough first-person point-of-view to keep viewers and fans — both casual and devoted — intrigued.

In addition to the voiceover by Shale, Ferguson also draws from the comments of a number of Bogart’s close associates and collaborators to fill in details about the man’s personality, politics and proclivities. The latter of those three categories certainly involved the consumption of a large quantity of alcohol. Ferguson connects many thematic dots by considering each of Bogart’s four marriages and how that particular quartet of women — Helen Menken, Mary Philips, Mayo Methot, and Lauren Bacall — influenced and shaped the actor’s world in public and in private. All four of Bogart’s wives were professional actors and Ferguson fully probes the dynamics of those partnerships.

Ferguson does not neglect the fifth important woman in Bogart’s life: his mother Maud Humphrey, the talented and well-compensated professional illustrator and suffragette whose lack of physical affection left her son with lasting resentment as much as it shaped his often unsentimental outlook. Perhaps enough time has passed (Bogart was born on Christmas Day of 1899) that Bogart and Bacall’s son Stephen, who supported and contributed to the project in collaboration with Humphrey Bogart Estate CEO Robbert de Klerk, felt comfortable cracking the door open a bit more than the typical “authorized” feature.

“Flashes” is not designed or deployed as an in-depth critical biography. Only the career highlights and touchstone movies are addressed; given Bogart’s prolific output, it would be marvelous to see a multipart series covering those big titles as well as the less-discussed but utterly fascinating appearances in the performer’s go-to genres (including film noir/detective fiction, war/combat, melodrama, romance, etc.) as well as his rarer films. Until that unlikely dream takes shape, “Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes” might just generate enough interest to turn casual viewers into more discerning fans. Of course, once a person has seen him at work, Bogart doesn’t really need any help convincing movie lovers to spend quality time with him.       

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Rodeo is a family tradition for sisters Kate and Tera Flitton. The duo performs under the moniker Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls. The Utah natives will be performing along with bareback riders,…

Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m. doors open at 7 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, FargoCheck out this cult classic on the big screen as a live band performs along with David Bowie’s vocals, all while basking in the Art Deco glory…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA column on How Trumusklicans are trying to change historyIt took William L. Shirer a couple decades to write and then publish “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany,”…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Photos by Rick GionLiving in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Chad Nodland, "Artistic Freedom"On January 19, 2025, the last full day of Joe Biden’s presidency, he commuted Leonard Peltier's two consecutive life sentences to home confinement at his…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com Somewhere lost in the cultural scuffle of what it means to be transgender is that it is an absolute joy to experience the world in such a way. When you take away the societal prejudice and…

By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…