Photos

Framed Photo

I recently bought this photo in an old, gold frame on ebay. It was found propped up on the piano in the home of an elderly couple. Both photo and frame are at least 60 years old, and were part of an estate sale in Vermont. I think it’s a gem, and wonder about the people who treasured this for so long. I intend to keep it in this old frame.

Mystery Photo

I have received many e-mails from several parts of the world with suggestions re the identity of the man pictured with Bogie & Bacall, but only one person felt he had the right answer. Dario Vidojkovic, a Law student at Regensburg University in Germany, said it was Delmer Daves who directed B&B in Dark Passage, and this photo could have been taken on the set of that movie. For two months I searched libraries, book stores, the Internet, but Delmer Daves must have been very camera shy; I found many articles about his work, but never a photo. He donated his life's work, 1930 to 1965, to Stanford University. It's in 74 boxes, and would take forever to search through them all for a photo. So, while visiting the LA area I contacted UCLA, and was directed to the Dickson Library. With the assistance of Lisa Kernan, Arts Librarian for Film, Television & Theater, we found a book which contained a photograph of Delmer Daves from later in his life, and it was clearly an older version of the man in my web site photo. Thank you Dario for solving the puzzle. 

Bogart Bacall Fan Club

When I started the Bogart Fan club in England at the beginning of 1947, I was sent a stack of these 8x10s for each member as they joined the club. We issued a newsletter, called The Broadcast, every 2 months, and Bogie sometimes sent a letter to be added to the next issue. Unfortunately, none of the newsletters have survived. In 1949 I suggested that I change the Fan Club to the BOGART-BACALL Club. As you can see by the letter, this idea was well received. 

First Photo

This was the very first photo I got of Bogart, sent from Warner Bros Studios. It arrived on April 21st 1945. Great excitement as this dropped through the mail box. This was during the last few months of World War II in war torn England, and had taken 3 months to reach me via sea-mail. What a luxury. Everything had been so austere for 5 and a half years, that this one photo truly brightened my teenage life. How well it has been preserved for 56 years.