Golden era Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall dead at 89

USPA News - Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall, who rose to fame in 1944 with the romance-war-adventure "To Have and Have Not, died Tuesday after suffering a stroke at her home in New York City, her relatives said. She was 89 years old. A tweet from the Estate of Stephen Bogart, her son, said: "With deep sorrow, yet with great gratitude for her amazing life, we confirm the passing of Lauren Bacall." USA Today reported that the actress died at her home in New York City after suffering a stroke. Bacall, a model-turned-actress, became famous during Hollywood`s golden age. In 1944 she shot to fame with her break-out film, "To Have and Have Not," and lines from the film have become "engraved in Hollywood history." She became known for her "insinuating pose and a seductive, throaty voice," The New York Times described. The 1944 romance-war-adventure had her playing opposite Humphrey Bogart, who she would marry just a year after the film"s release.

They remained together until 1957, when Bogart passed away. The couple had two children together, Stephen Bogart and Leslie Bogart. At the start of her career, she was an 18-year-old model in New York, where she caught the eye of Howard Hawks when she was the cover girl for Harper`s Bazaar. Taken to Hollywood, she was cast in the role of Marie Browning, also known as Slim, the "American femme fatale," in her iconic first motion picture, based on the novel of the same name. Stephen Bogart spoke about his mother`s death Tuesday, saying: "Her life speaks for itself ... She lived a wonderful life, a magical life," the New York Times reported him as saying. Bacall`s "lasting mystique put her on a plateau in American culture that few stars reach." She was on the same level as celebrities of the likes as Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe and other iconic women of the golden Hollywood era. The most memorable scene from her hit film has Slim speaking to Bogart`s character saying, "You don`t have to say anything, and you don`t have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don`t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow," according to the New York Times. Bacall went on to film more than 40 motion pictures, including films such as "The Big Sleep" and "Key Largo" which were also with Bogart. She shot films alongside Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable in "How to Marry a Millionaire," which are just a few of the memorable films she was a part of. In 2005 she made the film "Manderlay" and she continued acting until recently. In 1997 she was nominated for an Oscar, and later received an honorary Academy Award in 2009 "in recognition of her central place in the Golden Age of motion pictures." In theatre she won Tony awards for her work in musical adaptations of films, such as "Applause" in 1970 and "Woman of the Year" in 1981. Bacall also won a National Book Award in 1980 for her first autobiography, "Lauren Bacall: By Myself." Her second autobiography, "Now," alluded to the fact that she did not see herself as a legend and did not want society thinking of her as one, "It`s a title and category I am less than fond of ... Aren`t legends dead?" she wrote, The New York Times recalled. Bogart was married at the time he met Bacall, and he returned to his wife several times before finalizing the divorce and marrying Bacall, who was 20, while he was 45. They married on May 21, 1945, at Malabar Farm in Lucas, Ohio. In recent years Bacall has referred to her marriage to Bogart, as the happiest time in her life. The iconic actress dated Frank Sinatra after Bogart`s death, but ended up re-marrying another leading actor, Jason Robards Jr. They had a child together, Sam Robards. Although the marriage did not last and the couple divorced in 1969, she continued to live in their apartment in the Dakota, near Central Park in New York City, until she passed away. Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske in Brooklyn in 1924. Her mother, Natalie Perske, was a Jewish immigrant from Romania, while her father, William Perske, was the son of Polish immigrants. Once she was spotted by Hawk, he changed her name to Lauren and added an "l" to her last name to avoid mispronunciation. Even though the world knew her as Lauren, her family and friends have always called her Betty, while Bogart called her Baby, according to the New York Times.