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Humphrey Bogart was born Christmas Day in New York City in 1899. Although he would become perhaps the greatest movie star of all time, his early life in no way predicted this, and he was well into his thirties before he had much success at all! His father, a surgeon, intended for him to become a doctor, but he was kicked out of college. He joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and managed a stage company in his early 20s. He began acting on the stage, but to no real success. In 1930 he got a Hollywood contract at Fox Pictures, but he had little success there, and they released him after two years. He returned to the stage, and in 1936 finally was noticed in the small but vital role in the stage production of The Petrified Forest, where he appeared with Leslie Howard. Howard was signed for the movie version of the play, and he insisted, over studio objections, that Bogart be cast as well (he sent a telegram to Warners that read "No Bogart, no Howard"). Bogart never forgot this great kindness, and he much later named his daughter "Leslie". While Bogart was well received in The Petrified Forest, it did not make him a first rank star (likely he was 36 and he had already failed in Hollywood years earlier), so he spent the next five years at Warner Bros appearing in 28 films, almost always in secondary roles, often as a gangster. Twice he played cowboys (in Virginia City and The Oklahoma Kid)! He played the title role in The Return of Doctor X, a second rate horror movie, and a wrestling promoter in Swing Your Lady. He was in the first two "Dead End" movies, but was overshadowed by the Dead End Kids. Bogart was now 40, and it seemed likely he would finish his career playing more and more minor roles. But in 1941 George Raft turned down the role of Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, an escaped legendary bank robber, and that role, along with the role of Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon (which Warners was remaking for the second time in 10 years) FINALLY made Bogart a top star (Warners thought so little of him as these movies were being released that most of the movie paper advertising for The Maltese Falcon showed Bogart with his cropped white hair from High Sierra!). Casablanca followed the next year, along with other patriotic World War II movies. In 1944, Bogart, who was 44 and had been married three times, was cast opposite 19 year old newcomer (and Howard Hawks' protege) Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not, and Bogart left his wife and married Bacall the following year. They would make three more movies together (The Big Sleeo, Dark Passage, and Key Largo) and have two children. Bogart had some of his very finest movie roles near the end of his career. In 1948 he starred as Fred C. Dobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, in 1951 he was Charlie Allnut in The African Queen, and in 1954 he was Lt. Cmdr. Queeg in The Caine Mutiny (remember how he used "geometric logic" to prove there was a duplicate key?). I can't see anyone not agreeing that these are among the three finest acting performances ever! Bogart died from throat cancer in 1957. He made many other memorable movies others than the ones noted above, and I urge you to seek them out! But be aware that he also appeared in a goodly number of MUCH lesser movies as well (especially in the first ten years of his career, so be sure to read reviews before starting one of his movies!) AND Mayo Methot was an minor actress from the 1930s to the 1940s, but she is best remembered as Humphrey Bogart's third wife. Some of her movies include: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Should a Girl Marry?, and Marked Woman AND AAnn Sheridan was born Clara Lou Sheridan in Denton, Texas in 1915. While in college, she won a beauty pageant where the first prize was a walk-on in a movie, Search for Beauty, and she went to Hollywood to claim her prize, and she never returned! She was just 19, and Paramount wisely signed her to a two year contract, and they put her in bit parts in 27 movies during those two years, but they could not see her as more than another pretty face, and after the two years they stupidly released her! After one movie for Universal, she signed with Warner Bros in 1937, and they changed her first name to Ann (at Paramount, she was billed as "Clara Lou") and they put her in 7 movies that year, and she finally got some leading roles, but it was her supporting role as Laury Ferguson opposite James Cagney in the classic Angels with Dirty Faces that really got her noticed, and she next co-starred with John Garfield in They Made Me a Criminal. She had an under-the-surface sexiness combined with a "girl next door" quality that many men found irresistible, and she was dubbed the "Oomph Girl", a nickname she hated. Even in the present day, there is no doubt that lots of young men continue to "discover" her, and fall in love with her onscreen image! Two of the movies that capitalized on her image were Naughty But Nice ("The 'OOMPH' Girls Greatest Tri'oomph'!") and Juke Girl ("She makes her living the hard way!"; "Sure she's easy to meet... but try and forget her!"). She remained quite popular during World War II, and was one of the top pin-ups of G.I.s. In Juke Girl she starred opposite Ronald Reagan, and she also co-starred with him in the serious (and uber-depressing) King's Row, but as the war ended her career began to wind down. She had one more memorable role, opposite Cary Grant in I Was a Male War Bride in 1949. Like many stars in a similar situation, she turned to television to revive her career, and she took a role on the soap opera, Another World, and got her own series, Pistols 'n' Petticoats, in 1966, but sadly she died of cancer before the first season was finished. She was one month shy of her 52nd birthday. Ann Sheridan had three very brief marriages, and no children. She was a private person who made no headlines, far different than the image Warner Bros tried to create for her during her glamour years. I wonder if she wouldn't have been happier if she had never entered that beauty contest when she was a teenager, and had stayed in Texas her entire life!

Important Added Info: Note that this photo was personally signed by Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and Mayo Methot (Bogart's then-wife) at the premiere of Dodge City. On April 1 1939, Warner Brothers staged a huge premiere event in Dodge City, Kansas, to unveil their big budget Technicolor western "Dodge City" starring Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan and many of the Warners' stock company. This event is still part of the local folklore, possibly the most memorable single event ever to occur in Dodge City. Warners went all out with their promotion for the film, bringing out a large number of their contract players on a train- "The Warners Special". Anyone that was available, even if they weren't in the film, were enlisted. Humphrey Bogart was there, along with wife Mayo Methot, and he personally introduced Flynn at a gala event which followed a large parade through town. Thousands of locals turned out for the festivities, and were treated to appearances by Warners' players including Rosemary, Lola and Priscilla Lane, Gilbert Roland, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Jean Parker, Frances Robinson, Claire Windsor, Eddie Foy, Jr., Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, John Garfield, Wayne Morris, Gloria Dickson, Bruce Cabot, Leo Carrillo, Frank McHugh, Buck Jones, Jane Wyman, Alan Hale, John Payne, Hoot Gibson, Allan Jones, Anita Louise, Marie Wilson, Mary Brian, and director Michael Curtiz. This photograph was signed by Bogart, his wife Mayo Methot, and Ann Sheridan. The still has had the borders trimmed, and is in excellent condition. It has been matted to show only the images of Bogart and Sheridan, and framed in a dark wooden frame, ready to hang. Bogart's autograph is in white ink, Sheridan's in black ink. Mayo has signed in white ink also, but she has signed the WRONG name (Mrs Eleanor Boardman). Eleanor Boardman was a famous silent actress, and the reason Methot signed Boardman's name is clear when you look at the back of the photo; along with a photographer's stamp (Photo by Gene Lester). There is a penciled note on the back of the still which reads as follows: "Apr 1/39 Dodge City premiere. Ann Sheridan, Humphrey Bogart and wife. Mr Bogarts wife thought I said "Boardman" instead of "Bogart". Maybe she is playing an April Fool joke but I rather suspect there was too much liquor." Needless to say, this is a rare and unique autographed piece; a wonderful example of Bogart's signature just before his breakthrough to superstardom, Ann Sheridan's signature at the height of her fame ( just after before labelled "The Oomph Girl"), and Mayo Methot herself, albeit in a fittingly strange manor.
Note that the above information about this wonderful still was supplied to us by the consignor. We have carefully examined this still, and we feel 100% sure it is authentic (both the still and the signatures). Stills with multiple signatures from major stars are rarely offered for sale, and rarely do they have a great story to go with them! Also note that this still is matted as described above, and we have photographed it in and out of the mat. We have taken the still out of the frame, but we will send the winner of this still both the matted still and the frame (packed separately in the same box). We want to make sure there is no chance the frame could damage the still. Of course, the winner of this still could re-assemble the frame, or re-frame the still as they choose.

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