1899-1957. US film actor, who achieved fame
with his portrayal of a gangster in The
Petrified Forest 1936. He became an
international cult figure as the romantic,
tough `loner' in such films as The Maltese
Falcon 1941 and Casablanca 1943, a status
resurrected in the 1960s and still celebrated
today He won an Academy Award for his role in
The African Queen 1952. He co-starred in To
Have and Have Not 1944 and The Big Sleep 1946
with Lauren Bacall who became his fourth
wife.