鈥淵ou know how to whistle, don鈥檛 you?鈥� may be Lauren Bacall鈥檚 most famous line, but throughout her career鈥攅ven in her film debut鈥攕he proved that she also knew how to put over a song, picking up two Tony Awards as Best Actress in a Musical along the way. In honor of her birthday, we select our favorite Bacall musical moments.
鈥淎m I Blue鈥� from To Have and Have Not
Crooning along with Hoagy Carmichael in her very first film, Bacall has already mastered The Look鈥攈ead down, eyes up鈥攖hat she uses to great effect on both Humphrey Bogart and the audience.
鈥淎nd Her Tears Flowed Like Wine鈥� from The Big Sleep
You can鈥檛 deny that when she sings, Bacall is having fun.
鈥淏ut Alive鈥� from Applause
Who can resist Bacall, in full diva mode, discovering that she鈥檚 worshipped in a Greenwich Village gay bar before launching into a dance that involves literally swinging from a chandelier? No wonder she won a Tony Award!
鈥淲elcome to the Theatre鈥� from Applause
A monologue worthy of Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women and a cri de couer for all the people who can鈥檛 break away from the crazy business of show, 鈥淲elcome to the Theatre鈥� is one of the great Act I finales.
鈥淚 Wrote the Book鈥� from Woman of the Year
Her second musical, her second Tony Award鈥擝acall won over audiences as Tess Harding in the Kander and Ebb adaptation of the classic Hepburn-Tracy film. Here she is on a Wayne Newton special, singing one of the show鈥檚 best songs鈥攁nd sticking the landing.
鈥淗earts Not Diamonds鈥� from The Fan
If you haven鈥檛 seen Bacall as a stage star being terrorized by a crazed fan in this 1983 thriller鈥攄o yourself a favor and track it down immediately. It all climaxes with her opening night in a big Broadway musical, for which 鈥淗earts Not Diamonds鈥� serves as the 11 o鈥檆lock number. (FYI: The song was written by Marvin Hamlisch and Tim Rice.)
"The Saga of Lenny"
Dryly delivering freshly written lyrics (by Stephen Sondheim, no less) about Leonard Bernstein for his 70th birthday celebration, Bacall owned the stage鈥攁nd the night鈥攚ith little more than a cocked eyebrow and a certain inflection.
