Celebrity Genealogy      Research - My Family

My Family Connection to Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey DeForest Bogart was my paternal ninth cousin, twice removed, through his mother’s side of the family. Our common ancestors were my 10× great-grandparents, Henry Burt and Eulalia Marche. These same ancestors were Humphrey’s 8× great-grandparents.

In an unexpected twist, Bogart is also my seventh cousin, five times removed through his father’s lineage. This connection traces back to my 8th great-grandparents, John Stiles and Ruth Bancroft.

Humphrey’s mother, Maud Humphrey, was also my 8th cousin, three times removed — making this legendary actor a relative through multiple family branches. I suspect there’s yet another connection on my paternal side, though I haven’t yet explored it fully.

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The Early Life of Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart was born December 25, 1899, in New York City, to Belmont DeForest Bogart, a cardiopulmonary surgeon, and Maud Humphrey, a talented commercial illustrator and suffragette.

Maud trained in both New York and France, later becoming art director for The Delineator fashion magazine. At her peak, she earned as much as $50,000 per year, far surpassing her husband’s income — a rare achievement for a woman of her time.

The Bogarts lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, raising Humphrey and his sisters Frances (“Pat”) and Catherine Elizabeth (“Kay”). Humphrey attended elite private schools and was expected to study at Yale, but after being expelled in 1918, he joined the U.S. Navy during World War I.

He spent much of his service ferrying soldiers home from France after the armistice. His naval experience shaped his independence and dislike for pretension — qualities that would later define his screen persona.

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The Road to Hollywood

After returning from the Navy, Bogart found his father’s health and finances in decline. Rejecting his family’s upper-class ideals, Humphrey pursued acting, making his stage debut in 1921 as a Japanese butler in Drifting.

He transitioned from stage to film in 1930, signing with Fox Films and starring in Up the River alongside Spencer Tracy — who famously nicknamed him “Bogie.”

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Humphrey Bogart’s Marriages and Hollywood Love Story

Bogart’s love life was as dramatic as his films.

• Helen Menken (1926–1927) – his first marriage, short-lived.

• Mary Phillips (1928–1937) – fellow actress, ended as Bogart’s career took off.

• Mayo Methot (1938–1945) – a volatile, alcohol-fueled marriage that earned them the tabloid nickname “The Battling Bogarts.”

During filming of To Have and Have Not in 1944, Bogart met Lauren Bacall, then just 19 years old. Their chemistry was instant. After his divorce from Methot, Bogart and Bacall married on May 21, 1945.

Together, they became one of Hollywood’s most iconic couples — “Bogie and Bacall.” Their partnership defined an era of glamour, talent, and enduring love. Songs like Bertie Higgins’ “Key Largo” (1982) still immortalize their romance.

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The Original Rat Pack

Before Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack became famous, the original Hollywood Rat Pack centered around Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in the mid-1950s.

The name reportedly came from Bacall herself after seeing the aftermath of a wild Las Vegas party. She quipped, “You look like a goddamned rat pack!” — and the name stuck.

Members included Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sid Luft, David Niven, and Angie Dickinson, among others.

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Family and Final Years

Bogart and Bacall had two children:

• Stephen Humphrey Bogart (born January 6, 1949)

• Leslie Howard Bogart (born August 23, 1952)

Sadly, Bogart’s heavy smoking and drinking took a toll. Diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1956, he underwent surgery but the disease had spread too far. On January 14, 1957, surrounded by family and close friends like Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart passed away at age 57.

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Legacy of a Hollywood Legend

Humphrey Bogart’s funeral drew Hollywood’s brightest stars — James Cagney, Bette Davis, Ronald Reagan, Judy Garland, Gregory Peck, Marlene Dietrich, and more.

Over his career, Bogart appeared in 75 films, including timeless classics:

• Casablanca (1942)

• The Maltese Falcon (1941)

• The African Queen (1951)

• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

• Key Largo (1948)

His roles defined the golden age of film noir, blending toughness, wit, and moral depth — traits that made him one of cinema’s greatest icons.

As a relative, I’m proud to say Humphrey Bogart was more than a legend — he was family.

“Here’s looking at you, kid.”