orig. Betty Joan Perske
born Sept. 6, 1924, New York, N.Y., U.S.
U.S. actress.
She worked as a model while seeking Broadway roles; her photograph on a magazine cover led to her casting in the film To Have and Have Not (1944) with Humphrey Bogart , whom she soon married. An instant success, she made three more films with Bogart: The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947), and Key Largo (1948). She also appeared in such memorable films as How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). On Broadway she won Tony Awards for her performances in Applause (1970), and Woman of the Year (1981).