Lauren Bacall

A screen and fashion (jewelry too!) icon...what more can be said. Lauren Bacall passed away last week and took with her a bygone era. Such simple beauty reflected through a mesmerizing voice (and some great Hollywood scripting) that many people could never forget. Her style and grace were beyond the roles she played.

Born Betty Joan Perske, she starred opposite such screen legends as Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Hoagy Carmichael, Henry Fonda, Bette Davis, Rock Hudson, Marilyn Monroe and, of course, Humphrey Bogart, who she married.

I met Lauren Bacall, well sort of, when I still lived in NYC. I happened to be grocery shopping at a local upscale grocer when I noticed a woman being accompanied by the manager of the store. She was sampling some of the fruits. As I approached, I could hear her singing in French. I thought to myself "who is this???" When I passed her shoulder she looked and it me and smiled. At first, it took me a minute...but then it registered. Then a few minutes later, it registered again -- she had been married to HUMPHREY BOGART. Old Hollywood was before me. WOW!

Well enough about chance encounters in NYC...Lauren Bacall symbolized dignified sophistication and timeless elegance. She was known to be "tough to work with" mainly because she made her decisions and stuck with them. She was the red carpet...but in a subtle way. She always looked amazing. She will be missed.