<p>She was marvelous. So beautiful, so self-possessed, so capable with a wisecrack. With Bogart - perfection. I loved her in “The Big Sleep” (one of my favorite movies), “To Have and Have Not,” and “How To Marry a Millionaire.” </p>
<p>I like to remember she was always Betty, as in Betty Joan Perske from the Bronx. Lauren was the name used on the cast list but she was Betty. Read her autobiography. It’s good.</p>
<p>Saw her guest cameo appearance on a ‘Sopranos’ episode. She played herself at a Hollywood shendig that Christopher was trying to crash. One of her lines included some very salty language. Very funny and somehow elegant.</p>