Humphrey Bogart in "Watch on the Rhine". The film vaulted Bogart from fourth place to first in the studio's roster, finally overtaking James Cagney. By 1946 he'd more than doubled his annual salary to over $460,000, making him the highest-paid actor in the world. Between 1943 and 1944, Bogart went on the United Service Organizations and War Bond tours accompanied by Methot, enduring arduous travels to Italy and North Africa, including Casablanca. Bogart met Lauren Bacall while filming "To Have and Have Not" (1944), a loose adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway novel. The movie has many similarities with "Casablanca"—the same enemies, the
Humphrey Bogart second marriage was on the rocks, and he was less than happy with his acting career. He became depressed, irritable and drank heavily. In 1934, Bogart had starred in the Broadway play "Invitation to a Murder" at the Theatre Masque, which was renamed the John Golden Theatre in 1937. The producer, Arthur Hopkins, heard the play from off-stage and was interested. He sent for Bogart, and offered him the role of escaped murderer Duke Mantee in Robert E. Sherwood's new play, "The Petrified Forest". Hopkins later recalled: Although Leslie Howard was the star, "New York Times" critic Brooks Atkinson said