Bette Davis

 

Bette Davis + Thelma RitterBette Davis in JezebelJoan Crawford + Bette Davis in What ever happened to Baby Janes?

Biography

Bette Davis

Photo of Bette Davis
I will never be below the title

Remarkable:

Late in 1930 Bette arrived in Hollywood. The studio representative who went to meet her train left without her because he could find no one who looked like a movie star.

Born:

April 5, 1908

Born as:

Ruth Elizabeth Davis

Died:

October 6, 1989

Ruth decided on an acting career while still a freshman at high school. Her first professional stage performance was Off-Broadway in The Earth Between (1923).

Bette went to Hollywood in 1930 and made her film debut in 1931 in Bad Sister but she became a star after her appearance in The Man Who Played God (1932). With this success under her belt, she began pushing for stronger and more meaningful roles.

Davis snagged Best Actress Oscar nominations five years in a row-for Jezebel (1938), Dark Victory (1939), The Letter (1940), The Little Foxes (1941), and Now, Voyager (1942).

In the late 40s her career seemed headed for oblivion, but Bette countered with All about Eve (1950). The same happened in the late 50s, and this time she emerged with a couple of horror films, including Whatever happened to Baby Jane? (1962) costarring lifelong enemy Joan Crawford. In the 1970s she turned often to television.

Academy awards:

1963 Nominated Actress for: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
1953 Nominated Actress for: The Star (1952)
1951 Nominated Actress for: All About Eve (1950)
1945 Nominated Actress for: Mr. Skeffington (1944)
1943 Nominated Actress for: Now, Voyager (1942)
1942 Nominated Actress for: The Little Foxes (1941)
1941 Nominated Actress for: The Letter (1940)
1940 Nominated Actress for: Dark Victory (1939)
1939 Won Oscar Actress for: Jezebel (1938)
1936 Won Oscar Actress for: Dangerous (1935)
1935 Nominated Actress for: Of Human Bondage (1934)

Selected Movies:

Books:

Barbara Sherry -> My Mother's Keeper (1985)
Bette Davis -> This N That (1987)
Bette Davis -> Bette Davis, The Lonely Life

 

Bette Davis + Paul Henreid in Now, voyager

Congratulations

Within 18 days it would have been Bette's 102th birthday.

Trivia

Former president of the USA Ronald Reagan disliked Bette. Source / More (Book)

Director Larry Cohen (Wicked Stepmother): “She smoked 100 Vantage cigarettes a day -- five packs. I know because we bought them; it was a big part of our budget”. Source / More (Web)

Bette has her handprints set in cement on Hollywood Boulevard (Hollywood, USA, in the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theater). Source / More (Web)

In 1961, Davis placed in 1961 a notorious ad for “Job wanted” in the trade papers. Source / More (Book)

Late in 1930 Bette arrived in Hollywood. The studio representative who went to meet her train left without her because he could find no one who looked like a movie star.

Director Steven Spielberg purchased Davis’ Oscar statuette for Jezebel and the one for Dangerous (1935) and returned them to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He did this to protect the Oscars from further commercial exploitation.

Bibliography