Bette Davis

Photo of Bette Davis

Born:

April 5, 1908

Born as:

Ruth Elizabeth Davis

Died:

October 6, 1989

I will never be below the title

Biography:

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)1, 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 50s2, and this time she emerged with a couple of horror films, including Whatever happened to Baby Jane? (1962) costarring her enemy3 Joan Crawford. In the 1970s she turned often to television.

  1. All About Eve (1950)
  2. Just Around the Corner (1933)
  3. The Little Foxes (1941)
  4. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
  5. Now, Voyager (1942)
  6. The Letter (1940)
  7. The Old Maid (1939)
  8. It's love I'm after (1937)
  9. Mr. Skeffington (1944)
  10. Jezebel (1938)

  • The Bad Sister (1931)
  • Seed (1931)
  • Waterloo Bridge (1931)
  • Way Back Home (1931)
  • The Menace (1932)
  • The Man Who Played God (1932)
  • So Big! (1932)
  • The Rich Are Always with Us (1932)
  • The Dark Horse (1932)
  • The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)
  • Three on a Match (1932)
  • 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932)
  • Parachute Jumper (1933)
  • The Working Man (1933)
  • Just Around the Corner (1933)
  • Bureau of Missing Persons (1933)
  • The Big Shakedown (1934)
  • Fashions of 1934 (1934)
  • Jimmy the Gent (1934)
  • Fog Over Frisco (1934)
  • Of Human Bondage (1934)
  • Housewife (1934)
  • Bordertown (1935)
  • The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935)
  • Front Page Woman (1935)
  • Special Agent (1935)
  • Dangerous (1935)
  • The Petrified Forest (1936)
  • The Golden Arrow (1936)
  • Satan Met a Lady (1936)
  • Marked Woman (1937)
  • Kid Galahad (1937)
  • That Certain Woman (1937)
  • It's love I'm after (1937)
  • Jezebel (1938)
  • The Sisters (1938)
  • Dark Victory (1939)
  • Juarez (1939)
  • The Old Maid (1939)
  • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
  • If I Forget You (1940)
  • All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
  • The Letter (1940)
  • The Great Lie (1941)
  • Shining Victory (1941)
  • The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)
  • The Little Foxes (1941)
  • The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
  • In This Our Life (1942)
  • Now, Voyager (1942)
  • Watch on the Rhine (1943)
  • Old Acquaintance (1943)
  • Mr. Skeffington (1944)
  • The Corn Is Green (1945)
  • A Stolen Life (1946)
  • Deception (1946)
  • Winter Meeting (1948)
  • June Bride (1948)
  • Beyond the Forest (1949)
  • All About Eve (1950)
  • Payment on Demand (1951)
  • Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)
  • The Star (1952)
  • The Virgin Queen (1955)
  • The Catered Affair (1956)
  • Storm Center (1956)
  • John Paul Jones (1959)
  • The Scapegoat (1959)
  • Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
  • What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
  • Dead Ringer (1964)
  • La noia (1964)
  • Where Love Has Gone (1964)
  • Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
  • The Nanny (1965)
  • The Anniversary (1968)
  • Connecting Rooms (1970)
  • Madame Sin (1972)
  • Burnt Offerings (1976)
  • Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
  • Death on the Nile (1978)
  • The Children of Sanchez (1978)
  • The Watcher in the Woods (1980)
  • The Whales of August (1987)
  • Wicked Stepmother (1989)

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)

Bibliography » Books:

Bibliography » Web:

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New Scientist -
New York post - Dead divas' dramatic duel
Seeing-stars.com -
USPS - Bette Davis on a stamp
Variety - Bette Davis smoked a lot
Variety - The Bette Davis Foundation