Bette Davis shares the throne with no-one other than Katherine Hepburn as the all time Queen of Screen Divas. Her arresting gaze, unique voice and stunning beauty helped her shoot to stardome as the "First Lady of the American Screen" durring the 30's. She continued to appear in major film productions for a total of nearly 60 years. Isn't that amazing? Bette was born in 1908 in Massachusetts. Her birth name was Ruth Elizabeth Davis. She began calling herself "Bette" as a teenager. She worked on stage for a few years before her first screen test with Samual Goldwyn, which she failed. Her next test was for Universal, and she signed her first film studio contract. She appeared in "Bad Sister" in 1931. In 1932 she married Harmon ("Ham") Oscar Nelson, Jr. He was her High School sweetheart, and a musician. Her role in The Man Who Played God in 1932 moved her closer to the spotlight. She signed with Warner Brothers, and insisted on better scripts. Her persistance payed off. By 1939 she was Hollywoods top actress. After several prominant roles durring the 30's, she persuaded Warner Brothers to let her star in the RKO film Of Human Bondage. Her performance was widely acclaimed, and to this day stands as one of the most emotianally wrenching and heart-breaking performances ever filmed. By 1942 she had received 5 Oscar nominations! She went on to dazzle her audiences with notable performances for the next four decades, also making numerous television appearances. She made 87 films! Including Made for TV movies, the number excedes 100. Her personal life had its share of difficulties, and she was wrought with health problems later in life, though she continued working. Her last acting job was for "The Wicked Stepmother" in 1989. She walked off the set because she didn't like the script. Same ol' Bette! She died later that year of breast cancer. If you were to take an inventory of actresses working today, who would you pick to still be popular 50 years from now?
© 2006 Randolf Smallwood
Featured FIlm Picks
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The Bette Davis Collection includes:
*The Star *Mr. Skeffington *Dark Victory *Now, Voyager *The Letter |
The Bette Davis
Collection, Vol. 2 Includes: *Marked Woman *Jezebel *The Man Who Came to Dinner *Old Acquaintance *What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? |
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte With: Bette Davis Olivia de Havilland Joseph Cotten Agnes Moorehead One of Bette's most famous films. Incredible cast! |
All About Eve (Special Edition) Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, and Celeste Holm |
Hand Selected Books
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1987 The Whales of August
1986 As Summers Die
1986 Directed by William Wyler
1985 Murder with Mirrors
1984 Little Gloria... Happy at Last
1983 Hotel
1983 Hollywood Outtakes and Rare Footage
1983 Right of Way
1982 A Piano for Mrs. Cimino
1981 The Watcher in the Woods
1981 Family Reunion
1980 White Mama
1980 Skyward
1979 Strangers: The Story of a Mother and a Daughter
1978 Death on the Nile
1978 The Dark Secret of Harvest Home
1978 Return from Witch Mountain
1976 Burnt Offerings
1976 The Disappearance of Aimee
1973 Scream, Pretty Peggy
1972 The Judge and Jake Wyler
1972 Lo Scopone Scientifico
1971 Bunny O'Hare
1971 Connecting Rooms
1971 Madame Sin
1968 The Anniversary
1965 Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
1965 The Nanny
1964 Dead Ringer
1964 La Noia
1964 Where Love Has Gone
1962 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1961 Pocketful of Miracles
1959 The Scapegoat
1959 John Paul Jones
1957 Telephone Time: Stranded
1956 The Catered Affair
1956 Storm Center
1955 The Virgin Queen
1955 Crack-Up
1952 Phone Call from a Stranger
1952 The Star
1951 Payment on Demand
1951 Another Man's Poison
1950 All About Eve
1949 Beyond the Forest
1948 Winter Meeting
1948 June Bride
1946 A Stolen Life
1946 A Stolen Life
1946 Deception
1945 The Corn Is Green
1944 Hollywood Canteen
1944 Mr. Skeffington
1943 Old Acquaintance
1943 Show Business at War
1943 Watch on the Rhine
1943 Thank Your Lucky Stars
1942 In This Our Life
1942 Now, Voyager
1941 The Great Lie
1941 The Man Who Came to Dinner
1941 Shining Victory
1941 The Bride Came C.O.D.
1941 The Little Foxes
1940 The Letter
1940 All This and Heaven Too
1939 Juarez
1939 The Old Maid
1939 The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
1939 Elizabeth, the Queen
1939 Land of Liberty
1939 Dark Victory
1938 Jezebel
1938 The Sisters
1937 That Certain Woman
1937 It's Love I'm After
1937 Marked Woman
1937 Kid Galahad
1936 Satan Met a Lady
1936 The Golden Arrow
1936 The Petrified Forest
1935 Dangerous
1935 Special Agent
1935 Bordertown
1935 Front Page Woman
1935 The Girl From Tenth Avenue
1934 The Big Shakedown
1934 Fog over Frisco
1934 Of Human Bondage
1934 Fashions of 1934
1934 Jimmy the Gent
1934 Housewife
1933 The Working Man
1933 20,000 Years in Sing-Sing
1933 Bureau of Missing Persons
1933 Ex-Lady
1933 Parachute Jumper
1933 Bureau of Missing Persons
1932 The Menace
1932 Way Back Home
1932 The Rich Are Always with Us
1932 Three on a Match
1932 The Cabin in the Cotton
1932 Hell's House
1932 The Man Who Played God
1932 So Big
1932 The Dark Horse
1931 Bad Sister
1931 Waterloo Bridge
1931 Seed