BETTE DAVIS IN HER FIRST GREAT SCENE! 1931

The First Lady of the American Screen began her film career unspectacularly in the same 1931 motion picture melodrama that would also be the first movie for fellow Broadway actor and future co-legend at Warner Bros., Humphrey Bogart. The film was called The Bad Sister, and Davis would later refer to it in one of her autobiographies as a wicked thing. Despite co-starring Sidney Fox, Conrad Nagel, and Slim Summerville, The Bad Sister would otherwise be an inconsequential early talkie if it did not feature two of the four signature stars of Warner Bros.—working under what would be an abbreviated contract at a rival studio. Despite its primary significance being as a historical document, it does contain one truly fine sequence, which I have excerpted here. Perhaps this manifestation of unrequited love at its most painful was the scene that prompted legendary gossip columnist Hedda Hopper to take notice of Bette one year before her first film at Warner Bros.

Happy Valentines Day 2010 & VIVA LA BETTE!

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Bette
• Davis
• Bette Davis
• Humphrey Bogart
• Humphrey
• Bogart
• Bogey
• bad sister
• 1931
• rare
• not on dvd
• hedda hopper
• Conrad nagel
• Sidney fox
• slim Summerville
• universal pictures
• warner bros
• old Hollywood

[sebasj1978]

CUTE indeed! Thanks so much for posting this!

[Diaredd59]

Ah, but the glimmers of future Bette were clear and apparent!

[paulj0557]

I think I would have left the theater after this film and gone straight to the reviews in the papers and magazines. Any critic that didn't see her awesome acting ability should have been fired. Okay, now I'm sounding like a Bette crusader, but it is rather interesting that even though I've spent my life ignoring trends and avoiding what the general public considers greatness to be the old general public must have had some sense because Davis, Crawford, and Stanwyck are my top 3 actresses.

[paulj0557]

@WarriorOfWriters You're right! I've seen them in at least 3 or 4 films off the top of my head. Another famous set are the ones from ' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'. Then there was a wide set that went down to the left of the screen that I've seen a lot of. I've seen hundreds of films, but am horrible with titles- know all the stars though:)

[rehpotsirhc21]

so young and so beautiful! I would love to see all of her early work but her movies are not easy to find

[loboestepario57]

she is the best actress of the u.s. forever  saludos from chile

[WarriorOfWriters]

those famous stairs

[kvernon1]

@nayita85 Hard to believe, but that definitely is her. I just read an autobiography of her life, and "Bad Sister" was her first movie. A photograph from the book proves it. She was born in 1908, so she would be 23 years old at this point. Her early roles did not give her much of a chance to showcase her talents, but she would win Oscars for "Dangerous" and "Jezebel" within 7 years of this debut.

[24fans4life]

@TudorRose85 she was only 23 ;)

[4MaryAnna]

@nayita85 Sorry,but you're wrong.This IS Bette Davis.Very young and just starting out,but yes,it is her.