BETTE DAVIS FOREVER

A tribute to Bette Davis, the First Lady of the American Screen.

Bette was born Ruth Elizabeth Davis on Sunday, April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts. After graduating from Crushing Academy, she went to John Murray Anderson's Dramatic School in New York to study acting. She starred in her first broadway play in 1929 in a show entitled, "Broken Dishes" and later "The Wild Duck".

In 1930, Bette moved to Hollywood under contract with Universal Studios. After five films with them, she was discharged for they considered her to be "untalented". George Arliss saw that bright flame within her and summoned her to Warner Brothers to star opposite him in "The Man Who Played God" (1932); her first film with what would be her home studio for the next eight years.

Her career rose swiftly and by 1935 she was a bonafied star, snagging two Best Actress wins along the way. In 1939, her star status was reflected when she did four box office hits for Warner Bros.; "Dark Victory", "Juarez", "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex", and "The Old Maid". Despite her want to play Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind" she didn't want to play opposite Errol Flynn, who was considered for the role of Rhett Butler, and was thrown out of the running.

The 1940s saw her in "Now, Voyager", "Mr. Skeffington", "The Letter", and "The Little Foxes". However, by the late '40s her star was waining fast and she was temporarily considered a "has-been" after she starred as Rosa in "Beyond the Forest" (1949). However, her career was beautifully resurrected in 1950 when she accepted Claudette Colbert's role in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "All About Eve" playing her best remembered role of Margo Channing, an aging legend of the theatre.

By the 1960s, her career was at a standstill. In 1962, she and her arch-rival Joan Crawford starred in the Robert Aldrich production of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" released on Halloween day of that year; the film revived Davis' career which enabled her to do more TV and film work and with that it also capitalized on Davis and Crawford's infamous and long standing feud.

In the 1970s, Bette continued to work in film and televison and in 1977 she was the first female recipitent of the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. The following year she starred as Marie Van Schuler in a film adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile". In 1985, her daughter B.D. Hyman published a tell all book entitled "My Mother's Keeper" in which she recognized her mother as being a star living in her own fantasy world. This drove a wedge between mother and daughter and they never spoke again.

Despite those false accusations, Bette continued in her work and the 1980s saw her in the TV series "Hotel" and her work with her autobiography, "Bette Davis: The Lonely Life". In the late '80s, she spent her time going to film events and collecting awards in her name. In the fall of 1989, Bette went to France to accept an award for her contribution to film acting; while there she became deathly sick.

On Friday, October 6, 1989 Bette Davis died at the American Hospital in Neauilly, France at age 81 with her personal assistant/friend Katharine Sermeck at her bedside. Despite her New England roots Bette is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills in a marble burial vault with her mother and sister; which just so happens to be five minutes away from Warner Brother Studios.

Song: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra, 1936

Picture Credits:
* Flickr, A Yahoo! Company
* AllPosters
* Google Images

© BetteDavis4Ever

Category:

People & Blogs

[marienoreene]

great video... and great work too for the info you've posted... the music is moving too but what's more moving the immortal bette davis... just love her..

[tcrownprince]

Cool all the info you typed.

[ohsnapiam59]

Always liked Bette Davis but my respect for her went up 100% when I learned that, during the days of segregated army in this country, she was the only white member of an all-black troop that went to entertain the black soldiers. Her policy must have extended to the 'Hollywood Canteen', which she was instrumental in founding because my Dad (a black man) got to dance with Loretta Young. Total respect!

[henry925]

Fantastic montage. I thoroughly enjoyed these last 9 minutes! Thanks. :-) 

[Kasbahkabaret]

Fabulous photos, thank you.

[ForEverGilda]

What a woman! What an actress! What a career! Bette Davis is unquestionably the greatest actress of the American screen. I was *introduced" to her by my father who was an insatiable movie-goer, she was his favorite actress and she is mine too. I recently saw once again thanks to the DVD JEZEBEL, THE LETTER, DARK VICTORY, NOW, VOYAGER and ALL ABOUT EVE (Blu-ray). I am at a loss for words, just watch her playing, and you'll understand what I mean....Thanks for posting this wonderful tribute.

[MySerpentine]

amazing -- what a smart and riveting woman

[horseshoes45]

You Got Her Birthday Wrong! It's 4/05/08, Not 5/05/08 :)

[robertscharlau]

her birthday is april not may as the video starts playing.

[xtinaandravenfan]

Great montage of Photo's and I love the song. Bette's my favourite actress, and your tribute as to be one of my favourites ever made! Love it! :) <3

[dannys2222]

SHE WAS A GREAT ENTERTAINER ON AND OFF THE SCREEN!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!!! SHE IS A TOTAL LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EvaPhillips]

Great video, and I love to hear music from the era....