Born: April 5, 1908 – Died: October 6, 1989
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an indomitable force in Hollywood, celebrated for her fierce independence and unapologetic talent that left an indelible mark on the film industry. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, to Ruth Augusta and Harlow Morrell Davis, a patent attorney, she was brought up by her mother following her parents' divorce. She had a sister and together they navigated their early years under the guidance of their determined mother.
Early Life and Career
Davis's initial attraction to the arts was through dance, yet she swiftly shifted her focus to acting, finding its challenges more alluring. After graduating from Cushing Academy, her attempt to enter Manhattan Civic Repertory was unsuccessful, but she did not waver. She honed her craft at John Murray Anderson's Dramatic School and quickly stood out as a leading talent.
Her career in acting kicked off with "The Earth Between" in 1923, and her Broadway debut came in 1929 with "Broken Dishes." Davis's Hollywood journey began inauspiciously; she was barely noticed upon her arrival, deemed lacking in sex appeal. Nevertheless, she secured a contract with Warner Brothers in 1932, and her role in "Of Human Bondage" in 1934 gained her significant critical attention. Her portrayal of Mildred Rogers earned her an unprecedented amount of write-in votes for an Academy Award.
It was "Dangerous" (1935) and "Jezebel" (1938) that won her Oscars and cemented her status as a Hollywood luminary. Her fierce spirit led her to challenge the studio system, fighting for better roles which only added to her legacy.
Davis's personal life was as dynamic as her on screen presence. She was married four times and was known for her forthright admission that her career was her priority. Despite personal tumult, including a public scandal arising from her daughter's revealing book, Davis continued to work, showcasing resilience and dedication to her craft.
Her return to prominence came with All About Eve (1950), for which she received another Academy Award nomination. The 1960s saw a resurgence of her fame with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" among younger audiences who became new admirers of her work.
Her achievements were recognized with an) AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in 1977 and an Emmy Award in 1979. Despite health challenges in her later years, Davis continued to act, write, and remain an active figure in Hollywood.
Bette Davis's unwavering tenacity and formidable on screen presence make her a true Hollywood icon. Her refusal to conform to the expected norms of her time and the depth she brought to her roles distinguish her as a seminal figure in cinematic history.
Related
- Watch Bette Davis - Hollywood Greats Documentary
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Wicked Stepmother | Miranda Pierpont Fisher |
| 1987 | The Whales of August | Libby Strong |
| 1986 | As Summers Die (TV Movie) | Hannah Loftin |
| 1985 | Murder with Mirrors (TV Movie) | Carrie Louise Serrocold |
| 1983 | Hotel (TV Series) | Laura Trent |
| 1983 | Right of Way (TV Movie) | Mini Dwyer |
| 1982 | Little Gloria... Happy at Last (TV Mini Series) | Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt |
| 1982 | A Piano for Mrs. Cimino (TV Movie) | Esther McDonald Cimino |
| 1981 | Family Reunion (TV Movie) | Elizabeth Winfield |
| 1980 | Skyward (TV Movie) | Billie Dupree |
| 1980 | The Watcher in the Woods | Mrs. Aylwood |
| 1980 | White Mama (TV Movie) | Adele Malone |
| 1979 | Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter (TV Movie) | Lucy Mason |
| 1978 | *Death on the Nile* | Mrs. Van Schuyler |
| 1978 | Return from Witch Mountain | Letha |
| 1978 | The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (TV Mini Series) | Widow Fortune |
| 1977 | Laugh-In (TV Series) | Guest Performer |
| 1976 | The Disappearance of Aimee (TV Movie) | Minnie Kennedy |
| 1976 | Burnt Offerings | Aunt Elizabeth |
| 1974 | Hello Mother, Goodbye! (TV Movie) | Unknown |
| 1973 | Scream, Pretty Peggy (TV Movie) | Mrs. Elliott |
| 1972 | The Judge and Jake Wyler (TV Movie) | Judge Meredith |
| 1972 | The Scopone Game | The Millionairess |
| 1972 | Madame Sin | Madame Sin |
| 1971 | Bunny O'Hare | Bunny O'Hare |
| 1970 | Connecting Rooms | Wanda Fleming |
| 1970 | It Takes a Thief (TV Series) | Bessie Grindel |
| 1968 | The Anniversary | Mrs. Taggart |
| 1966 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) | Etta Stone (as Miss Bette Davis) |
| 1965 | The Decorator (TV Movie) | Liz |
| 1965 | The Nanny | Nanny |
| 1964 | Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Charlotte Hollis |
| 1964 | Where Love Has Gone | Mrs. Gerald Hayden |
| 1963 | Dead Ringer | Margaret DeLorca | Edith Phillips |
| 1963 | The Empty Canvas | Dino's mother |
| 1963 | Perry Mason (TV Series) | Constant Doyle |
| 1962 | The Virginian (TV Series) | Celia Miller |
| 1962 | What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? | Baby Jane Hudson |
| 1959–1961 | Wagon Train (TV Series) | Bettina May | Madame Elizabeth McQueeny | Ella Lindstrom |
| 1961 | Pocketful of Miracles | Apple Annie |
| 1959 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson (TV Series) | Sarah Whitney |
| 1959 | The Scapegoat | Countess |
| 1959 | John Paul Jones | Empress Catherine the Great |
| 1959 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) | Miss Fox |
| 1958 | Suspicion (TV Series) | Mrs. Wilfred Ellis |
| 1957–1958 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) | Christine Marlowe | Miss Burrows |
| 1958 | Studio 57 (TV Series) | Paula |
| 1957 | Telephone Time (TV Series) | Mrs. Beatrice Enter |
| 1957 | The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series) | Dolley Madison |
| 1957 | Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series) | Irene Van Buren |
| 1956 | The Catered Affair | Aggie Hurley |
| 1956 | Storm Center | Alicia Hull |
| 1956 | The 20th Century-Fox Hour (TV Series) | Marie Hoke |
| 1955 | The Virgin Queen | Queen Elizabeth I |
| 1952 | The Star | Margaret Elliot |
| 1952 | Phone Call from a Stranger | Marie Hoke |
| 1951 | Another Man's Poison | Janet Frobisher |
| 1951 | Payment on Demand | Joyce Ramsey |
| 1950 | *All About Eve* | Margo |
| 1949 | Breakdowns of 1949 (Short) | Unknown |
| 1949 | Beyond the Forest | Rosa Moline |
| 1948 | June Bride | Linda Gilman |
| 1948 | Winter Meeting | Susan Grieve |
| 1946 | Deception | Christine Radcliffe |
| 1946 | A Stolen Life | Kate Bosworth | Patricia Bosworth |
| 1945 | The Corn Is Green | Miss Lilly Moffat |
| 1944 | Hollywood Canteen | Bette Davis |
| 1944 | Mr. Skeffington | Fanny Trellis Skeffington |
| 1943 | Old Acquaintance | Katherine 'Kit' Marlowe |
| 1943 | Thank Your Lucky Stars | Bette Davis |
| 1943 | Watch on the Rhine | Sara Muller |
| 1942 | Now, Voyager | Charlotte Vale |
| 1942 | In This Our Life | Stanley Timberlake |
| 1941 | The Man Who Came to Dinner | Maggie Cutler |
| 1941 | The Little Foxes | Regina Giddens |
| 1941 | The Bride Came C.O.D. | Joan Winfield |
| 1941 | Shining Victory | Nurse (uncredited) |
| 1941 | The Great Lie | Maggie |
| 1940 | The Letter | Leslie Crosbie |
| 1940 | All This, and Heaven Too | Henriette Deluzy-Desportes |
| 1940 | If I Forget You (Short) | Bette Davis |
| 1939 | The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex | Queen Elizabeth |
| 1939 | The Old Maid | Charlotte Lovell |
| 1939 | Juarez | Carlota |
| 1939 | Dark Victory | Judith Traherne |
| 1938 | The Sisters | Louise Elliott |
| 1938 | Jezebel | Julie Marsden |
| 1937 | That Certain Woman | Mary Donnell |
| 1937 | It's Love I'm After | Joyce Arden |
| 1937 | Kid Galahad | Fluff |
| 1937 | A Day at Santa Anita (Short) | Bette Davis (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Marked Woman | Mary |
| 1936 | Satan Met a Lady | Valerie Purvis |
| 1936 | The Golden Arrow | Daisy Appleby |
| 1936 | The Petrified Forest | Gabrielle Maple |
| 1935 | Dangerous | Joyce Heath |
| 1935 | Special Agent | Julie Gardner |
| 1935 | Front Page Woman | Ellen Garfield |
| 1935 | The Girl from 10th Avenue | Miriam Brady |
| 1935 | Bordertown | Marie Roark |
| 1934 | Housewife | Patricia Berkeley |
| 1934 | Of Human Bondage | Mildred |
| 1934 | Fog Over Frisco | Arlene Bradford |
| 1934 | Jimmy the Gent | Joan Martin |
| 1934 | Fashions of 1934 | Lynn Mason |
| 1934 | The Big Shakedown | Norma Nelson |
| 1933 | Just Around the Corner (Short) | Ginger |
| 1933 | Bureau of Missing Persons | Norma Roberts |
| 1933 | Ex-Lady | Helen Bauer |
| 1933 | The Working Man | Jenny Hartland | Jane Grey |
| 1933 | Parachute Jumper | Patricia 'Alabama' Brent |
| 1932 | 20,000 Years in Sing Sing | Fay Wilson |
| 1932 | Three on a Match | Ruth Westcott |
| 1932 | The Cabin in the Cotton | Madge Norwood |
| 1932 | The Dark Horse | Kay Russell |
| 1932 | The Rich Are Always with Us | Malbro |
| 1932 | So Big! | Miss Dallas O'Mara |
| 1932 | Hell's House | Peggy Gardner |
| 1932 | The Man Who Played God | Grace Blair |
| 1932 | The Menace | Peggy Lowell |
| 1931 | Way Back Home | Mary Lucy |
| 1931 | Waterloo Bridge | Janet Cronin |
| 1931 | Seed | Margaret Carter |
| 1931 | Bad Sister | Laura Madison |