Cast

Bette Davis

Acting

Cast

Bette Davis

Known for

Acting

Born

1908-04-05

From

Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

Died

1989-10-06

Also known as Ruth Elizabeth Davis

Biography

Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres; from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies, though her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas. After appearing in Broadway plays, Davis moved to Hollywood in 1930, but her early films for Universal Studios were unsuccessful. She joined Warner Bros. in 1932 and established her career with several critically acclaimed performances. In 1937, she attempted to free herself from her contract and although she lost a well-publicized legal case, it marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career. Until the late 1940s, she was one of American cinema's most celebrated leading ladies, known for her forceful and intense style. Davis gained a reputation as a perfectionist who could be highly combative, and confrontations with studio executives, film directors and costars were often reported. Her forthright manner, clipped vocal style and ubiquitous cigarette contributed to a public persona which has often been imitated and satirized. Davis was the co-founder of the Hollywood Canteen, and was the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, was the first person to accrue 10 Academy Award nominations for acting, and was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Her career went through several periods of eclipse, and she admitted that her success had often been at the expense of her personal relationships. Married four times, she was once widowed and thrice divorced, and raised her children as a single parent. Her final years were marred by a long period of ill health, but she continued acting until shortly before her death from breast cancer, with more than 100 films, television and theater roles to her credit. In 1999, Davis was placed second, after Katharine Hepburn, on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female stars of all time.

Bette Davis

Bette Davis

Biography

Death on the Nile

All About Eve

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

June Bride

Mr. Skeffington

The Scapegoat

Pocketful of Miracles

Juarez

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Bette Davis

Housewife

Burnt Offerings

Return from Witch Mountain

The Watcher in the Woods

Directed by William Wyler

Special Agent

The Little Foxes

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Jezebel

The Bad Sister

Dark Victory

John Paul Jones

The Letter

All This, and Heaven Too

The Whales of August

Phone Call from a Stranger

Satan Met a Lady

Jimmy the Gent

The Nanny

Waterloo Bridge

The Catered Affair

The Scopone Game

Kid Galahad

Murder with Mirrors

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Hello Mother, Goodbye!

The Man Who Came to Dinner

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

The Bride Came C.O.D.

Listen to Me Marlon

Front Page Woman

Morceaux de Cannes

Breakdowns of 1942

All About Bette

Of Human Bondage

Miss Moffat

20,000 Years in Sing Sing

Hollywood Canteen

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

Madonna: Madame X

Dead Ringer

The Anniversary

A Stolen Life

Wicked Stepmother

Night of 100 Stars

The Virgin Queen

The Disappearance of Aimee

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

Breakdowns of 1941

Mickey's 50

The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert

Frank Capra's American Dream

The Petrified Forest

The Great Lie

Just Around the Corner

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

Marked Woman

Vito

Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady

As Summers Die

Payment on Demand

Bette and Joan

Now, Voyager

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Old Acquaintance

Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette

Fashions of 1934