Bette Davis

Known for ActingBorn 1908-04-05Died 1989-10-06Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

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.Read more

Movies & web series

Showbiz Goes to War

Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter

Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn

Backstory: 'All About Eve'

Going Hollywood: The '30s

Family Reunion

Mickey's 50

Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies

The Disappearance of Aimee

Hallmark Hall of Fame

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

Madonna: Madame X

Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

Family Reunion

White Mama

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

V.I.P. Schaukel

Listen to Me Marlon

All About My Mother

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano

The Dark Secret of Harvest Home

All About Eve

The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Joan Crawford: Always the Star

All About Bette

A Piano for Mrs. Cimino

This Is Joan Collins

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Perry Mason

The Ford Television Theatre

Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

Right of Way

Hello Mother, Goodbye!

The Kennedy Center Honors

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Scopone Game

Vito

Jezebel: Legend of the South

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Death on the Nile

Complicated Women

Madame Sin

It Takes a Thief