Bette Davis
“Those unmistakable eyes and fierce intelligence redefined what a leading woman could be.”
Loaned to RKO for 'Of Human Bondage' in 1934, Bette Davis stunned Hollywood as the cruel waitress Mildred, a performance so raw it sparked a write-in Oscar campaign. The following year she won the Academy Award for 'Dangerous,' confirming her as Warner Bros.' fiercest dramatic star. She became a star in 1934.
The Fight for Better Roles
Bette Davis was famous for her willingness to play unsympathetic, even monstrous women when other stars demanded to look beautiful. Her 1936 lawsuit against Warner Bros. became a landmark in actors challenging the studio system.
Two Oscars and a Reign
She won Best Actress for 'Dangerous' (1935) and 'Jezebel' (1938), then dominated the late 1930s and 1940s as Hollywood's reigning dramatic queen. Her piercing eyes and clipped diction made her instantly recognizable.
Comebacks and Endurance
When leading-lady roles dried up, she reinvented herself, scoring with 'All About Eve' (1950) and the horror hit 'Baby Jane' (1962). She worked nearly to the end, dying in 1989 at 81.
Career Timeline
- 1908Born Ruth Elizabeth Davis in Lowell, Massachusetts
- 1929Appears on Broadway before heading to Hollywood
- 1932Signs with Warner Bros. studio
- 1934Breakthrough as Mildred in 'Of Human Bondage'
- 1935Wins first Best Actress Oscar for 'Dangerous'
- 1936Loses lawsuit against Warner Bros. over contract
- 1938Wins second Oscar for 'Jezebel'
- 1939Stars in 'Dark Victory,' a career signature role
- 1941First female president of the Academy
- 1950Acclaimed comeback as Margo Channing in 'All About Eve'
- 1962Horror hit 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?'
- 1977First woman to receive AFI Life Achievement Award
Biggest Hits
- She was the first person to earn ten Academy Award acting nominations and the first woman elected president of the Academy.
- In 1936 she sued Warner Bros. to escape poor scripts; she lost the case but won greater respect and better roles afterward.
The Moment You Remember
Margo Channing pausing at a crowded party in All About Eve to warn, with weary glamour, that it was going to be a bumpy night, gave the screen one of its most quoted and most knowing lines.
Portrait: Alexander Kahle (1886-1968) for RKO Radio Pictures · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons