Bette Davis (2025)

Bette Davis
(2025, 9x12, pencils)

Born Ruth Elizabeth Davis in 1908, Bette’s early dreams of being a dancer gave way to acting and she attended John Murray Anderson’s Dramatic School in NY alongside Lucille Ball. Davis was considered the star pupil. Ball was considered a lost cause.

Universal brought Bette to Hollywood from Broadway for the film “Bad Sister” (1931). The film was poorly received and Universal passed on her.

Warner Brothers cast her in “The Man Who Played God” (1932) and were so impressed that they signed her to a 7-year contract. She had a string of successful films, including “Of Human Bondage” (1934) and “Dangerous” (1935), for which she won her first Oscar, before running afoul of WB in 1936. After turning down a role that she felt was beneath her, the studio suspended her without pay. She left for England with intentions to act there, but WB wouldn’t let her out of her contract. She sued and lost, but came back to Hollywood with some extra clout.

Bette won her second Oscar for “Jezebel” (1938) and, by 1942, she was the highest-paid woman in the US, making over a quarter million dollars a year for her films.

Her career dwindled throughout the 1940s and 1950s, though she received another Oscar nomination for “All About Eve” (1950). The low point probably came some time around 1961 when she famously placed a “Job Wanted” ad in the trade papers. It must have worked because she received another Oscar nomination the next year for “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962).

Bette was the first actor to receive 10 nominations for Best Actress. She was the first actor to be nominated 5 years in a row (1939-1943), a record tied only by Greer Garson in 1945.

In 1982, Bette was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal from the Department of Defense for operating the Hollywood Canteen, a Hollywood nightclub for enlisted men and women during WW2. Classy move, Bette!

Notable Films Include:
Of Human Bondage (1934)
Dangerous (1935)
Jezebel (1938)
All About Eve (1950)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)