The Life of Bette Davis

The Insane True Story Of Bette Davis

Early life

The third child of Harlow Morrell Davis and Ruth Benton (both of whom were actors), Davis was born Ruth Elizabeth Davis in 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts. The family was very poor and Davis grew up without much education. Her exceptional acting skills were evident in school plays, and she progressed to the professional stage at age 18. She made her Broadway debut in 1929 in “Bad Sister,” a production that brought her critical acclaim. She was also noticed by Hollywood scouts who brought her to California. She made her screen debut in 1931, at the age of 23, in “Bad Sister,” a Paramount Pictures film adaptation of her stage hit. Davis’s stage background and her “New England common sense” strongly influenced her approach to acting. She was described as “fiercely ambitious” and possessed a “healthy contempt for the Hollywood technique of acting.” She was also very opinionated and wanted to be free to experiment with different techniques. This often brought her into conflict with the studio executives.

Film Career

After a few initial successes, Davis was cast as a prostitute in “The Bad Sister,” and was then typecast as a “Hollywood bad girl.” Her first major success was in “Marked Woman” in 1937, playing a gangster’s moll who became the first “public enemy number one” in the movie business. In 1938, she starred opposite Clark Gable in “Fugitive,” a suspense drama about a killer on the run. She then teamed up with Paul Muni and Walter Connolly in the crime drama “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle.” Davis’s career flourished during the 1940s, when she appeared in a series of melodramas, often as a “fatal woman” who brought suffering to those around her. Her portrayal of a self-destructive actress in “Beyond the Forest” (1949) is one of her most memorable performances. She also excelled in “The Letter” (1940), “The Little Foxes” (1941), “The Great Lie” (1941), “Dark Victory” (1939), and “The Whiffenpoof Story” (1937).

The Paramount years

Davis was first signed to Paramount Pictures in 1932 for a two-year contract but was released after just a few months. She was later re-signed by Paramount in 1935 when she was given a seven-year contract with a weekly salary of $750. Davis’s career progressed slowly, with her first star coming in 1938 with “The Man Who Talked Too Much.” She was cast as the second lead in a series of “women’s pictures” opposite stars such as Cary Grant and Herbert Marshall. Her breakthrough came with “The Little Colonel,” a successful adaptation of Eleanor H. Porter’s novel “Mary Poppins.” She was cast as the male lead opposite child actress Shirley Temple, and the film was a huge box-office success. Davis later said that she “never received as much for any picture” as she did for “The Little Colonel.”

Decline and Revival

During the 1940s, Davis was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, with magazine covers, advertisements, and publicity stunts promoting her “bad girl” image. She reached the height of her popularity in 1941 when she was the number-three box office draw in the country. However, her career declined rapidly after 1948, with the advent of television and the decline of the “studio system.” Davis’s attempts to break free from her “fatal woman” image proved futile. She was criticized for her “lack of versatility” and reduced to “freelancing.” In 1949, she sued Paramount Pictures, claiming that the studio had failed to live up to the terms of her contract.

Later Career and Legacy

Davis’s career went through a revival in the 1950s and 1960s when she played a series of strong female characters who brought positive changes to their environments. These included “The Virgin Queen,” a 1955 production about Queen Elizabeth I, and “The Catered Affair,” a 1956 film featuring Davis as a mother who opposes a daughter’s decision to elope. She captivated audiences with her “unforgettable performance,” in the 1950 film noir “Dark Passage,” in which she played a blind woman who is accused of her husband’s murder. Her other memorable roles during this period include “Beyond the Forest” (1949), “All About Eve” (1950), “The Star” (1952), “The Virgin Queen” (1955), “Storm Center” (1956), “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte” (1964), and “ What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962).

Final Thoughts

Throughout her long and varied career, Davis played many memorable roles and was a trailblazer for other actresses. She was one of the first women to become a successful Hollywood producer. In 1956, she co-founded the film production company The Bette Davis Company to produce her films.