Bette Davis

Bette Davis captured in a charming 1933 sitting by photographer Elmer Fryer. Born Ruth Elizabeth Davis on April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts, she made her Broadway debut in “Broken Dishes” (1929). In 1930, she moved to Hollywood to screen test for Universal. Six films later, Bette’s contract with Universal was not renewed. In 1932, she signed a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers. The film “The Man Who Played God” (1932) landed Bette on the path to stardom. She was a smash when she was lent out to RKO for the role of Mildred in “Of Human Bondage” (1934), her first critically acclaimed hit. Her role in “Dangerous” (1935) led to her nomination for a Best Actress Oscar. In 1939, Bette won her second Oscar for “Jezebel” (1938). Film highlights during the 1940s include “The Little Foxes” (1941), “Now Voyager (1942), “Watch on the Rhine” (1943), The Corn Is Green (1945), “Deception” and “A Stolen Life” (both 1946); and the delightful “June Bride”, (1948) which showed her comic touch. Bette made a roaring comeback with her role as Margo Channing in “All About Eve” (1950), and her career was resuscitated again in 1962 with “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?.” Soon after, Bette began her second career as a horror maven and continued to welcome new opportunities with television appearances. In 1987, she played a blind woman in “The Whales of August,” co-starring Lillian Gish. With a career total of more than 100 films, Bette changed the way Hollywood looked at actresses. In 1977, she was the first woman to be honoured with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. At the age of 75, Bette had a mastectomy due to breast cancer. Nine days later, she suffered a stroke. Despite her failing health, she continued to act until her passing on October 6, 1989, aged 81.

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