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Bette Davis

Bette Davis

Actor · 1908 – 1989 · Lowell, 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.

Movies24

  • Movie7.2

    Death on the Nile

    1978 · 952 votes

  • Movie8.1

    All About Eve

    1950 · 1.8K votes

  • Movie7.9
  • Movie5.9
  • Movie6.6

    Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

    1982 · 464 votes

  • Movie6.9

    Dark Victory

    1939 · 165 votes

  • Movie7.3
  • Movie6.8

    Mr. Skeffington

    1944 · 74 votes

  • Movie7.3

    Pocketful of Miracles

    1961 · 189 votes

  • Movie5.9

    The Watcher in the Woods

    1980 · 157 votes

  • Movie7.5

    The Little Foxes

    1941 · 199 votes

  • Movie6.9

    Dead Ringer

    1964 · 115 votes

  • Movie6.5

    Burnt Offerings

    1976 · 289 votes

  • Movie7.0

    Jezebel

    1938 · 225 votes

  • Movie7.1

    Kid Galahad

    1937 · 61 votes

  • Movie7.2

    All This, and Heaven Too

    1940 · 61 votes

  • Movie5.8

    Night of 100 Stars

    1982 · 5 votes

  • Movie6.3
  • Movie5.9
  • Movie7.4

    Now, Voyager

    1942 · 238 votes

  • Movie7.0
  • Movie7.1

    June Bride

    1948 · 12 votes

  • Movie6.3

    Three on a Match

    1932 · 75 votes

  • Movie7.0

    The Nanny

    1965 · 113 votes

Series24

  • TV7.5
  • TV7.0

    What's My Line?

    1950 · 29 votes

  • TV5.8

    The Mike Douglas Show

    1961 · 11 votes

  • TV7.7

    Perry Mason

    1957 · 139 votes

  • TV7.0

    Golden Globe Awards

    1944 · 20 votes

  • TV6.1
  • TV6.8

    The Merv Griffin Show

    1962 · 12 votes

  • TV6.8

    The Dick Cavett Show

    1968 · 22 votes

  • TV6.6

    Wagon Train

    1957 · 31 votes

  • TV
  • TV6.5

    The Virginian

    1962 · 35 votes

  • TV6.8

    Hotel

    1982 · 26 votes

  • TV4.5

    Intimate Portrait

    1993 · 5 votes

  • TV7.8

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    1955 · 265 votes

  • TV7.0

    The Oscars

    1953 · 84 votes

  • TV7.0

    Dinah!

    1974 · 4 votes

  • TV6.7

    Gunsmoke

    1955 · 119 votes

  • TV6.4
  • TV5.1

    Film '72

    1971 · 8 votes

  • TV7.8
  • TV6.0
  • TV6.8
  • TV6.5

    Telephone Time

    1956 · 4 votes

  • TV7.2

    It Takes a Thief

    1968 · 26 votes