1908-04-05 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.
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Madonna: Madame X | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2021-09-23 |
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Mike Wallace Is Here | (archive footage) | 2019-07-26 |
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Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood | Self (archive footage) | 2018-07-27 |
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Bette and Joan | Self (archive footage) | 2017-01-01 |
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Bette Davis - Größer als das Leben | Self (archive footage) | 2017-12-18 |
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Listen to Me Marlon | Self (archive footage) | 2015-07-29 |
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Marlon Brando, un acteur nommé désir | Self - Actress (archive footage) | 2014-09-20 |
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Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored | Self (archive footage) | 2013-01-29 |
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Footsteps on the Ceiling | Margo Channing (archive footage) | 2013-01-01 |
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Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis | Self (archive footage) | 2009-09-11 |
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田中絹代の旅立ち～占領下の日米親善芸術使節～ | Self (archive footage) | 2009-10-17 |
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1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year | Self (archive footage) | 2009-07-02 |
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Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema | Self (archive footage) | 2007-05-23 |
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Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition | Self (archive footage) | 2006-05-30 |
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Jezebel: Legend of the South | Self (archive footage) | 2006-05-30 |
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The Adventures of Errol Flynn | Queen Elizabeth (archive footage) | 2005-04-05 |
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The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert | Self (archive footage) | 2005-06-18 |
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Complicated Women | Self (archive footage) | 2003-05-06 |
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Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | Self (archive footage) | 2002-12-04 |
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Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies | Self (archive footage) | 2001-10-07 |
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Bride of Trailer Camp | (archive footage) | 2001-06-21 |
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Backstory: 'All About Eve' | Self (archive footage) | 2000-09-09 |
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Frank Capra's American Dream | Self (archive footage) | 1997-01-01 |
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The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Self (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
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Joan Crawford: Always the Star | Self (archive footage) | 1996-09-30 |
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Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis | Self (archive footage) | 1996-09-26 |
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All About Bette | Self | 1994-07-17 |
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Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill | Self (archive footage) | 1994-09-13 |
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Hairway to the Stars | Self [Archive Footage] | 1989-01-01 |
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Wicked Stepmother | Miranda Pierpoint | 1989-02-03 |
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The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind | Self (archive footage) | 1988-10-01 |
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The Whales of August | Libby Strong | 1987-10-14 |
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Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood | (archive footage) | 1987-06-26 |
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Directed by William Wyler | Self | 1986-05-01 |
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Bette Davis à la Cinémathèque française | Self | 1986-01-01 |
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As Summers Die | Hannah Loftin | 1986-05-18 |
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Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers | Self (archive footage) | 1985-01-01 |
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Murder with Mirrors | Carrie Louise Serrocold | 1985-02-20 |
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Going Hollywood: The '30s | (archive footage) | 1984-01-01 |
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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
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Right of Way | Miniature Dwyer | 1983-11-21 |
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Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano | Self | 1983-11-02 |
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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid | (in "Deception") (archive footage) | 1982-05-21 |
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Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! | Self (archive footage) | 1982-01-01 |
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Showbiz Ballyhoo | Self (archive footage) | 1982-05-05 |
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Showbiz Goes to War | (archive footage) | 1982-12-31 |
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Night of 100 Stars | Self | 1982-03-08 |
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A Piano for Mrs. Cimino | Esther McDonald Cimino | 1982-02-03 |
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Family Reunion | Elizabeth Winfield | 1981-10-11 |
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The Watcher in the Woods | Mrs. Aylwood | 1980-04-17 |
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Skyward | Billie Dupree | 1980-11-20 |
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White Mama | Estelle Malone | 1980-03-05 |
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The Horror Show | (archive footage) | 1979-02-06 |
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Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter | Lucy Mason | 1979-05-13 |
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Return from Witch Mountain | Letha Wedge | 1978-03-10 |
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Death on the Nile | Marie Van Schuyler | 1978-09-29 |
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Mickey's 50 | Self | 1978-11-19 |
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The Disappearance of Aimee | Minnie Kennedy | 1976-11-17 |
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Burnt Offerings | Aunt Elizabeth | 1976-10-18 |
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Hello Mother, Goodbye! | 1974-05-15 | |
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Scream, Pretty Peggy | Mrs. Elliott | 1973-11-24 |
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The Men Who Made the Movies: King Vidor | Self (archive footage) | 1973-01-01 |
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Lo scopone scientifico | 'A vecchia | 1972-08-28 |
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Madame Sin | Madame Sin | 1972-01-15 |
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The Judge and Jake Wyler | Judge Meredith | 1972-12-02 |
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Bette Davis | Self | 1972-12-17 |
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Bunny O'Hare | Bunny O'Hare | 1971-10-18 |
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Connecting Rooms | Wanda Fleming | 1970-05-01 |
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The Anniversary | Mrs. Taggart | 1968-02-07 |
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The Nanny | Nanny | 1965-10-27 |
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The Decorator | Liz | 1965-06-09 |
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Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Charlotte Hollis | 1964-12-16 |
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Dead Ringer | Margaret DeLorca / Edith Phillips | 1964-01-29 |
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Where Love Has Gone | Mrs. Gerald Hayden | 1964-11-02 |
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La noia | Dino's Mother | 1963-12-04 |
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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? | Baby Jane Hudson | 1962-10-31 |
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The Andy Williams Christmas Show | 1962-12-20 | |
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Pocketful of Miracles | Apple Annie | 1961-12-18 |
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The Scapegoat | Countess | 1959-08-06 |
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John Paul Jones | Empress Catherine the Great | 1959-06-16 |
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The Catered Affair | Mrs. Agnes Hurley | 1956-06-14 |
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Storm Center | Alicia Hull | 1956-07-31 |
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The Virgin Queen | Queen Elizabeth I | 1955-07-22 |
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The Star | Margaret Elliot | 1952-12-11 |
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Phone Call from a Stranger | Marie Hoke | 1952-02-01 |
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Another Man's Poison | Janet Frobisher | 1951-11-20 |
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Payment on Demand | Joyce Ramsey (nee Jackson) | 1951-02-03 |
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All About Eve | Margo Channing | 1950-11-09 |
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Beyond the Forest | Rosa Moline | 1949-10-21 |
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Breakdowns of 1949 | Self | 1949-12-31 |
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Winter Meeting | Susan Grieve | 1948-04-07 |
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June Bride | Linda Gilman | 1948-10-29 |
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A Stolen Life | Kate Bosworth / Patricia Bosworth | 1946-05-01 |
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Deception | Christine Radcliffe | 1946-10-26 |
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The Corn Is Green | Miss Lilly Christabel Moffat | 1945-03-29 |
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Mr. Skeffington | Fanny Trellis | 1944-05-25 |
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Breakdowns of 1944 | Self | 1944-12-31 |
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Hollywood Canteen | Self | 1944-12-15 |
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Thank Your Lucky Stars | Self | 1943-09-25 |
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Watch on the Rhine | Sara Müller | 1943-08-27 |
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Stars on Horseback | 1943-04-23 | |
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Old Acquaintance | Kit Marlowe | 1943-11-27 |
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A Present with a Future | Mother | 1943-12-01 |
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The Voice That Thrilled the World | Self (segment 'Dangerous') (archive footage) | 1943-10-16 |
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Show-Business at War | Self | 1943-05-21 |
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In This Our Life | Stanley Timberlake Kingsmill | 1942-05-08 |
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Now, Voyager | Charlotte Vale | 1942-10-22 |
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Breakdowns of 1942 | Self | 1942-12-31 |
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The Bride Came C.O.D. | Joan Winfield | 1941-07-12 |
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The Man Who Came to Dinner | Maggie Cutler | 1941-12-24 |
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Shining Victory | 1941-05-30 | |
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Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1941-11-14 |
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The Little Foxes | Regina Hubbard Giddens | 1941-08-29 |
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The Great Lie | Maggie Patterson Van Allen | 1941-04-05 |
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All This, and Heaven Too | Henriette Deluzy-Desportes | 1940-07-05 |
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Cavalcade of the Academy Awards | Self | 1940-07-31 |
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If I Forget You | Bette Davis | 1940-05-01 |
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The Letter | Leslie Crosbie | 1940-11-21 |
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Dark Victory | Judith Traherne | 1939-04-20 |
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Juarez | Empress Carlotta von Hapsburg | 1939-06-10 |
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Breakdowns of 1939 | Self | 1939-12-31 |
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The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex | Queen Elizabeth | 1939-11-11 |
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The Old Maid | Charlotte Lovell | 1939-08-16 |
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Jezebel | Julie Marsden | 1938-03-26 |
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Breakdowns of 1938 | Self (archive footage) | 1938-12-31 |
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The Sisters | Louise Elliott Medlin | 1938-10-14 |
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Breakdowns of 1937 | Self | 1937-12-31 |
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It's Love I'm After | Joyce Arden | 1937-10-08 |
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That Certain Woman | Mary Donnell | 1937-08-30 |
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Kid Galahad | Louise 'Fluff' Phillips | 1937-05-29 |
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A Day at Santa Anita | Bette Davis (uncredited) | 1937-05-22 |
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Marked Woman | Mary Dwight Strauber | 1937-04-10 |
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Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) | Self | 1936-09-11 |
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The Golden Arrow | Daisy Appleby | 1936-05-23 |
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Breakdowns of 1936 | Self | 1936-12-30 |
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Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 1, From beginning" | 1936-01-01 | |
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The Petrified Forest | Gabrielle "Gabby" Maple | 1936-02-08 |
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Satan Met a Lady | Valerie Purvis | 1936-07-22 |
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Bordertown | Mrs. Marie Roark | 1935-01-23 |
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Special Agent | Julie Gardner | 1935-09-14 |
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Front Page Woman | Ellen Garfield | 1935-07-11 |
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The Girl from 10th Avenue | Miriam A. Brady | 1935-06-01 |
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Dangerous | Joyce Heath | 1935-12-25 |
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A Dream Comes True | 1935-12-31 | |
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Fashions of 1934 | Lynn Mason | 1934-02-14 |
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Fog Over Frisco | Arlene Bradford | 1934-06-02 |
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Housewife | Patricia Berkeley | 1934-08-11 |
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The Big Shakedown | Norma Nelson | 1934-01-06 |
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Jimmy the Gent | Joan Martin | 1934-03-09 |
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Of Human Bondage | Mildred Rogers | 1934-07-20 |
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The 42nd Street Special | Self (uncredited) | 1933-02-20 |
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Ex-Lady | Helen Bauer | 1933-05-15 |
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The Working Man | Jenny Hartland alias Jane Grey | 1933-04-20 |
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Parachute Jumper | Patricia 'Alabama' Brent | 1933-01-28 |
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Bureau of Missing Persons | Norma Roberts | 1933-09-16 |
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Just Around the Corner | Ginger | 1933-01-17 |
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20,000 Years in Sing Sing | Fay Wilson | 1932-12-24 |
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Three on a Match | Ruth Westcott | 1932-10-29 |
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The Cabin in the Cotton | Madge Norwood | 1932-09-26 |
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The Menace | Peggy Lowell | 1932-01-29 |
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Hell's House | Peggy Gardner | 1932-01-30 |
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The Dark Horse | Kay Russell | 1932-06-16 |
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So Big! | Miss Dallas O'Mara | 1932-04-30 |
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The Rich Are Always with Us | Malbro | 1932-05-19 |
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The Man Who Played God | Grace Blair | 1932-02-09 |
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Waterloo Bridge | Janet Cronin | 1931-09-01 |
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Way Back Home | Mary Lucy Duffy | 1931-11-13 |
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The Bad Sister | Laura Madison | 1931-03-29 |
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Seed | Margaret Carter | 1931-05-14 |
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Miss Moffat | Miss Moffat |
