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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This Is Joan Collins | Self (Archive Footage) | 2022-01-01 |
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Madonna: Madame X | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2021-09-23 |
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Morceaux de Cannes | 2021-07-02 | |
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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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The Fabulous Allan Carr | Self (archive) | 2017-05-19 |
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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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Vito | Self (archive) | 2011-10-14 |
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Marilyn at the Movies | Self (archive footage) | 2011-10-13 |
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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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Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis | Self (archive footage) | 2009-09-11 |
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Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema | Self (archive footage) | 2007-05-23 |
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Stardust: The Bette Davis Story | Self (archive footage) | 2006-05-03 |
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Jezebel: Legend of the South | Self (archive footage) | 2006-05-30 |
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Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition | Self (archive footage) | 2006-05-30 |
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How Real is 'The Star'? | Self (archive footage) | 2005-01-01 |
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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) | 1997-05-18 |
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The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Self (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
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Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis | Self (archive footage) | 1996-09-26 |
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Joan Crawford: Always the Star | Self (archive footage) | 1996-09-30 |
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Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill | Self (archive footage) | 1994-09-13 |
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All About Bette | Self | 1994-07-17 |
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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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Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood | (archive footage) | 1987-06-26 |
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The Whales of August | Libby Strong | 1987-10-14 |
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As Summers Die | Hannah Loftin | 1986-05-18 |
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Bette Davis à la Cinémathèque française | Self | 1986-01-01 |
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Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend | archive footage | 1986-04-19 |
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Directed by William Wyler | Self | 1986-05-01 |
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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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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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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
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Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady | 1982-08-16 | |
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Showbiz Ballyhoo | Self (archive footage) | 1982-05-05 |
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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid | (in "Deception") (archive footage) | 1982-05-21 |
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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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Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! | Self (archive footage) | 1982-01-01 |
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Showbiz Goes to War | (archive footage) | 1982-12-31 |
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Family Reunion | Elizabeth Winfield | 1981-10-11 |
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Skyward | Billie Dupree | 1980-11-20 |
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The Watcher in the Woods | Mrs. Aylwood | 1980-04-17 |
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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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Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette | Marie Van Schuyler | 1978-09-29 |
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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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Return from Witch Mountain | Letha Wedge | 1978-03-10 |
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Burnt Offerings | Aunt Elizabeth | 1976-10-18 |
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The Disappearance of Aimee | Minnie Kennedy | 1976-11-17 |
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Hello Mother, Goodbye! | Mother | 1974-05-15 |
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Miss Moffat | Miss Moffat | 1974-10-02 |
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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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Madame Sin | Madame Sin | 1972-01-15 |
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Lo scopone scientifico | 'A vecchia | 1972-08-28 |
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Bette Davis | Self | 1972-12-17 |
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The Judge and Jake Wyler | Judge Meredith | 1972-12-02 |
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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 | 1965-10-07 |
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The Decorator | Liz | 1965-06-09 |
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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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Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Charlotte Hollis | 1964-12-16 |
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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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Pocketful of Miracles | Apple Annie | 1961-12-18 |
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John Paul Jones | Empress Catherine the Great | 1959-06-16 |
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The Scapegoat | Countess | 1959-08-06 |
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Storm Center | Alicia Hull | 1956-07-31 |
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The Catered Affair | Agnes Hurley | 1956-06-14 |
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The Virgin Queen | Queen Elizabeth I | 1955-07-22 |
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Phone Call from a Stranger | Marie Hoke | 1952-02-01 |
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The Star | Margaret Elliot | 1952-12-11 |
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Payment on Demand | Joyce Ramsey (nee Jackson) | 1951-02-03 |
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Another Man's Poison | Janet Frobisher | 1951-11-20 |
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All About Eve | Margo Channing | 1950-11-09 |
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Breakdowns of 1949 | Self | 1949-12-31 |
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Beyond the Forest | Rosa Moline | 1949-10-21 |
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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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Hollywood Canteen | Self | 1944-12-15 |
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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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The Voice That Thrilled the World | Self (segment 'Dangerous') (archive footage) | 1943-10-16 |
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Stars on Horseback | 1943-04-23 | |
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A Present with a Future | Mother | 1943-12-01 |
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Show-Business at War | Self | 1943-05-21 |
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Watch on the Rhine | Sara Müller | 1943-08-27 |
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Old Acquaintance | Kit Marlowe | 1943-11-27 |
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Thank Your Lucky Stars | Self | 1943-09-25 |
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Now, Voyager | Charlotte Vale | 1942-10-22 |
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In This Our Life | Stanley Timberlake Kingsmill | 1942-05-08 |
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Breakdowns of 1942 | Self | 1942-12-31 |
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Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1941-11-14 |
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The Great Lie | Maggie Patterson Van Allen | 1941-04-05 |
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The Bride Came C.O.D. | Joan Winfield | 1941-07-12 |
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Shining Victory | 1941-05-30 | |
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The Man Who Came to Dinner | Maggie Cutler | 1941-12-24 |
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The Little Foxes | Regina Hubbard Giddens | 1941-08-29 |
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If I Forget You | Bette Davis | 1940-05-01 |
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All This, and Heaven Too | Henriette Deluzy-Desportes | 1940-07-05 |
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The Letter | Leslie Crosbie | 1940-11-21 |
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Cavalcade of the Academy Awards | Self | 1940-07-31 |
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The Old Maid | Charlotte Lovell | 1939-08-16 |
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Breakdowns of 1939 | Self | 1939-12-31 |
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Juarez | Empress Carlotta von Hapsburg | 1939-06-10 |
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The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex | Queen Elizabeth | 1939-11-11 |
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Dark Victory | Judith Traherne | 1939-04-20 |
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The Sisters | Louise Elliott Medlin | 1938-10-14 |
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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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It's Love I'm After | Joyce Arden | 1937-10-08 |
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Kid Galahad | Louise 'Fluff' Phillips | 1937-05-29 |
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Marked Woman | Mary Dwight Strauber | 1937-04-10 |
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Breakdowns of 1937 | Self | 1937-12-31 |
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A Day at Santa Anita | Bette Davis (uncredited) | 1937-05-22 |
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That Certain Woman | Mary Donnell | 1937-08-30 |
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Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) | Self | 1936-09-11 |
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Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 1, From beginning" | 1936-01-01 | |
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Breakdowns of 1936 | Self | 1936-12-30 |
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Satan Met a Lady | Valerie Purvis | 1936-07-22 |
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The Golden Arrow | Daisy Appleby | 1936-05-23 |
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The Petrified Forest | Gabrielle "Gabby" Maple | 1936-02-08 |
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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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A Dream Comes True | 1935-12-31 | |
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Special Agent | Julie Gardner | 1935-09-14 |
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Dangerous | Joyce Heath | 1935-12-25 |
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Bordertown | Mrs. Marie Roark | 1935-01-23 |
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Of Human Bondage | Mildred Rogers | 1934-07-20 |
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The Big Shakedown | Norma Nelson | 1934-01-06 |
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Housewife | Patricia Berkeley | 1934-08-11 |
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Fog Over Frisco | Arlene Bradford | 1934-06-02 |
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Fashions of 1934 | Lynn Mason | 1934-02-14 |
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Jimmy the Gent | Joan Martin | 1934-03-09 |
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Ex-Lady | Helen Bauer | 1933-05-15 |
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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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The 42nd Street Special | Self (uncredited) | 1933-02-20 |
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Just Around the Corner | Ginger | 1933-01-17 |
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The Working Man | Jenny Hartland alias Jane Grey | 1933-04-20 |
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Three on a Match | Ruth Westcott | 1932-10-29 |
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The Rich Are Always with Us | Malbro | 1932-05-19 |
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20,000 Years in Sing Sing | Fay Wilson | 1932-12-24 |
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So Big! | Miss Dallas O'Mara | 1932-04-30 |
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The Man Who Played God | Grace Blair | 1932-02-09 |
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The Dark Horse | Kay Russell | 1932-06-16 |
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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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Waterloo Bridge | Janet Cronin | 1931-09-01 |
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Seed | Margaret Carter | 1931-05-14 |
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The Bad Sister | Laura Madison | 1931-03-29 |
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Way Back Home | Mary Lucy Duffy | 1931-11-13 |
