Biography of Bette Davis

The eyes of the drama and his art

April 5, 1908
October 6, 1989
Woman with a strong personality, with a strong character and resolute, Bette Davis was one of the most famous and popular Hollywood actresses of his time; He brought to the screen often ambiguous and haughty woman figure, psychologically treacherous and controversial. With great charm, with a decidedly unconventional beauty, which did not respond to the canons then in vogue, Bette Davis had a physique, a face from irregular features, and two bulging eyes. But his look is ambiguous, its sophistication, and his remarkable dramatic temperament, they could attract more good legs. Ruth Elizabeth Davis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA, on April 5, 1908.
Anglo-Welsh ancestry on his father's side, French from mother's side, the actress after her parents divorced spent his childhood with his mother. After studying dance with Martha Grahm, and after graduating from Cushing Academy "," Bette decide to pursue acting but is rejected to clicks to get to "Eva LeGallienne's Manhattan Civic Repertory". Then chooses to subscribe to "John Murray Anderson's Dramatic School where he attended drama classes along with an equally young Katharine Hepburn.
In 1929 her Broadway debut in the show Bette Davis "Broken Dishes"; the following year he won an award as best young actress of the year and immediately leaves for Los Angeles, with a gig at Universal, who will leave in 1932 for Warner Brothers. The first notable films is "The man who played God (1932) by John g. Adolfi. But the real success came when in 1934 Warner surrendering momentarily to RKO, to play the role of Mildred in "of human bondage" (Of Human Bondage, 1934) by John Cromwell, films that makes her a star. This will be the first of many interpretations of the icy and treacherous women, which makes Bette Davis to demonstrate a wizardry, and that will make her acclaim from both audiences and critics. In 1936 he won his first Oscar with "Paura d'amare" (Dangerous, 1935) by Alfred e. Green. Strong success, Bette Davis begins to reject conventional roles that the study proposes, and to demand from manufacturers of scripts to its dramatic potential. Thus, in 1936, unsatisfied by shoddy proposals for Warner, he left for England, where he signed a contract for two films, for the sum of £ 20,000.
Studio le sues, and she is forced to return to Hollywood. In 1939 received his second Oscar for "Jezebel" (Jezebel, 1938) by William Wyler, the film that represents the response from Warner Bros in "gone with the wind" (Gone with the wind, 1939) by Victor Fleming, starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, the massive blockbuster of Mgm (based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell) released in theaters shortly before , in which Bette Davis would have to interpret the protagonist. In the years ' 40, except in rare cases (such as in "the little foxes", The Little Foxes, 1941, by William Wyler, and "now, Voyager," Now, Voyager, 1942, Irving Rapper), the actress plays a series of rather mediocre, utterly unworthy of its invaluable interpretive talent. In 1950 returns to prominence when, after leaving Warner for 20th Century Fox, plays the difficult and troubled fictional has-been Margo Channing in "all about Eve" (All About Eve) by Joseph L.
Mankiewicz, for which he received his eighth Oscar nomination. In this masterpiece of Hollywood cinema, that Lampoons with sarcasm and bitterness on the world of theatre, her acting is now painful now jeering, but still veiled by the deep feeling that distinguished. In the years ' 50 the actress back to participate in some movies, almost all of them poor, which cause it to seek refuge for a short time in theater. The movie career is resurrected again in 1962, thanks to the extraordinary and poignant portrayal of former child prodigy "Baby" Jane Hudson in the drama "what ever happened to Baby Jane?" (What ever happened to Baby Jane?) by Robert Aldrich, starring opposite of rival and enemy ever Joan Crawford, in a truly exceptional interpretative duel. Starting from the mid ' 60 Bette Davis, thanks to the enormous success of her performance in the film Aldrich (which had earned him a new nomination) will live an authentic life.
In 1965, again directed by Aldrich, plays the role of troubled Charlotte in "Floor ... floor, sweet Charlotte" (Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, 1965), involving film halfway between the drama and horror. Starting in the mid-70 's l'attrice is active in especially on tv, as well as some tv-movie inspired by the novels of Agatha Christie. In recent years, Bette Davis has to cope with poor health, but reacts brilliantly, so that in 1987 back on the big screen to play the blind sister of Lillian Gish role in touching "the whales of August" (The whales of August) by Lindsay Anderson, which gives extraordinary skill test again. Bette Davis dies sometime after, on October 6, 1989, in a Paris hospital at the age of 81 years, killed by an incurable disease. A few days earlier had accepted the award which the jury of the Festival of San Sebastian had conferred for his splendid career.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.