BETTE DAVIS
Name: Ruth Elizabeth Davis
Born: 5 April 1908 Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 6 October 1989 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was a two-time
Academy Award-winning American actress of film, television and theatre. 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 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 actresses, known for her forceful and intense style.
Davis gained a reputation as a perfectionist who could be highly combative, and
her 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 was the first
actor to receive ten Academy Award nominations and the first woman to receive a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Her career went
through several periods of decline, 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, however she
continued acting until shortly before her death from breast cancer, with more
than one hundred film, television and theater roles to her credit.
In 1999, Davis was placed second, behind Katharine Hepburn, on the American Film
Institute's list of the greatest female stars of all time.
Name: Ruth Elizabeth Davis
Born: 5 April 1908 Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 6 October 1989 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was a two-time
Academy Award-winning American actress of film, television and theatre. 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 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 actresses, known for her forceful and intense style.
Davis gained a reputation as a perfectionist who could be highly combative, and
her 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 was the first
actor to receive ten Academy Award nominations and the first woman to receive a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Her career went
through several periods of decline, 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, however she
continued acting until shortly before her death from breast cancer, with more
than one hundred film, television and theater roles to her credit.
In 1999, Davis was placed second, behind Katharine Hepburn, on the American Film
Institute's list of the greatest female stars of all time.