Bette Davis: First Lady of the American Screen

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“I fought like hell because this is not my job, my career: This is my life. Work has been the great love and focus of most of my life. Even being a mother is work. Being a friend. The desire for ease strikes me as evil, really. A dereliction of duty. Do things right or find help to make sure it’s done right.”—Bette Davis/Interview with James Grissom #FolliesOfGod

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Barbara Fan

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From Kathryn Sermak's memoir MISS D & ME.
"At some point in the ensuing weeks, Patrick [Kelly] and Bjorn discovered that Miss D was Bette Davis. Patrick was a lifelong fan and it was the fulfillment of a dream he never had that his idol was coming to Christmas Eve,
"That night Miss D wore a black two-piece knit suit with a flared skirt and a light ruffle at the sleeves: appropriately understated, chic and feminine. But from the moment she walked in the door, Patrick started to dress her. His signature adornment was tiny, plump red lips that he fastened onto his designs in playful patterns. He always had some on hand, and he promptly affixed a dozen to Miss D’s waist, instantly transforming her outfit (and her) from demure to youthful and fashionable. I treasure a photo I took of them that evening. Patrick is leaning on the sofa back, behind Miss D, his head resting on his crossed arms. Their faces and their smiles are nearly parallel. A scatter of red lips decorates her midsection, offset by a bright red tassel Patrick had pinned on her right shoulder. That night these two great spirits collided, and neither was ever the same.
"After drinks, the dinner table was full of laughter. I was watching Miss D carefully to make sure she didn’t get too tired. I had no need to worry. The party and Patrick’s adornments boosted her energy. During the main course, she rose to toast Patrick and Bjorn. 'Thank you for such a lovely dinner and evening. I’m so glad to finally meet you. Your clothes are divine and fun! You’re incredibly talented. And I’m thrilled Kath is working with you. Merry Christmas to all!' she said.
Shortly thereafter she told Patrick it was time for her to go. Patrick refused to let her.
“'Oh, Miss Davis, you cannot go now!' said Patrick. 'My peach cobbler is in the oven, but it’s just about to come out.'
“'Oh Patrick! How can I say no? Of course I will stay!'”

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From Follies of God x
 
Barbara Fan

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from Follies of God (love that site)

"I don't believe in dreams or dreaming. I have to say this because over and over again you keep quoting people who had a dream or who dream of a particular outcome. This is ludicrous: It really is. To dream is to be without reason; to dream is to not be awake and in control. You might as well announce to the world that you've engaged a couple of fairies--you know, the ones in the forests with the wings--to get you a job or to teach you to speak well or to inspire you. This is ludicrous."-Bette Davis/ Photo of Davis as Jane taken by Phil Stern #folliesofgod

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Snarky Oracle!

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Nightmares on the other hand...

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Barbara Fan

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from Follies of God

"I don't believe in dreams or dreaming. I have to say this because over and over again you keep quoting people who had a dream or who dream of a particular outcome. This is ludicrous: It really is. To dream is to be without reason; to dream is to not be awake and in control. You might as well announce to the world that you've engaged a couple of fairies--you know, the ones in the forests with the wings--to get you a job or to teach you to speak well or to inspire you. This is ludicrous. I suppose it is okay, as a child, to dream or to hope, but those desires grow up and become goals and tasks. I don't dream of being a good actress: I work damned hard and all the time to be a good actress. I don't dream or hope that I get a good cast or director with whom I can work: I scream and demand and push and pull until they are a good cast or a good director. Or the best they can be. We're talking goals and tasks here, not hopes and dreams. I have to stop you from this absurdity--your own and that of those you quote--or there will never be any progress. Go get what you want; go do what you want. Leave the dreams aside."--Bette Davis/Interview with James Grissom/1984 (Photo by Herb Snitzer)

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Barbara Fan

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From Follies of God

"I'm very precocious in some ways, and I think the most dramatic way is this: I knew--I don't know how--at a very early age that there simply would not be enough time to do everything I wanted; to do everything well; to even get a taste of what the world had to offer. And this frightened and enraged me, and so I sped things up to try to get a little more before I spun right off the globe. And I think I was right. I think you fight time; I think you fight stupidity; I think you fight the easy, mediocre, silly way things are normally done. I think it is utterly insane to wait to see what might happen for you. I think our job is to make it happen. And I did." --Bette Davis/Interview with James Grissom/1984
 
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Happy Birthday to my mums favourite actress - Bette Davis,

From Follies of God
Bette Davis was born near Salem, Massachusetts, and she entered the world like a witch: “A bolt of lightning hit a tree in front of the house the moment I was born,” she told a writer.
Davis was intense, excessive, camp even. Many critics consider her one of the greatest actresses of all time; others accuse her of overacting. When critic James Agee wrote that in “Mr. Skeffington”Davis “demonstrates the horrors of egocentricity on a marathonic scale,” he could be equally referring to her life and career as much as her character portrayal.
“I think it’s why women loved her,” Jane Fonda said in a TCM tribute, “because they knew that she was willing to go way out on a ledge, in terms of how she looked. She never played it safe.” She continued, “Just watching Bette Davis on the screen was empowering to women. It was like, this is what’s possible, this is the range and depth that is possible for a woman. Enough already with these one-dimensional women. She expanded our range of possibilities.”
“Indestructible,” was how Davis described herself in an interview with The New York Times in the year of her death. “That’s the word that’s often used. To describe me. Which applies to—what? I suppose it means that I just overcame everything. And I had presented to me quite a few things to overcome. But without things to overcome, you don’t become much of a person. Do you?”

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ClassyCo

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I finally watched THE LETTER (1940) last week. I've heard from different fans over the years that this movie was a highlight for Davis in her prime, so I made a point to watch it when TCM aired it.

Overall, the movie was pretty much what I expected it to be. I knew some of the plot before actually watching it. Davis, as usual, is the star and she gives a strong, melodramatic performance as a woman who has accidentally shot a man. The story unfolds as many would probably guess that it would, but I enjoyed the ride for the most part. Gale Sondergaard was wonderful in her supporting role, too. There are other good performances throughout, but Davis and Sondergaard are the standouts for me.

Apparently the ending was rewritten to meet censorship requirements, and I'm glad that it was. It was a more satisfying ending than what they probably had in mind originally.

THE LETTER is a good movie, but I doubt I'd rush to watch it again.

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D

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ClassyCo said:
Bette Davis gripes about Faye Dunaway:

Click to expand...
I remember the Tonight Show interview and the Larry King one specifically. If anything Bette was always consistent with her opinions of Faye. It never wavered. She pretty much blasted her on every talk show I can remember seeing her on back then.

I wonder what Bette thought of Faye’s performance in Mommie Dearest? I know she actually condemned Christina for what she did but I don’t recall her critiquing Faye’s performance.
 
Crimson

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ClassyCo said:
Apparently the ending was rewritten to meet censorship requirements, and I'm glad that it was. It was a more satisfying ending than what they probably had in mind originally.
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, the character simply gets away with her crimes in the original story and play. The Hayes Code didn't allow for unpunished murder, so we got the cumbersomely moral ending of Davis' character being killed and her murderers being apprehended.
 
ClassyCo

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Crimson said:
If I'm not mistaken, the character simply gets away with her crimes in the original story and play. The Hayes Code didn't allow for unpunished murder, so we got the cumbersomely moral ending of Davis' character being killed and her murderers being apprehended.
Click to expand...
That's how the had the screenplay written originally, but the censors came down on them, and thus the changes were made.
 
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