Bette Davis
Born
April 5, 1908
Died
October 6, 1989 (81 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5, 1908 โ 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.
Known For
Faye
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2024
Faye
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2024
Madonna: Madame X
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021
Mike Wallace Is Here
(archive footage)
2019
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
2018
Always at The Carlyle
Self (archive footage)
2018
Bette Davis: Larger Than Life
Self (archive footage)
2017
Bette and Joan
Self (archive footage)
2017
Listen to Me Marlon
Self (archive footage)
2015
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Self - Actress (archive footage)
2014
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
2014
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
Self (archive footage)
2013
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage) ยท (1 episode)
2013
Footsteps on the Ceiling
Margo Channing (archive footage)
2013
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
Self (archive footage)
2009
Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis
Self (archive footage)
2009
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Self (archive footage)
2009
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Self (archive footage)
2007
Jezebel: Legend of the South
Self (archive footage)
2006
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
Self (archive footage)
2006
Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition
Self (archive footage)
2006
The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert
Self (archive footage)
2005
The Adventures of Errol Flynn
Queen Elizabeth (archive footage)
2005
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
2003
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Self (archive footage)
2002
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
Self (archive footage)
2001
Bride of Trailer Camp
(Archival)
2001
Backstory: 'All About Eve'
Self (archive footage)
2000
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
Self (archive footage)
1997
Frank Capra's American Dream
Self (archive footage)
1997
Joan Crawford: Always the Star
Self (archive footage)
1996
Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis
Self (archive footage)
1996
Biography: Bette Davis โ If Looks Could Kill
Self (archive footage)
1994
All About Bette
Self
1994
Intimate Portrait
Self (archive footage) ยท (1 episode)
1993
Wicked Stepmother
Miranda Pierpoint
1989
Hairway to the Stars
Self [Archive Footage]
1989
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Self (archive footage)
1988
The Whales of August
Libby Strong
1987
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood
(archive footage)
1987
As Summers Die
Hannah Loftin
1986
Directed by William Wyler
Self
1986
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Self (from All About Eve [1950]) (archive footage)
1986
Bette Davis at the Cinรฉmathรจque Franรงaise
Herself
1986
Murder with Mirrors
Carrie Louise Serrocold
1985
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
1985
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(archive footage)
1984
Right of Way
Miniature Dwyer
1983
Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano
Self
1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
Showbiz Goes to War
(archive footage)
1982
Little Gloria... Happy at Last
Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt ยท (2 episodes)
1982
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
(in "Deception") (archive footage)
1982
Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982
A Piano for Mrs. Cimino
Esther McDonald Cimino
1982
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
Self (archive footage)
1982
Family Reunion
Elizabeth Winfield
1981
Skyward
Billie Dupree
1980
The Watcher in the Woods
Mrs. Aylwood
1980
White Mama
Estelle Malone
1980
Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter
Lucy Mason
1979
The Horror Show
(archive footage)
1979
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self ยท (1 episode)
1978
Mickey's 50
Self
1978
Death on the Nile
Marie Van Schuyler
1978
Return from Witch Mountain
Letha Wedge
1978
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home
Widow Fortune ยท (2 episodes)
1978
Laugh-In
Guest Performer ยท (1 episode)
1977
The Disappearance of Aimee
Minnie Kennedy
1976
Burnt Offerings
Aunt Elizabeth
1976
Dinah!
Self ยท (1 episode)
1974
Hello Mother, Goodbye!
1974
Hello Mother, Goodbye!
Mother ยท (1 episode)
1974
Scream, Pretty Peggy
Mrs. Elliott
1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self ยท (3 episodes)
1973
The Men Who Made the Movies: King Vidor
Self (archive footage)
1973
Bette Davis
Self
1972
The Judge and Jake Wyler
Judge Meredith
1972
The Scopone Game
'A vecchia
1972
Madame Sin
Madame Sin
1972
Bunny O'Hare
Bunny O'Hare
1971
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self ยท (2 episodes)
1971
Connecting Rooms
Wanda Fleming
1970
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest ยท (7 episodes)
1968
The Anniversary
Mrs. Taggart
1968
It Takes a Thief
Bessie Grindel ยท (1 episode)
1968
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Self ยท (1 episode)
1967
The Nanny
Nanny
1965
The Decorator
Liz
1965
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Charlotte Hollis
1964
Where Love Has Gone
Mrs. Gerald Hayden
1964
Dead Ringer
Margaret DeLorca / Edith Phillips
1964
The Hollywood Palace
Self ยท (1 episode)
1964
The Empty Canvas
Dino's Mother
1963
The Andy Williams Christmas Show
1962
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Baby Jane Hudson
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self ยท (4 episodes)
1962
The Virginian
Celia Miller ยท (1 episode)
1962
Pocketful of Miracles
Apple Annie
1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Self - Co-Host ยท (1 episode)
1961
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Sarah Whitney ยท (1 episode)
1959
The Scapegoat
Countess
1959
John Paul Jones
Empress Catherine the Great
1959
Suspicion
Mrs. Wilfred Ellis ยท (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Constant Doyle ยท (1 episode)
1957
Wagon Train
Ella Lindstrom ยท (1 episode)
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self ยท (1 episode)
1956
Storm Center
Alicia Hull
1956
The Catered Affair
Mrs. Agnes Hurley
1956
Telephone Time
(1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter ยท (1 episode)
1956
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Marie Hoke ยท (1 episode)
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Miss Fox ยท (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
Etta Stone ยท (1 episode)
1955
The Virgin Queen
Queen Elizabeth I
1955
Reflets de Cannes
Self ยท (1 episode)
1954
The Oscars
Self ยท (5 episodes)
1953
General Electric Theater
Miss Burrows ยท (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Christine Marlowe ยท (1 episode)
1953
The Star
Margaret Elliot
1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Dolley Madison ยท (1 episode)
1952
Phone Call from a Stranger
Marie Hoke
1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, Aimee's mother ยท (1 episode)
1951
Another Man's Poison
Janet Frobisher
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Irene Van Buren ยท (1 episode)
1951
Payment on Demand
Joyce Ramsey (nee Jackson)
1951
All About Eve
Margo Channing
1950
What's My Line?
Self ยท (5 episodes)
1950
Breakdowns of 1949
Self
1949
Beyond the Forest
Rosa Moline
1949
June Bride
Linda Gilman
1948
Winter Meeting
Susan Grieve
1948
Deception
Christine Radcliffe
1946
A Stolen Life
Kate Bosworth / Patricia Bosworth
1946
The Corn Is Green
Miss Lilly Christabel Moffat
1945
Breakdowns of 1944
Self
1944
Hollywood Canteen
Self
1944
Mr. Skeffington
Fanny Trellis
1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter ยท (1 episode)
1944
A Present with a Future
Mother
1943
Old Acquaintance
Kit Marlowe
1943
The Voice That Thrilled the World
Self (segment 'Dangerous') (archive footage)
1943
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Self
1943
Watch on the Rhine
Sara Mรผller
1943
Show-Business at War
Self
1943
Stars on Horseback
1943
Breakdowns of 1942
Self
1942
Now, Voyager
Charlotte Vale
1942
In This Our Life
Stanley Timberlake Kingsmill
1942
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Maggie Cutler
1941
Breakdowns of 1941
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1941
The Little Foxes
Regina Hubbard Giddens
1941
The Bride Came C.O.D.
Joan Winfield
1941
Shining Victory
1941
The Great Lie
Maggie Patterson Van Allen
1941
The Letter
Leslie Crosbie
1940
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Self
1940
All This, and Heaven Too
Henriette Deluzy-Desportes
1940
If I Forget You
Bette Davis
1940
Breakdowns of 1939
Self
1939
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Queen Elizabeth
1939
The Old Maid
Charlotte Lovell
1939
Juarez
Empress Carlotta von Hapsburg
1939
Dark Victory
Judith Traherne
1939
Breakdowns of 1938
Self (archive footage)
1938
The Sisters
Louise Elliott Medlin
1938
Jezebel
Julie Marsden
1938
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
1937
It's Love I'm After
Joyce Arden
1937
That Certain Woman
Mary Donnell/Mme Al Haines
1937
Kid Galahad
Louise 'Fluff' Phillips
1937
A Day at Santa Anita
Bette Davis (uncredited)
1937
Marked Woman
Mary Dwight Strauber
1937
Breakdowns of 1936
Self
1936
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
Self
1936
Satan Met a Lady
Valerie Purvis
1936
The Golden Arrow
Daisy Appleby
1936
The Petrified Forest
Gabrielle "Gabby" Maple
1936
A Dream Comes True
1935
Dangerous
Joyce Heath
1935
Special Agent
Julie Gardner
1935
Front Page Woman
Ellen Garfield
1935
The Girl from 10th Avenue
Miriam A. Brady
1935
Bordertown
Mrs. Marie Roark
1935
Housewife
Patricia Berkeley
1934
Of Human Bondage
Mildred Rogers
1934
Fog Over Frisco
Arlene Bradford
1934
Jimmy the Gent
Joan Martin
1934
Fashions of 1934
Lynn Mason
1934
The Big Shakedown
Norma Nelson
1934
Bureau of Missing Persons
Norma Roberts
1933
Ex-Lady
Helen Bauer
1933
The Working Man
Jenny Hartland alias Jane Grey
1933
The 42nd Street Special
Self (uncredited)
1933
Parachute Jumper
Patricia 'Alabama' Brent
1933
Just Around the Corner
Ginger
1933
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
Fay Wilson
1932
Three on a Match
Ruth Westcott
1932
The Cabin in the Cotton
Madge Norwood
1932
The Dark Horse
Kay Russell
1932
The Rich Are Always with Us
Malbro
1932
So Big!
Miss Dallas O'Mara
1932
The Man Who Played God
Grace Blair
1932
Hell's House
Peggy Gardner
1932
The Menace
Peggy Lowell
1932
Way Back Home
Mary Lucy Duffy
1931
Waterloo Bridge
Janet Cronin
1931
Seed
Margaret Carter
1931
The Bad Sister
Laura Madison
1931
Miss Moffat
Miss Moffat