Acting
Bette Davis
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.
Filmography
1939: Secrets of Hollywood's Golden Year
Series · 2023
This Is Joan Collins
Film · 2022
Madonna: Madame X
Film · 2021
Morceaux de Cannes
Film · 2021
Mike Wallace Is Here
Film · 2019
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Film · 2018
Bette and Joan
Film · 2017
Bette Davis: Larger Than Life
Film · 2017
The Fabulous Allan Carr
Film · 2017
Listen to Me Marlon
Film · 2015
Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
Film · 2015
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Film · 2014
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
Film · 2013
Footsteps on the Ceiling
Film · 2013
Talking Pictures
Series · 2013
Marilyn at the Movies
Film · 2011
Vito
Film · 2011
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Film · 2009
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
Film · 2009
Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis
Film · 2009
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Film · 2007
Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition
Film · 2006
Jezebel: Legend of the South
Film · 2006
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
Film · 2006
The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert
Film · 2005
The Adventures of Errol Flynn
Film · 2005
How Real is 'The Star'?
Film · 2005
Complicated Women
Film · 2003
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Film · 2002
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
Film · 2001
Bride of Trailer Camp
Film · 2001
Backstory: 'All About Eve'
Film · 2000
Frank Capra's American Dream
Film · 1997
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
Film · 1997
Joan Crawford: Always the Star
Film · 1996
Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis
Film · 1996
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
Film · 1995
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Film · 1995
Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill
Film · 1994
All About Bette
Film · 1994
The World of Hammer
Series · 1994
Intimate Portrait
Series · 1993
Wicked Stepmother
Film · 1989
Hairway to the Stars
Film · 1989
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Film · 1988
South of Reno
Film · 1988
The Whales of August
Film · 1987
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood
Film · 1987
Bette Davis at the Cinémathèque Française
Film · 1986
As Summers Die
Film · 1986
Directed by William Wyler
Film · 1986
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Film · 1986
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Film · 1985
Murder with Mirrors
Film · 1985
Going Hollywood: The '30s
Film · 1984
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Film · 1983
Right of Way
Film · 1983
Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano
Film · 1983
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Film · 1982
Showbiz Goes to War
Film · 1982
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
Film · 1982
A Piano for Mrs. Cimino
Film · 1982
Night of 100 Stars
Film · 1982
Showbiz Ballyhoo
Film · 1982
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
Film · 1982
Little Gloria... Happy at Last
Series · 1982
Late Night with David Letterman
Series · 1982
Hotel
Series · 1982
Family Reunion
Film · 1981
Family Reunion
Series · 1981
The Watcher in the Woods
Film · 1980
White Mama
Film · 1980
Skyward
Film · 1980
The Horror Show
Film · 1979
Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter
Film · 1979
Death on the Nile
Film · 1978
Return from Witch Mountain
Film · 1978
Mickey's 50
Film · 1978
Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette
Film · 1978
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home
Series · 1978
The Kennedy Center Honors
Series · 1978
Laugh-In
Series · 1977
Burnt Offerings
Film · 1976
The Disappearance of Aimee
Film · 1976
Hello Mother, Goodbye!
Film · 1974
Miss Moffat
Film · 1974
Hello Mother, Goodbye!
Series · 1974
Dinah!
Series · 1974
Scream, Pretty Peggy
Film · 1973
The Men Who Made the Movies: King Vidor
Film · 1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Series · 1973
Madame Sin
Film · 1972
The Scopone Game
Film · 1972
The Judge and Jake Wyler
Film · 1972
Bette Davis
Film · 1972
Bunny O'Hare
Film · 1971
V.I.P. Schaukel
Series · 1971
Film '72
Series · 1971
Connecting Rooms
Film · 1970
The Anniversary
Film · 1968
It Takes a Thief
Series · 1968
The Dick Cavett Show
Series · 1968
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Series · 1967
The Nanny
Film · 1965
The Decorator
Film · 1965
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Film · 1964
Dead Ringer
Film · 1964
Where Love Has Gone
Film · 1964
The Hollywood Palace
Series · 1964
The Empty Canvas
Film · 1963
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Film · 1962
The Virginian
Series · 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
The Merv Griffin Show
Series · 1962
Pocketful of Miracles
Film · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
John Paul Jones
Film · 1959
The Scapegoat
Film · 1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Series · 1959
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Wagon Train
Series · 1957
Suspicion
Series · 1957
Wagon Train
Series · 1957
Storm Center
Film · 1956
The Catered Affair
Film · 1956
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Series · 1956
Telephone Time
Series · 1956
Tony Awards
Series · 1956
The Virgin Queen
Film · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Series · 1955
Reflets de Cannes
Series · 1954
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
The Oscars
Series · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
Phone Call from a Stranger
Film · 1952
The Star
Film · 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Series · 1952
Another Man's Poison
Film · 1951
Payment on Demand
Film · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
All About Eve
Film · 1950
What's My Line?
Series · 1950
Beyond the Forest
Film · 1949
Breakdowns of 1949
Film · 1949
Winter Meeting
Film · 1948
June Bride
Film · 1948
Deception
Film · 1946
A Stolen Life
Film · 1946
The Corn Is Green
Film · 1945
Mr. Skeffington
Film · 1944
Hollywood Canteen
Film · 1944
Breakdowns of 1944
Film · 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Series · 1944
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Film · 1943
Watch on the Rhine
Film · 1943
Old Acquaintance
Film · 1943
A Present with a Future
Film · 1943
Show-Business at War
Film · 1943
Stars on Horseback
Film · 1943
The Voice That Thrilled the World
Film · 1943
Now, Voyager
Film · 1942
In This Our Life
Film · 1942
Breakdowns of 1942
Film · 1942
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Film · 1941
The Bride Came C.O.D.
Film · 1941
The Little Foxes
Film · 1941
The Great Lie
Film · 1941
Shining Victory
Film · 1941
Breakdowns of 1941
Film · 1941
All This, and Heaven Too
Film · 1940
The Letter
Film · 1940
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Film · 1940
If I Forget You
Film · 1940
Dark Victory
Film · 1939
The Old Maid
Film · 1939
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Film · 1939
Juarez
Film · 1939
Breakdowns of 1939
Film · 1939
Jezebel
Film · 1938
Breakdowns of 1938
Film · 1938
The Sisters
Film · 1938
Marked Woman
Film · 1937
A Day at Santa Anita
Film · 1937
Kid Galahad
Film · 1937
That Certain Woman
Film · 1937
It's Love I'm After
Film · 1937
Breakdowns of 1937
Film · 1937
Satan Met a Lady
Film · 1936
The Petrified Forest
Film · 1936
The Golden Arrow
Film · 1936
Breakdowns of 1936
Film · 1936
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
Film · 1936
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 1, From beginning"
Film · 1936
Bordertown
Film · 1935
A Dream Comes True
Film · 1935
Dangerous
Film · 1935
Special Agent
Film · 1935
Front Page Woman
Film · 1935
The Girl from 10th Avenue
Film · 1935
Of Human Bondage
Film · 1934
Fog Over Frisco
Film · 1934
Jimmy the Gent
Film · 1934
Fashions of 1934
Film · 1934
The Big Shakedown
Film · 1934
Housewife
Film · 1934
Bureau of Missing Persons
Film · 1933
Ex-Lady
Film · 1933
The Working Man
Film · 1933
Parachute Jumper
Film · 1933
Just Around the Corner
Film · 1933
The 42nd Street Special
Film · 1933
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
Film · 1932
Three on a Match
Film · 1932
The Cabin in the Cotton
Film · 1932
The Dark Horse
Film · 1932
So Big!
Film · 1932
The Rich Are Always with Us
Film · 1932
The Man Who Played God
Film · 1932
Hell's House
Film · 1932
The Menace
Film · 1932
Waterloo Bridge
Film · 1931
The Bad Sister
Film · 1931
Way Back Home
Film · 1931
Seed
Film · 1931