Bette Davis made got her start in acting on Broadway at the age of 21. After a second Broadway role that same year, she decided to pursue her career in Hollywood with a screen test. Universal picked her up, but only for six films. She then moved on to Warner Bros. in 1932 and a seven year contract with them. In 1935 Bette won her first Oscar for the movie Dangerous. In 1939 Bette she won her second Oscar for the film Jezebel.
According to Bette's official website, the actress "contributed to the war effort by helping to organize the Hollywood Canteen during World War II for soldiers passing through Los Angeles. Inspired by New York's Stage Door Canteen, Bette transformed a once-abandoned nightclub into an inspiring entertainment facility. "There are few accomplishments in my life that I am sincerely proud of. The Hollywood Canteen is one of them," Bette later commented. In 1980, she was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the Defense Department's highest civilian award, for running the Hollywood Canteen."
Bette would also continue to flourish professionally, with more than 100 films and eight Oscar nominations. She was known as being difficult to work but did much to further women in Hollywood. She was the first woman honored with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award and the first woman to serve as president of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. In her honor, the executors of Bette's estate created The Bette Davis Foundation, which funds actresses and actors with promise.
Thanks to http://www.bettedavis.com for all of the info!
Not (by her own admission) a beautiful woman, Bette's face had character and she was able to display the full range of emotions. There are scenes where, with no more than her truly gorgeous eyes, she could make you feel heartbreak and anger, fear and lust. She is a celluloid treasure.
ReplyDeleteI have been in love with that woman for eons, it feels like. Spunk and fight and intelligence to spare!
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