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Bette Davis

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.

Personal information

Birthday

1908-04-05

Birth Place

Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

Movies and TV shows :

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

2009

7.5

Movie
20,000 Years in Sing Sing

20,000 Years in Sing Sing

1932

6.5

Movie
A Day at Santa Anita

A Day at Santa Anita

1937

5.0

Movie
A Dream Comes True

A Dream Comes True

1935

5.5

Movie
A Piano for Mrs. Cimino

A Piano for Mrs. Cimino

1982

8.0

Movie
A Present with a Future

A Present with a Future

1943

6.0

Movie
A Stolen Life

A Stolen Life

1946

6.4

Movie
poster

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

1955

7.7

TV
All About Bette

All About Bette

1994

7.0

Movie
All About Eve

All About Eve

1950

8.1

Movie
All This, and Heaven Too

All This, and Heaven Too

1940

7.1

Movie
Always at The Carlyle

Always at The Carlyle

2018

6.9

Movie
And the Oscar Goes To...

And the Oscar Goes To...

2014

7.0

Movie
Another Man's Poison

Another Man's Poison

1951

6.6

Movie
As Summers Die

As Summers Die

1986

6.2

Movie
Backstory: 'All About Eve'

Backstory: 'All About Eve'

2000

0.0

Movie
Bette and Joan

Bette and Joan

2017

0.0

Movie
Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition

Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition

2006

7.0

Movie
Bette Davis

Bette Davis

1972

0.0

Movie
Bette Davis at the Cinémathèque Française

Bette Davis at the Cinémathèque Française

1986

0.0

Movie
Bette Davis: Larger Than Life

Bette Davis: Larger Than Life

2017

6.0

Movie
Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano

Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano

1983

7.3

Movie
Beyond the Forest

Beyond the Forest

1949

6.8

Movie
Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill

Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill

1994

0.0

Movie
Bordertown

Bordertown

1935

5.9

Movie
Breakdowns of 1936

Breakdowns of 1936

1936

0.0

Movie
Breakdowns of 1937

Breakdowns of 1937

1937

6.0

Movie
Breakdowns of 1938

Breakdowns of 1938

1938

5.0

Movie
Breakdowns of 1939

Breakdowns of 1939

1939

7.0

Movie
Breakdowns of 1941

Breakdowns of 1941

1941

7.0

Movie
Breakdowns of 1942

Breakdowns of 1942

1942

6.0

Movie
Breakdowns of 1944

Breakdowns of 1944

1944

6.5

Movie
Breakdowns of 1949

Breakdowns of 1949

1949

6.0

Movie
Bunny O'Hare

Bunny O'Hare

1971

5.6

Movie
Bureau of Missing Persons

Bureau of Missing Persons

1933

5.6

Movie
Burnt Offerings

Burnt Offerings

1976

6.5

Movie
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

1940

6.5

Movie
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored

Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored

2013

5.5

Movie
Complicated Women

Complicated Women

2003

6.7

Movie
Connecting Rooms

Connecting Rooms

1970

6.0

Movie
Dangerous

Dangerous

1935

6.7

Movie
Dark Victory

Dark Victory

1939

7.0

Movie
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

1982

6.6

Movie
Dead Ringer

Dead Ringer

1964

6.9

Movie
Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile

1978

7.2

Movie
Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette

Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette

1978

6.3

Movie
Deception

Deception

1946

6.5

Movie
Directed by William Wyler

Directed by William Wyler

1986

0.0

Movie
Ex-Lady

Ex-Lady

1933

6.3

Movie
Family Reunion

Family Reunion

1981

8.0

Movie
Fashions of 1934

Fashions of 1934

1934

6.4

Movie
Faye

Faye

2024

6.7

Movie
Fog Over Frisco

Fog Over Frisco

1934

6.1

Movie
Footsteps on the Ceiling

Footsteps on the Ceiling

2013

0.0

Movie
Frank Capra's American Dream

Frank Capra's American Dream

1997

6.2

Movie
Front Page Woman

Front Page Woman

1935

5.8

Movie
poster

General Electric Theater

1953

6.0

TV
Going Hollywood: The '30s

Going Hollywood: The '30s

1984

10.0

Movie
poster

Golden Globe Awards

1944

6.8

TV
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies

Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies

2001

8.0

Movie
poster

Gunsmoke

1955

6.5

TV
Hairway to the Stars

Hairway to the Stars

1989

0.0

Movie
poster

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

8.7

TV
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood

Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood

1987

6.4

Movie
Hell's House

Hell's House

1932

5.3

Movie
Hello Mother, Goodbye!

Hello Mother, Goodbye!

1974

6.0

Movie
poster

Hello Mother, Goodbye!

1974

6.0

TV
poster

Hercule Poirot

1978

0.0

TV
Hollywood and the Stars

Hollywood and the Stars

1964

0.0

Movie
Hollywood Canteen

Hollywood Canteen

1944

7.3

Movie
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

1983

6.5

Movie
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

1985

0.0

Movie
Housewife

Housewife

1934

7.6

Movie
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

1964

7.2

Movie
If I Forget You

If I Forget You

1940

5.3

Movie
In This Our Life

In This Our Life

1942

6.7

Movie
poster

Intimate Portrait

1993

4.5

TV
Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis

Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis

1996

8.0

Movie
poster

It Takes a Thief

1968

7.0

TV
It's Love I'm After

It's Love I'm After

1937

7.0

Movie
Jezebel

Jezebel

1938

7.0

Movie
Jezebel: Legend of the South

Jezebel: Legend of the South

2006

0.0

Movie
Jimmy the Gent

Jimmy the Gent

1934

6.2

Movie
Joan Crawford: Always the Star

Joan Crawford: Always the Star

1996

7.5

Movie
John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones

1959

6.1

Movie
Juarez

Juarez

1939

6.5

Movie
June Bride

June Bride

1948

7.2

Movie
Just Around the Corner

Just Around the Corner

1933

6.0

Movie
Kid Galahad

Kid Galahad

1937

6.9

Movie
poster

Laugh-In

1977

5.8

TV
Listen to Me Marlon

Listen to Me Marlon

2015

7.5

Movie
poster

Little Gloria... Happy at Last

1982

6.8

TV
Madame Sin

Madame Sin

1972

6.8

Movie
Madonna: Madame X

Madonna: Madame X

2021

7.5

Movie
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

1986

7.5

Movie
Marked Woman

Marked Woman

1937

6.5

Movie
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

2014

7.3

Movie
Mike Wallace Is Here

Mike Wallace Is Here

2019

6.5

Movie
Mr. Skeffington

Mr. Skeffington

1944

6.7

Movie
Murder with Mirrors

Murder with Mirrors

1985

6.5

Movie
Night of 100 Stars

Night of 100 Stars

1982

6.5

Movie
Now, Voyager

Now, Voyager

1942

7.3

Movie
Of Human Bondage

Of Human Bondage

1934

6.5

Movie
Old Acquaintance

Old Acquaintance

1943

6.9

Movie
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

1982

6.0

Movie
Parachute Jumper

Parachute Jumper

1933

6.1

Movie
poster

Parkinson

1998

0.0

TV
Payment on Demand

Payment on Demand

1951

6.2

Movie
poster

Perry Mason

1957

7.7

TV
Phone Call from a Stranger

Phone Call from a Stranger

1952

6.5

Movie
Pocketful of Miracles

Pocketful of Miracles

1961

7.3

Movie
Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis

Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis

2009

0.0

Movie
poster

Reflets de Cannes

1954

0.0

TV
Return from Witch Mountain

Return from Witch Mountain

1978

5.9

Movie
Right of Way

Right of Way

1983

7.3

Movie
Satan Met a Lady

Satan Met a Lady

1936

5.9

Movie
poster

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

1951

7.0

TV
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

2018

6.0

Movie
Scream, Pretty Peggy

Scream, Pretty Peggy

1973

6.1

Movie
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

1936

6.0

Movie
Seed

Seed

1931

6.0

Movie
Shining Victory

Shining Victory

1941

5.9

Movie
Show-Business at War

Show-Business at War

1943

7.0

Movie
Showbiz Goes to War

Showbiz Goes to War

1982

10.0

Movie
Skyward

Skyward

1980

7.0

Movie
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

2002

2.0

Movie
So Big!

So Big!

1932

5.8

Movie
Special Agent

Special Agent

1935

6.3

Movie
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

2006

7.0

Movie
Stars on Horseback

Stars on Horseback

1943

0.0

Movie
Storm Center

Storm Center

1956

6.4

Movie
Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter

Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter

1979

10.0

Movie
poster

Suspicion

1957

5.9

TV
poster

Talking Pictures

2013

5.0

TV
poster

Telephone Time

1956

6.3

TV
Thank Your Lucky Stars

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943

6.1

Movie
That Certain Woman

That Certain Woman

1937

6.1

Movie
poster

The 20th Century Fox Hour

1955

5.2

TV
The 42nd Street Special

The 42nd Street Special

1933

5.3

Movie
The Adventures of Errol Flynn

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

2005

7.8

Movie
poster

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

1973

6.3

TV
The Andy Williams Christmas Show

The Andy Williams Christmas Show

1962

6.0

Movie
The Anniversary

The Anniversary

1968

6.5

Movie
The Bad Sister

The Bad Sister

1931

5.4

Movie
The Big Shakedown

The Big Shakedown

1934

5.6

Movie
The Bride Came C.O.D.

The Bride Came C.O.D.

1941

7.1

Movie
The Cabin in the Cotton

The Cabin in the Cotton

1932

6.3

Movie
The Catered Affair

The Catered Affair

1956

7.1

Movie
The Corn Is Green

The Corn Is Green

1945

7.1

Movie
The Dark Horse

The Dark Horse

1932

7.2

Movie
poster

The Dark Secret of Harvest Home

1978

7.3

TV
The Decorator

The Decorator

1965

6.0

Movie
poster

The Dick Cavett Show

1968

6.7

TV
poster

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

1956

5.3

TV
The Disappearance of Aimee

The Disappearance of Aimee

1976

8.0

Movie
poster

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

1959

6.3

TV
The Empty Canvas

The Empty Canvas

1963

6.1

Movie
poster

The Ford Television Theatre

1952

7.0

TV
The Girl from 10th Avenue

The Girl from 10th Avenue

1935

6.5

Movie
The Golden Arrow

The Golden Arrow

1936

6.1

Movie
The Great Lie

The Great Lie

1941

6.9

Movie
poster

The Hollywood Palace

1964

4.5

TV
The Horror Show

The Horror Show

1979

6.0

Movie
The Judge and Jake Wyler

The Judge and Jake Wyler

1972

3.0

Movie
poster

The Kennedy Center Honors

1978

7.3

TV
The Letter

The Letter

1940

7.3

Movie
The Little Foxes

The Little Foxes

1941

7.5

Movie
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

1988

8.0

Movie
The Man Who Came to Dinner

The Man Who Came to Dinner

1941

6.9

Movie
The Man Who Played God

The Man Who Played God

1932

7.4

Movie
The Men Who Made the Movies: King Vidor

The Men Who Made the Movies: King Vidor

1973

6.0

Movie
The Menace

The Menace

1932

4.5

Movie
poster

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

5.1

TV
The Nanny

The Nanny

1965

6.9

Movie
The Old Maid

The Old Maid

1939

7.1

Movie
poster

The Oscars

1953

7.0

TV
The Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest

1936

7.0

Movie
The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert

The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert

2005

5.0

Movie
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

1939

6.2

Movie
The Rich Are Always with Us

The Rich Are Always with Us

1932

5.2

Movie
The Scapegoat

The Scapegoat

1959

6.8

Movie
The Scopone Game

The Scopone Game

1972

7.4

Movie
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

1997

5.0

Movie
The Sisters

The Sisters

1938

6.1

Movie
The Star

The Star

1952

7.2

Movie
poster

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

7.4

TV
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka

The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka

2009

4.0

Movie
The Virgin Queen

The Virgin Queen

1955

7.1

Movie
poster

The Virginian

1962

6.4

TV
The Voice That Thrilled the World

The Voice That Thrilled the World

1943

5.3

Movie
The Watcher in the Woods

The Watcher in the Woods

1980

5.9

Movie
The Whales of August

The Whales of August

1987

7.0

Movie
The Working Man

The Working Man

1933

6.6

Movie
Three on a Match

Three on a Match

1932

6.2

Movie
poster

Tony Awards

1956

5.0

TV
poster

V.I.P. Schaukel

1971

6.0

TV
poster

Wagon Train

1957

6.4

TV
Watch on the Rhine

Watch on the Rhine

1943

6.8

Movie
Waterloo Bridge

Waterloo Bridge

1931

7.0

Movie
Way Back Home

Way Back Home

1931

6.2

Movie
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

1962

7.9

Movie
poster

What's My Line?

1950

6.7

TV
Where Love Has Gone

Where Love Has Gone

1964

6.1

Movie
White Mama

White Mama

1980

8.0

Movie
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema

2007

4.9

Movie
Wicked Stepmother

Wicked Stepmother

1989

4.5

Movie
Winter Meeting

Winter Meeting

1948

6.5

Movie