Bette Davis

Background

Ruth Elizabeth Davis, popularly known as Bette Davis, was and still is a recognized name in the film industry. Past generations wanted to be as good as her, present generations draw inspiration from her, and future generations will still revere her, all because of her ageless talent. Born on April 5, 1908, in Lowel, Massachusetts, Davis was the daughter of Harlow Morell Davis and Ruth Augusta. Davis was an Aries and of English, Scottish, and Welsh Ancestry. Her parents separated in 1915, and she was placed in a boarding school. She later moved to New York with her mother in 1921 and changed the spelling of her name to ‘Bette’ — after Bette Fischer.

Davis was inspired to go into acting and started auditioning for roles. She landed her first paying gig for “George Cukor’s Theater Company” in New York — playing a Broadway chorus girl. By 1929, Davis landed her first professional role in “The Wild Duck” as Hedwig. She made her Broadway debut the same year in “Broken Dishes.” Davis moved to Hollywood in 1930, when she was 22 years old, for a screen test, but she failed. However, in 1931 she made her film debut in “Bad Sister.” Davis’ contract was terminated in 1932 after she had appeared in six failed films. She was about to move back to New York when she landed her big break in the 1932 film, “The Man Who Played God.” After this film, she received a five-year contract for Warner Bros.

Davis’ initial critical recognition came in 1934 when she played Mildred Rogers in “Of Human Bondage.” The film was a success, and in 1953 Davis won her first Academy Award for “Dangerous.” A legal case against Warner Bros. and scores of films later, Davis eventually won her second Academy Award in 1938 for “Jezebel.” She went on to star in multiple high-grossing films including: “The Corn is Green” (1945), “A Stolen Life” (1946), and several others, earning her the title of the highest-paid woman in the United States. Davis had a fruitful five-decade-long career, and in 1987 she completed her penultimate role in “The Whales of August” on Broadway. Davis survived breast cancer but suffered four strokes and paralysis. On October 6, 1989, she passed away. During her lifetime, Davis married four times and was widowed once. She left behind three children and several grandchildren.