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.
182 movies · 41 shows
This Is Joan Collins
2022·7.5
Madonna: Madame X
2021·7.8
Morceaux de Cannes
2021·2.0
Mike Wallace Is Here
2019·6.5
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018·5.9
Bette Davis: Larger Than Life
2017·6.0
The Fabulous Allan Carr
2017·4.5
Bette and Joan
2017·0.0
Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
2015·9.0
Listen to Me Marlon
2015·7.5
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
2014·7.2
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
2013·5.5
Footsteps on the Ceiling
2013·0.0
Vito
2011·6.9
Marilyn at the Movies
2011·0.0
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
2009·4.0
Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis
2009·0.0
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009·7.5
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
2007·4.3
Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition
2006·6.7
Jezebel: Legend of the South
2006·7.0
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006·6.6
The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert
2005·7.5
The Adventures of Errol Flynn
2005·7.7
How Real is 'The Star'?
2005·6.0
Complicated Women
2003·6.9
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
2002·4.5
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
2001·8.5
Bride of Trailer Camp
2001·0.0
Backstory: 'All About Eve'
2000·9.0
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
1997·5.1
Frank Capra's American Dream
1997·6.3
Joan Crawford: Always the Star
1996·7.5
Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis
1996·8.0
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995·8.0
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
1995·2.0
Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill
1994·0.0
All About Bette
1994·7.5
Wicked Stepmother
1989·4.6
Hairway to the Stars
1989·7.0
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988·8.2
The Whales of August
1987·7.0
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood
1987·6.4
As Summers Die
1986·6.7
Directed by William Wyler
1986·0.0
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
1986·7.4
Bette Davis at the Cinémathèque Française
1986·0.0
Murder with Mirrors
1985·6.5
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985·2.0
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984·9.0
Right of Way
1983·7.5
Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano
1983·7.8
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983·7.0
Showbiz Goes to War
1982·10.0
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982·6.0
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982·6.7
Showbiz Ballyhoo
1982·0.0
Night of 100 Stars
1982·5.8
A Piano for Mrs. Cimino
1982·7.6
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
1982·6.0
Family Reunion
1981·8.0
Skyward
1980·7.1
The Watcher in the Woods
1980·5.9
White Mama
1980·8.0
Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter
1979·9.4
The Horror Show
1979·3.4
Mickey's 50
1978·9.0
Death on the Nile
1978·7.1
Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette
1978·7.0
Return from Witch Mountain
1978·5.9
The Disappearance of Aimee
1976·8.7
Burnt Offerings
1976·6.5
Miss Moffat
1974·0.0
Hello Mother, Goodbye!
1974·6.0
Scream, Pretty Peggy
1973·6.2
The Men Who Made the Movies: King Vidor
1973·6.5
Bette Davis
1972·0.0
The Judge and Jake Wyler
1972·2.5
The Scopone Game
1972·7.4
Madame Sin
1972·7.2
Bunny O'Hare
1971·5.8
Connecting Rooms
1970·5.6
The Anniversary
1968·6.6
The Nanny
1965·7.0
The Decorator
1965·6.0
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
1964·7.3
Where Love Has Gone
1964·6.1
Dead Ringer
1964·6.9
The Empty Canvas
1963·6.0
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1962·7.9
Pocketful of Miracles
1961·7.3
The Scapegoat
1959·6.8
John Paul Jones
1959·6.0
Storm Center
1956·6.9
The Catered Affair
1956·7.2
The Virgin Queen
1955·7.0
The Star
1952·7.2
Phone Call from a Stranger
1952·6.4
Another Man's Poison
1951·6.8
Payment on Demand
1951·6.3
All About Eve
1950·8.1
Breakdowns of 1949
1949·6.0
Beyond the Forest
1949·6.7
June Bride
1948·7.1
Winter Meeting
1948·6.6
Deception
1946·6.7
A Stolen Life
1946·6.4
The Corn Is Green
1945·7.2
Breakdowns of 1944
1944·6.5
Hollywood Canteen
1944·7.3
Mr. Skeffington
1944·6.8
A Present with a Future
1943·7.0
Old Acquaintance
1943·7.1
The Voice That Thrilled the World
1943·6.0
Thank Your Lucky Stars
1943·6.2
Watch on the Rhine
1943·6.9
Show-Business at War
1943·7.0
Stars on Horseback
1943·5.0
Breakdowns of 1942
1942·6.0
Now, Voyager
1942·7.4
In This Our Life
1942·6.9
The Man Who Came to Dinner
1941·7.0
Breakdowns of 1941
1941·7.0
The Little Foxes
1941·7.5
The Bride Came C.O.D.
1941·7.0
Shining Victory
1941·6.1
The Great Lie
1941·7.0
The Letter
1940·7.3
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940·6.3
All This, and Heaven Too
1940·7.2
If I Forget You
1940·6.3
Breakdowns of 1939
1939·6.5
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
1939·6.3
The Old Maid
1939·7.1
Juarez
1939·6.5
Dark Victory
1939·6.9
Breakdowns of 1938
1938·5.8
The Sisters
1938·6.0
Jezebel
1938·7.0
Breakdowns of 1937
1937·6.0
It's Love I'm After
1937·7.1
That Certain Woman
1937·5.6
Kid Galahad
1937·7.1
A Day at Santa Anita
1937·6.0
Marked Woman
1937·6.6
Breakdowns of 1936
1936·0.0
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936·6.0
Satan Met a Lady
1936·5.8
The Golden Arrow
1936·6.3
The Petrified Forest
1936·7.1
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 1, From beginning"
1936·0.0
A Dream Comes True
1935·6.3
Dangerous
1935·6.6
Special Agent
1935·6.2
Front Page Woman
1935·5.9
The Girl from 10th Avenue
1935·6.8
Bordertown
1935·5.9
Housewife
1934·7.3
Of Human Bondage
1934·6.5
Fog Over Frisco
1934·6.4
Jimmy the Gent
1934·6.4
Fashions of 1934
1934·6.6
The Big Shakedown
1934·5.9
Bureau of Missing Persons
1933·5.7
Ex-Lady
1933·6.3
The Working Man
1933·6.5
The 42nd Street Special
1933·5.6
Parachute Jumper
1933·5.9
Just Around the Corner
1933·6.0
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
1932·6.4
Three on a Match
1932·6.3
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932·6.3
The Dark Horse
1932·7.4
The Rich Are Always with Us
1932·5.3
So Big!
1932·5.7
The Man Who Played God
1932·7.2
Hell's House
1932·5.3
The Menace
1932·5.6
Way Back Home
1931·6.3
Waterloo Bridge
1931·6.9
Seed
1931·6.5
The Bad Sister
1931·5.6