The Couch Potato's Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Bette Davis

Alexander Kahle (1886–1968) for RKO Radio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By Geoff Carter

Bette Davis is—still, to this day—the grand dame of American cinema. Her screen presence has been like no other, before, or since. The gravelly and distinctively clipped voice, beautiful eyes, and brimming self-assurance that filled the frame every time the camera turned to her—and the camera did love her—made her an epic presence on the movie screen. From the early days of her career portraying blonde bombshells and fallen women to the latter part of her oeuvre when she carved out a place playing eccentric and unbalanced women like Baby Jane Hudson in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, or the faded southern belle Charlotte in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, Davis was an absolutely fearless actor.

She didn’t seem to care if she played unsavory or even unlikable characters; in fact, she seemed to embrace them. The part of the slatternly and selfish Mildred in Of Human Bondage was turned down by other notable actresses, including Katherine Hepburn and Irene Dunne, before Davis accepted it and absolutely crushed the part, nearly earning herself a write-in Oscar victory. Her portrayals of Baby Jane Hudson in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? or Charlotte in Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte are excursions into the grotesque and odious corners of the human heart that only the most confident actors would tackle—and Davis did a marvelous job making their internal ugliness believable—and visible.

Like other actors such as James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, or Cary Grant, Davis’s characterizations never veered very far from her own persona. A viewer could never forget she was watching Bette Davis. Yet Davis was a consummate craftsperson, playing tough, aggressive, even vindictive characters with a larger-than-life zeal that was sometimes criticized for being too far over the top, but that still held the viewers enthralled and beguiled.

Bette Davis was also one of the most independent-minded artists of her generation. Refusing to knuckle under to the studio system, she left her Warner Brothers contract, was sued, but returned to Hollywood stronger and more popular than ever. When watching Bette Davis, we can be sure of one thing: that it is going be a bumpy ride.

So, here are the Couch Potato’s choices for Bette Davis’s top ten films.

The Top Ten Films of Bette Davis

English: Vitagraph Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Bros. at the time of publication., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jezebel: In this historical drama set in antebellum New Orleans, Davis plays Julie Marsden, a spoiled and headstrong Southern belle who is engaged to Preston Dillard (Henry Fonda), an up-and-coming banker. In an act of spite against her fiancé, she wears a red gown instead of virginal white at the prestigious Olympus Ball, scandalizing the guests. Embarrassed and disgusted, Preston leaves Julie and returns a year later with a new Northern wife. Determined to get her revenge, Julie tries to involve Pres in a duel, an arrangement which goes awry. After yellow fever strikes the city and Preston falls ill, Julie makes the most important decision in her life. Although the ending was criticized as an unrealistic departure from the story arc, Davis was praised for her portrayal as the malignant and spiteful Julie, absorbing the audience despite (or perhaps because of) her nastiness. Notable for the presence of a very young Henry Fonda.

Starring: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, Donald Crisp, George Brent, Michael Lindsay, Fay Bainter, and Donald Cromwell. Written by Clements Ripley, John Huston, and Abern Finkel. Directed by William Wyler.

William Rose , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Little Foxes: In this film adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s play, Davis plays Regina Giddens, a ruthless and intelligent woman struggling against the confines of the male-dominated Southern society which has denied her control of her share of the Giddens family fortune. Her husband Horace (Herbert Marshall) is sickly and confined to a sanitarium. Determined to pry money loose from her tight-fisted brothers, Ben (Charles Dingle), and Oscar (Carl Benton Reid), Regina manipulates an investor into building a new mill for the family cotton farm, and then drives a hard bargain with her brothers, who in turn double-cross her. Manipulations, theft, arranged marriages, and duplicity follow in cynical and naked attempts for the siblings to gain control of the family fortune. Once again cast as an intelligent, ruthless, and unsympathetic character, Davis created an unforgettable portrayal of a woman fighting for survival in a world stacked against her. Notable for the fantastic screenplay.

Starring: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Charles Dingle, Carl Benton Reid, Teresa Wright, and Dan Duryea. Written by Lillian Hellman. Directed by William Wyler.

The Letter: This film noir features Davis as Leslie Crosbie, the wife of a rubber plantation owner who—at the very beginning of the film—repeatedly shoots a man because he allegedly attacked her. The victim is Geoff Hammond, a family friend. Leslie’s husband Robert (Herbert Marshall) and his best friend Howard (James Stephenson) arrive on the scene, listen to Leslie’s story, scarcely believing Hammond would do such a thing. Leslie stands trial three weeks later. An interested party reveals a letter allegedly sent by Leslie to Hammond, pledging her undying love to him. Caught in her lie, Leslie backtracks but still somehow manipulates Howard and her husband into believing her. They buy the letter, ensuring Leslie’s acquittal, raising the question of whether this femme fatale will ever get her comeuppance. As the manipulative and ruthless Leslie, Davis has the opportunity to display her wide range as she begs, beguiles, and bedevils the men around her. Notable for William Wyler’s taut direction.

Starring: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort, Bruce Lester, and Elizabeth Earl. Screenplay by Howard E. Koch based on the play by W. Somerset Maugham. Directed by William Wyler.

Now, Voyager: In this drama, Davis portrays a different type of character. Charlotte Vale, a repressed woman who has been emotionally abused by her mother Windle Vale (Glady Cooper), visits a sanitarium in order to keep from having a nervous breakdown. Being separated from her tyrannical mother allows Charlotte to develop a newfound self-assurance and self-confidence. At Dr. Jaquith’s (Claude Rains) urging, she goes on a cruise where she meets Jeremiah “Jerry” Davaux Durance (James Heinreid), who is caught in a loveless marriage. Jeremiah and Charlotte fall in love but decide it will never work. When she returns home, her mother is shocked and her appearance and newly found independence and is determined to break her daughter. Charlotte rebels and tragedy—and redemption—ensue. Although the film was criticized for its lugubrious pacing, Davis was praised for her portrayal of a woman experiencing the emotional trauma of finding—and nearly losing—herself.

Starring: Bette Davis, Paul Heinreid, Claude Rains, Gladys Cooper, Bonita Granville, and Ilka Chase. Written by Casey Robinson. Directed by Irving Rapper.

Dark Victory: In yet another melodramatic vehicle, Davis portrays Judith Steele, a spoiled aristocrat who loves drinking, smoking, fast cars, and horses. After taking an uncharacteristic spill from a horse, Judy is persuaded by her friend Ann (Geraldine Fitzgerald) to see Dr. Frederick Steele (George Brent) who diagnoses Judy with terminal cancer. He operates unsuccessfully. Steele and Ann keep the truth from Judy. The doctor and Judy become involved, but Judy eventually discovers the truth and reverts back to the party lifestyle—also breaking off her engagement with the good doctor. Realizing she only has a few months to live, she decides to spend them with Michael O’Leary (Humphrey Bogart) the man she truly loves. Notable for Bette Davis’s performance as a headstrong and selfish woman confronted with the consequences her own mortality.

Starring: Bette Davis, Geraldine Fitzgerald, George Brent, Henry Travers, Humphrey Bogart, and Ronald Reagan. Written by Casey Robinson. Directed by Edmund Goulding.

Employee(s) of RKO Radio Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Of Human Bondage: In this adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s tale of love and obsession, Philip Carey (Leslie Howard), an unhappy and insecure young man with a club foot falls in love with Mildred Rogers (Davis), a coarse waitress who wants nothing to do with him. Rejecting his advances, she runs off with Emil Miller (Alan Hale), a salesman, leaving Carey to recover from his obsession as best he can. He goes to medical school, gets engaged, but when Mildred returns with a baby, asking for help, he cannot help but to return to her. She leaves him after destroying his his self-confidence—and his flat. After finishing med school, Carey is again contacted by Mildred, who is dying of tuberculosis. Unable to help himself, he goes to see her. Notable for Davis’s determination to take on the role of Mildred despite the fact that other actresses, including Katherine Hepburn and Irene Dunne, refused the role for fear that portraying such an evil character would damage their careers. Instead, it was the film that—arguably—made Davis a star.

Starring: Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Francis Dee, Kay Johnson, Reginald Denny, Alan Hale, and Reginald Owen. Screenplay by Lester Coten from the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Directed by John Cromwell.

English: “Copyright 1950 By Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.”, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

All About Eve: In this backstage drama, Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is concerned that her success as a successful actress will be compromised by age. Margo’s friend Karen (Celeste Holm) introduces Margo to Eve (Anne Baxter) a young and enthusiastic fan. After hearing her sob story, Margo takes Eve under her wing, where she immediately begins manipulating her mentor’s life, eventually earning Margo’s distrust. She eventually worms her way into becoming Margo’s understudy and then tries to blackmail Karen and subsequently steal her husband, Lloyd (Hugh Marlowe) who manages to turn the tables on Eve. After she becomes a successful Broadway star, Eve encounters an ardent fan of her own. Notable for a sterling cast including Gary Merrill, Celeste Holm, and an unknown young actress named Marilyn Monroe.

Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Thelma Ritter, and Marilyn Monroe. Written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

English: “Copyright 1964 by Twentieth Century–Fox Film Corp.”, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte: In this Southern Gothic psychological thriller, Davis plays Charlotte Hollis, a woman haunted by the grisly unsolved murder of her married lover, John Mayhew (Bruce Dern). When the government threatens to evict Charlotte from the family mansion to make way for a new interstate, she threatens the sheriff with a gun and summons her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland) to help her keep the house. After Miriam’s arrival, Charlotte begins to experience strange visions, including visions of John’s dismembered head. As her mental health continues to deteriorate, Velma (Agnes Moorehead), Charlotte’s housekeeper, suspects that something suspicious is afoot. Davis’s portrayal of the mentally unbalanced and abusive Charlotte—out of the same mold as Baby Jane—was tempered by her victimization by the government and her own family. Notable for the great supporting performances by de Havilland, Cotten, and Moorehead.

Starring: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotton, Agnes Moorehead, Cecil Kellaway, and Mary Astor. Written by Henry Farrell and Lukas Heller. Directed by Robert Aldrich.

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.
Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?: In this gripping psychological thriller, two sisters, faded child star Jane Hudson (Davis), and her disabled sister, the renowned actress Blanche (Joan Crawford) live together in an isolated home. Confined to a wheelchair because of a car accident, Blanche is dependent on Jane for all of her daily needs. Jane, who is an alcoholic and emotionally locked into her persona as the Baby Jane child star, becomes increasingly more abusive to her sister, serving her a rat and then her pet parrot for dinner. Realizing Jane has gone over the edge, Blanche attempts to escape the house—and her past—but the specter of Baby Jane continues to shroud the lives of both sisters. Notable for Davis’s incisive portrayal of the pitiful and grotesque, and frightening Jane Hudson.

Starring: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Maidie Norman, Marjorie Bennett, Dave Willcock, and Ann Barton. Screenplay by Lukas Heller. Directed by Robert Aldrich.

The Nanny: In this modern-day suspense film, young Joey (William Dix) is returning home after being confined to a home for emotionally disturbed children after being suspected of drowning his younger sister, Susy. The headmaster informs Joey’s father (James Villers) that the boy harbors an intense dislike for the family’s nanny (Bette Davis). Once home, and convinced Nanny wants to kill him because he knows she is responsible for Susy’s death, Joey refuses to eat food Nanny has prepared. When Joey’s Aunt Pen discovers Nanny standing outside Joey’s room with a pillow, suddenly realizing that Nanny is attempting to suffocate him., Pen suffers a heart attack. Nanny grabs her medicine and watches her die before continuing with her grisly task to eliminate Joey. In a—for her—somewhat restrained performance, Davis’s measured and deliberate campaign to eliminate Joey—and her own guilt in Susy’s death—is chilling.

Starring: Bette Davis, William Dix, James Villers, Wendy Craig, Jill Bennett, Bobbie Medman, and Jack Watling. Written by Jimmy Sangster. Directed by Seth Holt.