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Website: The Official Bette Davis Home Page
Website: Meredy's Bette Davis Trivia Page Book: Bette Davis Speaks Ruth Elizabeth Davis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on April 5, 1908. The daughter of a lawyer, when her parents divorced she lived with her mother and sister in New York City. It was during this time Ruth Elizabeth became known as Bette - the unique spelling having come from Balzac's novel, "Cousin Bette". A graceful dancer, after graduating from high school, Bette attempted to become a professional, but was turned away by a New York dance company. Upon this disappointment, Bette enrolled in John Murray Anderson's Dramatic School. Like many actresses of the time, she started small, and spent a summer season in 1928 in Rochester, New York. Soon she was appearing on Broadway in such plays as "Broken Dishes" and "Solid South". Eventually, Hollywood came calling, and Bette moved west to seek her fortune. However, this young starlet experienced some early obstacles on her path. She wasn't accepted to the studio system her first try, however Universal liked her and accepted her there in 1930. But it wasn't without some reservation - Carl Laemmle, the Universal studio head at the time was quoted as saying, "I can't imagine any guy giving her a tumble." Despite the contract, her first two years in Hollywood went largely unnoticed by moviegoers. She played in a few unimpressive movies, including her debut in "Bad Sister", and by 1931 Universal wasn't using her at all. After the brief contract with Universal, Bette switched over to Warner Brothers in 1932. It was there she achieved her goal, in the film "The Man Who Played God". She was now a star, even if the critics didn't stand up and shout about her work. However, a short two years later, Bette truly arrived, winning rave reviews for her role in RKO's "Of Human Bondage". Continuing her good fortune, Bette won an Oscar in 1935 for "Dangerous". Davis believed that the Oscar she won for this film was a consolation prize for not being nominated for "Of Human Bondage", a film she felt she deserved to be nominated for. After winning the Oscar, Bette expected Warner Bros. to give her the choicest roles, but when this didn't happen, she decided to teach the studio a lesson, and left the country for England, where she hoped to make a picture despite her contract. While Davis lost the battle in the end, no one dared cross her again - she got her requested raise and top billing in a series of great movies, including 1938's "Jezebel", for which she won her second Oscar.
The copyright of the article Bette Davis: Fasten Your Seatbelts! in Hollywood Biographies is owned by . Permission to republish Bette Davis: Fasten Your Seatbelts! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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