Early on, Bette Davis made the decision to create her own makeup for Jane. "What I had in mind no professional makeup man would have dared to put on me," said Davis.
Bette Davis had legendary make-up artist Perc Westmore devise a white mask-like effect for her face to emphasize Regina's coldness. William Wyler hated it, likening it to a Kabuki mask. Teresa Wright's debut and her first Oscar nomination.
How old was Bette Davis when she made Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Aldrich's 1962 Hollywood adaptation of Henry Farrell's gothic novel would star Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, both then in their mid 50s, as quarrelling sisters, confined to the living tomb of a Los Angeles mansion that's filled with skeletons and a noxious resentment that lingers in the air.
How much was Bette Davis paid for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Even though she liked the part of Baby Jane, Bette played hardball when negotiating with the director and asked for two things: top billing and more money than Crawford. Davis received $60,000 for the role.
Who did Bette Davis leave her money to when she died?
Davis's net worth at the time of her death was $2 Million after adjusting for taxes and inflation. According to her last will and testament, Bette's estate was worth $1 Million. The bulk of the estate was left to her adopted son, Michael Merrill. The other beneficiary was her close friend and assistant Kathryn Sermack.
Bette Davis transforms into Baby Jane - "Feud: Bette and Joan"
Did Bette Davis have any natural children?
In 1947, at the age of 39, Davis gave birth to daughter Barbara Davis Sherry (known as B.D.), and later wrote in her memoir that she became absorbed in motherhood and considered ending her career. As she continued making films, however, her relationship with her daughter B.D.
Eventually, Davis became a huge star, overtaking Crawford. By the 1940s both stars were employed by the same studio, Warner Bros., where they had adjoining dressing rooms.
Bette Davis, longtime rival of Crawford, denounced the book, stating, "I was not Miss Crawford's biggest fan, but, wisecracks to the contrary, I did and still do respect her talent. What she did not deserve was that detestable book written by her daughter. I've forgotten her name. Horrible."
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford started feuding after Bette became involved in a love triangle with Joan's then-fiancé, Franchot Tone. While filming Dangerous, co-stars Bette and Franchot became romantically interested in one another. When production on Dangerous wrapped, the two went their separate ways.
Some suggest Davis's eyes were the result of the autoimmune thyroid condition, Graves' disease. Swelling the muscles around the eyes and surrounding tissues, the condition pushes the eyeballs forward, causing them to protrude, limiting their movement.
To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy.
They were accentuated by blue eye shadow and layers of false lashes with brown, not black, mascara. I was to learn later that Bette customarily took this kind of care with her appearance when meeting someone for the first time.
The actress' peppers were so stunning and prominent they inspired the classic 1981 Kim Carnes song “Bette Davis Eyes”. And while the song still resonates so too does the envy of Davis' big, beautiful eyes.
"Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974. It was recorded by DeShannon that year but made popular by American singer Kim Carnes in 1981 when it spent nine non-consecutive weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Bette was well aware of Crawford's reputation, saying at one point: “She slept with every star at MGM. Of both sexes.” At some point though, Crawford also moved in to seduce Davis, but Davis wouldn't have it. Perhaps in revenge, Crawford flaunted her affair with Tone, the object of Davis' desire.
Cain's “Mildred Pierce” — and that Bette Davis was the studio's first choice but eventually turned it down. Director Michael Curtiz did not want Crawford for the part and preferred Barbara Stanwyck.
Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Barbara Davis Hyman (née Sherry) (1947–) is an American author and pastor, the first child of film star Bette Davis.
How many Oscars did Bette Davis win for Best Actress?
Davis received 10 Oscar nominations over her career, all in the Best Actress category. Meryl Streep and Katharine Hepburn are the only actresses to exceed that number. Davis won Oscars on her first two nominations for “Dangerous” in 1935 and “Jezebel” in 1938.
At the 35th Academy Awards, Davis lost Best Actress to Anne Bancroft, who had been nominated for "The Miracle Worker." Speaking with Bryant Gumbel in 1987, Davis alleged that Crawford told the nominees who couldn't attend the ceremony that she'd accept the award for them — so long as they didn't vote Bette Davis for ...
What did Bette Davis daughter say about her in her book?
My Mother's Keeper is a 1985 memoir by B. D. Hyman, the daughter of actress Bette Davis, in which she alleges that Davis was a bullying, alcoholic mother.
Bette Davis, the actress known for playing strong, independent women, had deep blue eyes. Her signature eyes made her famous. However, during the era of black and white cinematography, those blue eyes often tended to be photograph in black and white and appeared brown or hazel.
