Mother and daughter remained estranged through 1989, when Davis was told her breast cancer, in remission for five years, had “exploded,” and she had just days to live. “Miss D accepted it,” Sermak writes of hearing the prognosis. “She told me to call her son Michael and then Harold.
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. Her daughters and grandchildren had been intentionally disinherited.
In January 1951, Davis and Merrill adopted a five-day-old baby girl they named Margot Mosher Merrill (born January 6, 1951 - died May 5, 2022), after the character Margo Channing. In 1952, they adopted a baby boy, Michael (born February 5, 1952).
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."
A funeral was held at Campbell Funeral Home, New York, on May 13, 1977. In her will, which had been signed on October 28, 1976, Crawford bequeathed to her two youngest children, Cindy and Cathy, $77,500 each from her $2 million estate.
Christina has repeatedly stated that the film is highly inaccurate, and that the portrayal of her mother in the film is nothing like the real Joan Crawford, emphasizing that she never wrote in her book that Joan chopped down a tree with an axe, or beat her with a wire hanger as depicted in the film.
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.
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.
Michael Merrill, Bette's son, and Kathryn Sermak, Bette's personal assistant and friend, are now the executors of her estate. In her memory, they have created The Bette Davis Foundation, which provides financial assistance to promising young actors and actresses.
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.
But even Hollywood's power brokers couldn't destroy their strong connection, which lasted nearly 30 years. Later in life, Joan even came to Clark's rescue just when he needed her most. "We had an affair - a glorious affair - and it lasted longer than anybody knows," Joan confessed in 1968.
What movie is the rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford?
FEUD: Bette and Joan, the first installment of the new FX anthology series from Ryan Murphy, tells the story of the legendary rivalry between Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) during their collaboration on the Academy Award®-nominated thriller What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and well ...
Joan Crawford died in 1977. The movie Mommie Dearest was released in 1981. So, unless Joan Crawford “abused” Faye Dunaway from the grave, there is no story there.
"You're right. It's time. I love you all." We always knew Michael Landon as the loving father on "Little House on the Prairie," and it seems in real life he was just as much a family man.
On May 10, 1977, Joan Crawford died from a heart attack at her New York City apartment. At the time, outlets reported Bette's response to her colleague's death as they quoted her: "You should never say bad things about the dead, only good… Joan Crawford is dead? Good."
Grant was stricken before his scheduled performance at Davenport's Adler Theatre. He kept apologizing to his Quad-City hosts, and his last words may have been, "I'm sorry that I can't go on."
