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.
In spite of their many differences, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were ultimately bound by one heartbreaking similarity—difficult relationships with their eldest daughters, both of whom dabbled unsuccessfully in acting before taking their angst public with nasty tell-alls.
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.
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."
During production, Davis entered a relationship with director William Wyler. She later described him as the "love of my life", and said that making the film with him was "the time in my life of my most perfect happiness".
The betrayal of Bette Davis by her daughter B.D. Hyman
Did Bette Davis dislike Errol Flynn?
Errol Flynn and Bette Davis disliked each other, and when Elizabeth slaps Essex in front of the entire court, Davis hauled off and unexpectedly belted Flynn for real during a dress rehearsal, a blow that brought stars to his eyes.
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.
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.
Dunaway never fired back at Davis before Davis passed away, but revealed some of her thoughts towards Davis in her 1995 autobiography Looking For Gatsby. She wrote, "I was silent too long about ... Bette Davis.
They had one of the most scandalous and long-lasting feuds in Hollywood history, but throughout Bette Davis and Joan Crawford's history, there was just one thing that Davis said she'd "never forgive" her nemesis and one-time co-star. It didn't have to do with a role or one of their projects outshining the other's.
She got Bette Davis eyes. She's not just captivating in her looks, she's got the chutzpah to back it up. She's bold, confident, and definitely skilled in the art of seduction. She seems to know what she wants and goes after it, but no partner is safe when under her spell.
Crawford had a heart attack on May 10, 1977, and died in her apartment in Lenox Hill, New York City. Her age was reported as 69. On May 6, 1977, Crawford had given away her Shih Tzu, Princess Lotus Blossom, because she was too weak to continue to care for her.
Among those who attend are: Joan's adopted children, Christina, Cathy and Cindy, and son, Christopher; Joan's secretaries, Betty Barker and Florence Walsh and Joan's Christian Science practitioner, Marque Campbell.
The enmity between Davis and Crawford created one of the most famous celebrity feuds of all time. Why did they hate each other so much? Well, it's a long story. Crawford was already a big star when Davis was making her first appearances in movies.
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 ...
What did Bette Davis say about Joan when she died?
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."
Not quite: "Bet" is the correct pronunciation for Bette, as it is a French name—but Bette Davis pronounced her name "Betty" regardless, so "Betty" is the correct pronunciation for her.
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.
Among the biggest names vying for the role were Lucille Ball, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, and Lana Turner, but Selznick rejected them all as unconvincing for one reason or another. For a while, the frontrunners were Tallulah Bankhead and Paulette Goddard but he bypassed them as well.
