The Many Faces of Bette Davis

About this course:

Bette Davis’s fame was not based on her looks, as she was not considered to be conventionally attractive in her time. Before she made her first film, makeup artist Jack Pierce told her, "Your eyelashes are too short, hair's a nondescript color, mouth's too small, a fat little Dutch girl's face, and a neck that's too long." In this course, we discover how Bette Davis rose to become one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history—a true screen legend. And how, at a time when actresses were considered accessories to their male counterparts, she carried virtually every picture herself, and in doing so, helped to redefine what a woman's role was in society. We also look at her persona; although most people think of her as playing overbearing, temperamental and spiteful women, this was not always the case. When most actresses were considered finished by age 30, Bette went on to star in over 90 films, receiving a whopping 11 Oscar nominations for Best Actress, as well as an Emmy. We view and discuss seven films showcasing her immense talent in very diverse roles—a beautiful, albeit spoiled Southern belle in Jezebel (1938); a British monarch in Elizabeth, the Queen (1939); a murderess in The Letter (1940); a renowned author in Old Acquaintance (1943); a vain society woman in Mr. Skeffington (1944); a celebrated actress in All About Eve (1950) and a recluse with a troubled past in Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).