Feuding Facts About Bette Davis, The Empress Of Hollywood
With her famously big eyes and her infamously “unlikable” characters, Davis poured everything she had into her craft. After all, you don't get 10 Oscar nominations just for being pretty. But Bette Davis's road to success was far from idyllic.
She got married four times (!), stood up to major studio executives, and of course, sharpened her claws in a legendary feud with Joan Crawford. Pull back the scarlet curtain as we explore the dramatic life of a Hollywood juggernaut.
Bette Davis Facts
1. Her Name Has A Secret Meaning
Bette Davis was actually born Ruth Elizabeth Davis on April 5, 1908. She would be known as “Betty” (note: not yet Bette) to her friends…presumably for her middle name, not her first. She dropped the “y” for an “e” into Bette after seeing a friend reading Honoré de Balzac’s novel, La Cousine Bette. It took years before Davis found out that the character was a bit of a bad girl—kinda like the over-the-top women that Davis often played...
2. She Had A Dark Idol
When asked why went into acting, Davis cited a 1926 production of The Wild Duck starring Peg Entwistle. Just three years later, Davis snagged the Entwistle’s role in said show. However, Davis's childhood idol met a horrific end. Entwistle infamously climbed to the top of the Hollywood sign and jumped to her end—and just like her hero, Davis would grapple with dark times too...
3. She Was Difficult
Right from the beginning of her career, people had polarizing opinions about Bette Davis. As a sign of her, ahem, combative personality, Davis actually got snubbed by a New York theater troupe called the Manhattan Civic Repertory Theatre.
Their reasons for turning down one of the greatest actresses of all time? Her, and I quote, “frivolous” and “insincere” attitude.
