Film Highlights

Now Voyager | Dark Victory | All About Eve | Jezebel | Academy Awards

Now Voyager
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Bette portraying a sheltered spinster, Miss Charlotte Vale, is brought out of her shell by a psychiatrist (Claude Rains), who sends her on a cruise to overcome a nervous breakdown. She meets and falls in love with Jerry (Paul Henreid), they develop a relationship even though he is married (tisk,tisk). It's all very lovely and set to an Oscar winning score by Max Steiner. If you're not bawling by the time Bette says this you're made of stone.


Dark Victory
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Here is one of Bette's lines.

All right another sob story but it is good. Bette portrays a young spoiled socialite who gets dramatic headaches first excused as 'Hangovers'. She goes to a Doctor (George Brent, shown right) for help and he immediately falls in love with her.  Discovering that she has an inoperable brain tumor (he keeps this a secret to her but tells her best friend), decides to marry her and make the rest of her days wonderful. Snooping around in his office one day finds her file, which prompts her to meet him and her best friend (Geraldine Fitzgerald) at a restaurant and ask for a serving of 'prognosis negative'.  Just see it, you'll understand.


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All About Eve
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Lets enter Margo's party now shall we ???

Who could ever forget Bette's portrayal of Margo Chaning. She was up against some stiff competition in this film, it co-starred Anne Baxter as Eve and a very beautiful Marilyn Monroe. The male cast included Gary Merrill and George Sanders in this cynical picture about the life of a megastar of the theatre and all those around her worshiping her and just waiting for her to fall. George Saunders as Addison De Witt (to Margo Channing): "You're maudlin and full of self-pity. You're magnificent!" She was all to aware of her precarious position and this sets the stage for some of the best movie lines ever. 

Bette was nominated for Best Actress Oscar that year, as was Gloria Swanson for Sunset Boulevard and the newcomer and winner Judy Holiday for Born Yesterday.  All About Eve won Best Picture, Direction, Screenplay and Suppoting Actor (Sanders).

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Jezebel

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This is one of her lines to Pres from the film.

Bette was unhappy with Warner Brothers when they refused this film for Ms. Davis to portray the arrogant New Orleans beauty Julie Marston With her constant attempts to push her fiance; Pres Dillard (Henry Fonda) to jealousy she finally succeeds in him breaking the engagement and leaving town. He returns some years later, married. Miss Julie's anger turns to vengeance resulting in the destruction of many of those around her. The film contains an excellent portrayal of the hysteria surrounding yellow jacket fever, but even this cannot overshadow Bette's heroin.

She won her second Academy Award for this film.
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Academy Awards

Actress 1935: DANGEROUS  
Actress 1938: JEZEBEL  
Nominated for Actress 1939: DARK VICTORY  
Nominated for Actress 1940: THE LETTER  
Nominated for Actress 1941: THE LITTLE FOXES  
Nominated for Actress 1942: NOW, VOYAGER  
Nominated for Actress 1944: MR. SKEFFINGTON  
Nominated for Actress 1950: ALL ABOUT EVE  
Nominated for Actress 1952: THE STAR  
Nominated for Actress 1962: WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?

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