The best of Bette Davis
Bette Davis (1908–1989), one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses and “First Lady of the American Screen”, made such a staggering number of great films, it’s nigh on impossible to pick the top ten. But tried I have, with the help of IMDb ratings.
Counting down from 10, here’s a list of Miss Davis’ best movies, listed in order of the average IMDb ratings.
Many of these films shared identical high ratings, so it fell to me to decide which ones made it onto the final list.
This is only my humble connoisseur’s opinion, and I’m sure you have some favorite Bette Davis movies/performances of your own! Feel free to put them in the comments; I’d love to see them!
10. Watch on the Rhine (1943) — IMDb average: 7.3/10
In a nutshell: A daring member of the Underground has spent years fighting fascism throughout Europe, at great risk to himself and his American wife Sara, and their three children.
They travel to America for a rest at Sara’s childhood home, but they cannot escape the shadow cast over them by their involvement in the war.
This is a beautiful, hard-hitting story, adapted from Lillian Hellman’s Award-winning play. Hellman, along with Dashiell Hammett, wrote the screenplay. Paul Lukas won Best Actor for his moving portrayal of a tired, hounded freedom fighter, and Bette Davis’ performance is quieter and more underplayed than usual. She is a very sympathetic character here, and she handles the role with maturity and grace.
Directed by Herman Shumlin
9. In This Our Life (1942) — IMDb average: 7.4/10
In a nutshell: Stanley Timberlake, an unhappy, self-centered woman, runs off with her sister’s husband the day before her own wedding! In doing so, she wreaks havoc and ruins the lives of those around her.
Overall, it’s simply a really good story with an engaging, intelligent script buoyed by the perfect cast. Bette Davis is so convincingly unlikable that you can’t help but hate her, and that’s the sign of a truly great performer. An interesting thing to note about this film, is its unusual portrayal of black people. The take on it is so refreshing and different from many other films of the era, that it must be seen to be appreciated.
Directed by John Huston
8. The Petrified Forest (1936) — IMDb average: 7.5/10
In a nutshell: Inside a small Arizona cafe, a group of innocent people spends a night being held at gunpoint by wanted criminal, Duke Mantee. Over the course of the evening, a fatalistic writer and a waitress with big aspirations fall in love and find purpose and destiny.
Given, it’s all pretty fanciful, but that’s where “suspension of disbelief” kicks in. Adapted from Robert E. Sherwood’s play, the dialogue is well-written; as rambling as it is intelligent. Young Bette Davis is very likable in this, as the French-American waitress, Gabrielle Maple. This film is also notable in Humphrey Bogart’s big break. Leading man Leslie Howard refused to do the film unless Bogart was cast as Duke Mantee, and years later, Bogart’s first child with Lauren Bacall was named Leslie, in honor of Leslie Howard.
Directed by Archie Mayo
7. Jezebel (1938) — IMDb average: 7.5/10
In a nutshell: A brash Southern belle realizes her actions have consequences, when her arrogant and selfish nature causes her fiance, banker Preston Dillard, to dump her. A year later, yellow fever has struck the town, and Dillard returns — with his new wife.
This was reportedly Bette Davis’ consolation prize for not getting the role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). However, both the film and her performance are far from second-rate. The part of Julie Marsden is not unlike Scarlett, in that she is an impetuous and strong-willed Southerner who realizes too late the love she has thrown away. For this role, Davis won her second Oscar for Best Actress.
Directed by William Wyler
6. Dark Victory (1939) — IMDb average: 7.5/10
In a nutshell: A terminally ill woman falls in love with her doctor, and they decide to spend the short time they have together finding happiness. As her time nears, she finds inner strength and courage she did not know she had.
This was one of the “big” films of 1939, nominated for Best Picture in a year when a bevy of great and timeless films were made. Besides Bette Davis and her favorite leading man George Brent, the supporting cast sports some pretty big names as well — Geraldine Fitzgerald, Humphrey Bogart, and Ronald Reagan. A “weepy”, as these types of films are sometimes called, it’s one of those inspirational tearjerkers, but that’s not quite as bad as it sounds.
Directed by Edmund Goulding
5. The Letter (1940) — IMDb average: 7.6/10
In a nutshell: In the middle of the night on a Malaysian plantation, a shot rings out. Then five more shots. Oh, look! Now there’s a corpse on the front stoop! Pretty soon, the dame who did the dirty deed is trying to plead self-defense, and her poor, loving, neglected husband is rather befuddled.
Though her part isn’t terribly sympathetic in this, Davis performs with her usual skill, adding an intriguing touch to the character. Herbert Marshall, true to form, is solid and charming. An excellently paced film noir with a taut, thoughtful script. The knockout ending contains several surprises.
Directed by William Wyler
4. Now, Voyager (1942) — IMDb average: 7.9/10
In a nutshell: A repressed, mousy woman is rescued from her stifling home life by a kindly doctor. After a brief rest at the sanitarium, she is sent out into the world to experience life and love for herself.
One of Davis’s greatest performances, this great, unforgettable romantic drama might be my personal favorite Bette Davis performance.
Claude Rains comes off marvelously, in one of his warmest, most human roles. By some mysterious means known as “Hollywood magic”, talented direction and acting take what could have been a pedestrian story, and turn it into something profound.
Directed by Irving Rapper
3. The Little Foxes (1941) — IMDb average: 8.0/10
In a nutshell: Turn of the century Alabama: greedy, conniving Regina Giddens schemes with her two brothers, Ben and Oscar Hubbard, to get the money they need to found a cotton mill. The only way they can get the money is through Regina’s sick husband, Horace, who is head of the town bank. But Horace, being a man of integrity, objects to their shady business dealings, and refuses to give them the money. Unfortunately, the Hubbard clan, like scrounging foxes, is determined to have their way …
Davis was once again Oscar-nominated, and so were supporting actresses Teresa Wright (in her screen debut) and Patricia Collinge, reprising her stage role. If Herbert Marshall is Davis’ leading man, you know he’s going to be treated worse than an old carpet, and you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Adapted from another hit play by Lillian Hellman, this is my second favorite film of all time. It’s a feast of good acting and melodrama of the highest order.
Directed by William Wyler
2. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) — IMDb average: 8.1/10
In a nutshell: Jane and Blanche Hudson are two spinster sisters who live together in an old Hollywood mansion. Jane was a successful child star, but Blanche’s career eclipsed hers in later years. Now Jane cares for the crippled Blanche, but she is bitter and desires revenge — and she’s not quite right in the head.
Baby Jane provided Davis with a career comeback, and yet another Oscar nomination — her tenth. The film also contains the iconic “I’ve Written a Letter to Daddy” sequence, a seriously bizarre musical number performed by Bette Davis, painfully off-key and twirling girlishly in front of a mirror. Supporting player Victor Buono contributes some absolutely priceless facial expressions during the aforementioned scene.
Directed by Robert Aldrich
- All about Eve (1954) — IMDb average: 8.2/10
In a nutshell: Fading stage star Margo Channing takes on young, stage-struck Eve Harrington as a protege. Soon, the helpful, intelligent girl shows her venomous nature, as she plans to take for herself the fame and power that was once Margo Channing’s.
Crackling with tension and snappy dialogue, this movie is filled to the brim with wit. The star-studded cast meshes beautifully, and this film ranks as one of the best movies about the world of the theater, and one of the most scintillating stories ever, at least in my book.
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
