B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping the works of Bette Davis into the ol’ VCR. 

So, this piece actually evolved from a piece about “hag” horror to a spotlight on Bette Davis. For those who listen to the Boulet Brothers’ podcast, Creatures of the Night, you’ll get where this idea came from. I digress.  

When I started my research, it became abundantly clear that Bette Davis needed a dedicated piece. She has this commanding presence about her while also chewing the scenery around her to pulp in a way I can’t describe; words truly can’t do her performances justice. 

In All About Eve, she almost has a Lorelai Gilmore air about her. She’s quippy and independent while somehow also maintaining Emily Gilmore’s regalness and high expectations of those around her. 

Additionally, I hadn’t watched All About Eve since college, and I think it might be one of my new favorite movies. There are so many iconic scenes, and the writing and acting are both top notch. 

In What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, she’s cruel while still somehow gaining your pity. Everything she does to Blanche (Joan Crawford) is intentional, but Jane (Bette Davis) is still tormented by her aging mind. 

It also led to one of my all time favorite scenes from Popular. 

Video source: Kennedy High BR

In Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, she’s complex. She’s been hardened by the tragedy of her past, and she has a meanness about her. Charlotte also has one of the wildest accents I’ve ever heard in my entire life, but that’s an entirely different discussion. 

Bette Davis was, and still is, one of the greats. If she were still alive, I’d love to see her working with the likes of A24. 

Like, can you imagine a Bette Davis horror movie with A24 involvement? COME ON. 

I would also love to see her go toe-to-toe with Nic Cage. They could take a bite out of the scenery, Lady and the Tramp style. 

I feel like the 90210 theme song should be playing in the background of this photo

In all seriousness though, Bette Davis’s talents are undeniable. 

On top of inspiring one of my favorite songs of all time, I really feel like she set the precedent for many of the tropes we still see in horror and thriller movies today. 

The unreliable narrator. The misunderstood woman who lives alone. The calculated villain who manipulates those around them with a smile and ingenuity. 

I know Bette Davis wasn’t perfect; no one is. 

But, to me, Bette Davis is one of the shimmer gems from the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

RIP 🖤