BETTE DAVIS "AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT" (1/6)

Originally broadcast on September 26th, 1996 on the Lifetime network, Bette Davis: An Intimate Portrait is one of the very best documentaries ever assembled on this remarkable woman, featuring rare and timeless interview footage alongside reminiscing from her closest friends and clips from her exhilarating body of screen work. Viewed in conjunction with 1982s A Basically Benevolent Volcano and 1993s All About Bette, it completes the definitive documentary portrait of the life and career of The First Lady of the American Screen.
Narrated by Lauren Hutton, the documentary features interviews with, among others, close friend Robert Wagner, film critic Susan Granger, Me & Jezebel author & playwright Liz Fuller, personal assistant Vik Greenfield , and her beloved son and proudest achievement , Michael Merrill.
VIVA LA BETTE!

[@TheTibmeister]

Nobody, but nobody WALKED like Bette Davis.

[@WalterLiddy]

Greatest screen actress of all time.

[@shpresa0721]

As a 27 year old woman I have been obsessed with Bette Davis since I was 16. An absolute icon, so strong, unique and brave! She has since been an inspiration to me!

[@newfful]

Been going through one Betty Davis movie after another and can't believe how impressive this woman was. You don't see that with very many actresses or even actors today sadly.

[@JennsCorner777]

Probably because most scripts suck nowadays.

[@youngyhasard3219]

De nos jours tout EST FAUT, RIEN N EST SINCÈRE DANS TOUS LES DOMAINES

[@johnvilanova4962]

Bette Davis - we love you!!!

[@isammolina4842]

Yesss!!!!😲😆👍❤

[@Nemie125]

I think Bette was absolutely beautiful! A legend and a real star.

[@latonng]

try to find a better actress than her with such carrisma . you won't. love her so much. xxxx

[@TheAngiehubbard]

Laton Ng Viola Davis.

[@user-mj8nf2vp7q]

@@TheAngiehubbard ... Good but NOPE!

[@devtrev6181]

What a woman she was. Brains, beauty - she had it all. Every man needs a woman like her.

[@anneliasson2585]

Sorry, but most of you can not!

[@devtrev6181]

ann eliasson Most of us cannot what?

[@anneliasson2585]

Hitta ett sådant rivigt kvinnfolk som kan ersätta mamma.

[@devtrev6181]

ann eliasson Easy for you to say....

[@astonvilla3607]

A TRUE LEGEND -- AN ORIGONAL -- WHAT A GREAT STAR -- (thanks for uploading)

[@cranky1chick]

That entire Cavett interview with Bette from 1971 is my favorite of all the interviews she gave. I've seen several of her Pre-Code films, some good and some bad, but it's amazing how she could always elevate the material she was given, Plus, young Bette was a honey. Studio heads must have been blind.

[@JennsCorner777]

What are Pre-Code films?

[@Bluejeans0701]

There are hundreds of Hollywood beauties, but nobody could top Bette Davis. I admire her so much that I use one of her photos for the wallpaper of my iPhone. She remains amazing even though she has been deceased for more than two decades. I always thank Claudette Colbert for her sudden illness, which gave Bette a chance to play Margo Channing as a replacement.

[@TheTibmeister]

I absolutely adore Bette. There has never been one like her before and will never be again. She was a powerhouse. A true original. And such a hard worker, supported her mother sister four husband, that ungrateful lunatic bitch of a daughter and two others, one seriously disabled. She was also beautiful in an unconventional way. She was tiny but carried the world on her shoulders. And whatever else said about her she could look angelically beautiful (Jezebel) or hideous (Jane). She was indefatigable and could play anything.. R.I.P Bette

[@lucy0537]

Very well said Jane!! I couldn't agree with you more!!

[@eddiecheung7795]

Yes, she is the best ever.

[@Schillerforme]

she was so beautiful! Brilliant

[@zxingzxing]

Bette Davis came to Warner Bros with an immense amount of theatrical training. She was a terrific Actress and I loved her for all that she was, everything !

[@claudiasutton8240]

Those very expressive eyes. I loved her fantastic actress, beyond Hepburn.

[@brianmichaels3603]

What a fascinating intelligent woman. The greatest dramatic actress of all time. I loved how she referred to herself as a "Yankee girl". Definitely has that east coast confidence and outspokenness. Looking up her interviews on KZbin has been a delight. I must say I loved her interaction with Dick Cavitt. He to was a great interviewer ( look up his interviews with Hepburn and Mae West ) today's journalist and TV personalities could learn a lot from him and Hollywood today should look to Bette example . LEGEND is not a big enough agitative to describe Bette Davis.

[@paulpearce1161]

The most wonderful of actresses.A screen actress that will live on and on.Still loved and admired.

[@vivsleigh2054]

An amazing woman and actress. Love her!

[@crystalclear6411]

She's such a classic lady.

[@davidanthonystone5165]

She will always live on. Talented beyond

[@thenicklas615]

An extraordinary woman and I miss her.

[@lordtom1997]

She is my favorite actress. Never forget when I first saw Jezebel in a beautiful Friday night many years ago. WONDERFUL BETTE ❤️💐⭐️

[@lovingmayberry307]

I love, love, love BD!!!

[@lucy0537]

Love Bette Davis!!

[@markrichards6863]

There will never be another Bette Davis. She is still dynamite on the screen. My personal favorite film of Hers is The Letter. It was such a nuanced performance.

[@angelashevlin2656]

Strong.talented beautiful actress 💃🏽

[@beaut082153]

This marvelous woman since the beginning she taught every body in Hollywood what is acting, not being a symbol or a beautiful woman, when I saw Bad Sister she showed a great work but Metro and Louis B. Mayer believed that she was not the right one for them and they were right, because latter she proved in Warner Brothers what is being an outstanding actress. Bette Davis marked the right way for professional actors; she marked the difference between professional actress and a symbol....

[@Etheline]

*It almost killed me to wait!* SHE IS LOVELY!!! That's why she got me!

[@Lolabelle59]

Love her.

[@donwardell4605]

I was sitting at JFK on a 747 waiting for take off - when the senior ground host got on the 'plane with a woman. I was reading a book and didn't' look up but in place of thank you the woman turned to the hostess and said in a loud voice "Right!" There was only one person who spoke like that and we had a great flight to LA ---every piece of paper was passed up to first class for her signature - "Right!!" what a girl/lady - oh yes Ms D was a lady!.

[@DavidJohnson-yq4nz]

Legend

[@youngyhasard3219]

Je l ai vue mercredi diffuser sur RTL EN BELGIQUE. C ETAIT UN TRES BEAU FILM

[@rubylee446]

I adore better Davis as a person and an actress

[@patitadelrosario4910]

Desde la serie feudos Betty Davis ha sido un gran descubrimiento y motivo de inspiración y admiración.

[@cheykiddd]

Wow she definitely is a Lowell girl im from there,and when I heard her accent I knew she was

[@johngalvin3124]

Perhaps the greatest actress ever to be herself and succeed.

[@angiel2710]

Bette Davis = Lightening Bolt

[@grace_from_dogville]

"...Lauren, Katherine, Lana Too, Bette Davis We Love You!!!..."

[@carajene2725]

Happy Birthday. My friend at the 8th AF Museum cut her grass when he was a teenager in Maryland.

[@davidbrown552]

Hollywood "glam" didn't know what to do with this "mousey" girl. Unbelievable. Most men would faint.

[@ritadaniels7931]

Can anyone do it as good as Davis. A hard one to follow

[@edmundjohngabriel1732]

We love you Ms bette Davis

[@gazpipe916]

been to Lowell Mass. many times too. She did, in many ways, embody the yankee mindset and work ethic.

[@elsablue3646]

Yes we do! The best ever!

[@patrizia6139]

The best

[@xtinaandravenfan]

Thanks sooooo much for uploading these.

[@DoubleDogDare54]

She always astounded me as an actress - she was not beautiful, but you couldn't take your eyes off her. She was irascible, yet charming. She was the ultimate enigma. She was unique.

[@scotnick59]

Very well-said and I agree with you 100%

[@toddcanton9537]

I fell in love with Charlotte Vale one evening, late at night during Now Voyager, I think she needed the love of someone like me, someone who might bring her down to earth when she got too high, built her up when she got too low and looked the other way when she threw a tantrum. I would never try to over power her, I might let her rant and rave and when it was over, I would accept her as what she truly was, a woman......

[@rubylee446]

I hope Harlow bete dad is spinning in his grave now days the Judge would put him in jail or garnish his wages. Her mom was an angel

[@jazzysophie9943]

This is "All About Eve." I have all her movies.

[@harrisnina6448]

bette's a ARIES with SCORPIO ascendant. that's where she got her aggression and strength. 2 very strong personalities.

[@indiefilms111]

I liked All About Eve and Baby Jane.

[@gmaureen]

@sanjac07 I so agree with you. I'm not sure why the studio heads didn't see her beauty, but as a 22-25 yr old she was gorgeous.

[@TheTibmeister]

She was also highly educated, along with Katharine Hepburn and Vivien Leigh, Hedy Lamarr. Unusual in young actresses in those days. The studios did not like their actresses too bright....

[@TheRmjr]

Jane Kirk And Lucille Ball

[@apexxxx10]

kiitos

[@aspenrebel]

She went to the same High School as I did, for like her Sophmore year only. But a long, long, long time before I did. Long time before my father did.

[@indiefilms111]

have you noticed that many of them who play characters who are feeling like they are having an heart attack, that the actual actor eventually has one. Tony Soprano in the movie was always stating that he was having panick attacks and he went to psychiatrist in the show. He allegedly died of heart attack. Then there was Fred Sanford or Red Foxx on Sanford and Son he always said the he was going to be with Elizabeth and he too was having a heart attack. How did he die? heart attack.

[@tubester4567]

I like how they say she was from a poor family when her father was an attorney, she lived in a big fancy house and she went to boarding school. lol Shes great though.

[@susanb2015]

@Kyle S. I wish my kids father would have abandoned us. We could have been happy. The United States is the worst country in the world. They put kids with abusive parents. Throw loving mothers in the street so their abusive fathers can move sluts in to replace her. Not to mention all of the kids they steal for profit who end up with pedophiles or beaten to death.

[@tubester4567]

@@susanb2015 Worst in the world? Its illegal for a woman to ask for divorce in 1/4 of the world, and a woman can be legally beaten. Girls are forced into marriage as children in half the world. Her father abandoned her in a mansion with child support. They had enough money to go to boarding school. Thats not poor compared to the majority of the poor at that time. Most poor families at that time were living in one room boarding houses.

[@susanb2015]

@@tubester4567 Maybe not the worst. The whole world is one sick place.

[@snoopytimedoll8414]

Love Betty Davis, but disagree with opening remarks. Hollywood has never changed the way it views women.

[@scott12061972]

Bette is the greatest. Uma Thurman. No one can be Bette.

[@7777lizabeth]

Robert Wagner sure got over quickly the accidental death of his beautiful wife Natalie Wood! A drunken night of fighting Natalie ended up dead in the water over the side of their boat??? He wasted no time hooking up with Stephanie Powers!

[@FighterAttacks]

THE woman.

[@daltonbelflower7331]

Bette was (to me) at her best as Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950). But why, oh why, does Robert Wagner have to be on these biographies? I can't stand him. He still hasn't answered for Natalie Wood's tragic demise. Sorry, Wagner fans.

[@TheRmjr]

Dalton Belflower To me, her personal best was The Letter. But All About Eve is credited as her “comeback” film.

[@goldengirl67]

At 3:26 sec Bette Davis reminds me of Susan Sarandon.

[@ginogennaroalonso1067]

She is ....she . 2020

[@1988ccmarie]

Something just doesn't sit right with me. Every time I look into these older movie stars they all ruin their heath by smoking, drinking, and taking pills. It seems Hollywood hasn't changed. I admire those who can keep a healthy life style and stay beautiful and untouched from all the poison. I have yet to find an actress who doesn't drink, smoke, or take pills in that era. Such a sad thing because all of their illness came from doing so and could have been preventable.

[@thetrainwreck1469]

Where are the rest of the series?

[@dadodydo]

Nobody has noted that cute pet terrier..

[@karolinesmail3001]

April 5th 1908

[@indiefilms111]

So true. just like Queen Latifah looks like Pearl Bailey, halley Berry looks like Dorothy Dandridge, Teresa Graves looked exactly like Whitney Houston, Mathew Mcaugnahey looked like Josh Lucas, Dean Cain looks a lot like Leanne Rhymes husband Eddie Cibrian, heck I thought that was th same dude. josh lucas and matthew mcconaughey look alike. Demi Moore and Jada Pinkett Smith look like black and white Twins.

[@davidbrown552]

Let's say Carol Channing couldn't play Margo Channing.

[@gazpipe916]

My uncle Rubin Geary used to take Bette and Gary fishing in the Florida Keys. How he never asked for an autograph at least, nothing. He did bring me an officers hat with the entire Philly Flyers hockey team, my mom washed it with bleach.

[@jorgedominguez1957]

What it's the name of the movie where she gets blind and died?

[@kellyf6624]

Dark Victory

[@jorgedominguez1957]

@@kellyf6624 Thanks

[@angeladeen6168]

lv always loved bette since l cud crawl. yet l carnt find out her date! and month of birth. any one help me with that?

[@Makaylah13]

Angela Deen April 5, 1908

[@safarigurl150]

@cherrybombx27 I dunno...i mean maybe they were money hungry, but these were adopted kids who were ALREADY RICH and famous thanks to their mother. usually, orpahns are thankful to their adoptive parents and would never dream of smearing thier name for a few bucks. the fact that Joan left nothing for her kids when she dies is jus strange.either they were terrible brats or SHE was, who only adopted for fame and put those kids through hell...Im going to ere on the side of the kids, just to be safe

[@hasanidallas49]

so her mother is the real " Mildred Pierce" its shame she didnt play that role!

[@safarigurl150]

@cherrybombx27 whenever a child makes an allegation agains a parent, especially one who is known to be a little wacko, we should always first believe the child then look to disprove their claims. whenever children are abused, adults sometimes make the mistake of barking at their allegations or saying they are lying. its not only a betrayal but a mistake. there are many less kids who lie than those who are truly abused.

[@safarigurl150]

her daughter wrote a tell all book that ROASTED her....same thing happened to her enemy Joan Crawford...why do ppl do this?

[@JennsCorner777]

Money and jealousy

[@bonniebucklaw4143]

9:33

[@hanksta79]

Poor thing was sexually assaulted by a dozen men at 13 and just casually laughs it off... Man things have changed (for the better)

[@TheRmjr]

Hank Taylor I have not heard of this?

[@DiabolicalAngel]

@gmaureen I'd argue she was beautiful well into middle age. I think she was very sexy in All About Eve :)

[@RobertoLorenzPianist]

Is this commentary woman drunk?

[@DEAD-FROM-NY]

Lauren Hutton. Who knows from this choice of narrator.

[@indiefilms111]

Brittany Murphy played a CHARACTER in a movie where she died in a bathtub. How did Brittany Murphy die? she died in a bathtub. Just saying. I remember taking a class a acting class and they said that the mind is very powerful and doesn't know about you're pretending. One can convice the body to do all sorts of things as maybe we don't know. Perhaps it psychosomatic. In anycase the list goes on

[@weRweekendwarriors]

Ugh...Robert Wagner who cares what you think!!!

[@amyclarke41]

good actress but a hard person😣

[@robertpayne4435]

Hard can also be bad. Just an innocent observation

[@HeatherGlen33]

OMG Madonna? The squatty Italian? BD eyes are her trademark.

[@HeatherGlen33]

Oh come on..Bette was not beautiful. Her mouth is twisted, and her nose is from perfect. One has to examine this and agree that she was a powerful actress, and was willing to play roles that others denied. She does have expressive eyes. My husband met her when he was a young salesman. He said " she was not a looker, but she had a great presence."

[@thudinh2491]

When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.