Charles Pierce and Bette Davis

Charles Pierce was probably best known for his Bette Davis impersonation.

[@scotthix2297]

I worked with Charles back in the day. Wonderful man and mentor. The first time I tried to do my makeup I asked him what he thought…he quipped, “It’s fine , darling, next time try doing it with your eyes open.” Bette saw a few minutes of his show and said “He gets me.”

[@withonelook1985]

The thing about a Bette Davis impression is that it doesn't matter what your voice sounds like (as in a Liza or Streisand) but its the timing and inflection. Charles has it is spades.

[@brandonoconnor1079]

My husband is a drag queen and it’s truly an art form. His drag persona is a mixture of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.

[@anastasiabeaverhausen8220]

Such a genius. Tears of laughter and incontinence. Hysterical.

[@charlotteferren1192]

She's so GREAT!!!😀🙂❤❣

[@SymphonyBrahms]

"But 'cha are, Blanche! But 'cha are!"

[@Head-or-Dead]

Charles is excellent - even Bette Davis herself liked him. She called him "supremely talented."

[@michaelbiagi8875]

Actually I dont think Bette ever gave that comment about Charles Pierce. Can you quote your source?

[@geminidreamatl26]

Bette actually said she didnt think he did her right. Was she Helen Keller??

[@nickmorrell3559]

I thought she hated impressions of her ...supremely talented but no sense of humour ...especially about herself .

[@threedeemelodies]

@@nickmorrell3559 she considered impressions a sign of having “made it”

[@rodrigoca3288]

I'll never forget my films and I will never let you forget my films

[@michaelbiagi8875]

Charles truly was a 'genius'...and, the man who could make me laugh harder, and longer, than any other comedian I had the pleasure to work with. I learned more from this man about 'timing', and, how to provide an accompaniment that would help him "ride the waves of laughter' he could generate. I miss him --every day.

[@billpar]

ive watched this 20 times and never get tired of it and you are an amazing pianist Michael

[@PlatinumRoseLady]

What an INCREDIBLE performance! Such a talent!

[@TIMCATPRODUCTIONS]

We've watched this full show a million times!!...Hysterical!!...Such a talent!

[@bonniefox2027]

Hey! Saw Charles in SF. FANTASTIC!! He did Bette and Joan. Superb!!! Especially since BD IS my favorite actress. With Joan: she was my morbid curiosity. She was excellent in Mildred Pierce. Best to everyone...and STAY SAFE!

[@bobanderson3009]

Simply the best!

[@JorgeAl]

So amazing! So great! I saw the video without knowing him, before two nights in my tab and now I watch it every night! So hilarious and so great impersonating ...Bette and Mae West impersonations are amazing! 👏👏👏

[@Vejur9000]

There will never be another Charles Pierce. His performance here, is commanding as an actor. He was just that great as an actor, and just that funny. His vocal outbursts as Betty, are comic genuis.

[@tomgabbutt3066]

.....LIT! Genius timing. I've never seen this performer before, but he's amazing :)

[@goldenboi778]

He was a DIVA

[@Brentstarga]

This is absolute PERFECTION!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@piustwelfth]

His Bette Davis is uncanny. The best ever.

[@nickmorrell3559]

Doesn't sound like Bette. But has her mannerisms ..I love the dead ringer fringe

[@Shylah08]

I thought the hair looked more like Bette's in a stolen life haha

[@thierrydevant7690]

Fabulous

[@Dan-tk5zs]

What-are-you-talking-about??? Fantastic...

[@linchen008]

"The one female impersonater was a woooomaaan!!" I totally lost it 😂😂🤣.

[@felixlizarraga1033]

"Debbie Reynolds!"

[@craigbonney1411]

GENIUS!!!!

[@nicholas_flannery]

"Ive never been... so relaxed" FLOOOORED

[@robertturner402]

I love Bette Davis, 😍😍 and this guy is So Awesome and Amazing!!! I love this.

[@themaxcollective]

SO well-written

[@kyletpreston4421]

I loved his impersonation of Bette Davis !!!

[@1marywells]

I remember seeing Charles Pierce in San Francisco....at the Gilded Cage...sometime in the late 60's....I was only 17.....was very impressed with his wit n talent.....R.I.P....Charles..

[@dwightpowell6673]

You an ole'Queen like Charles was huh?

[@1remnantz]

I saw him there also..forgot the name of the location..you brought that all back...I remember him on a red velvet swing over the crowd.. To a rather straight seeming woman in the audience.."Is your husband gay? She was affronted "GAY!" "YES. You know. Happy, Carefree" I still remember that from many years ago. A time when people didn't toss that word about .

[@eddieharrison3801]

OMG I love Charles as B.D and J. C

[@eddievaldes9773]

So freaking brilliant! Classic!

[@markharris9102]

OK, the bird/toilet paper story was one of the funniest I'v heard in awhile. lol

[@joeg2964]

I can’t stop laughing.

[@ev4875]

So fucking fabulous

[@KellyCannon-gk5nx]

I'll truly never make fun of or belittle great actresses like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, either one of them being deceased, or anyone whom once was in this world being deceased. Seriously, oh yeah. I also hope Bette Davis and Joan Crawford friends forever again in Heaven. But I have to admit Charles Pierce's impression of Bette Davis commenting about Joan Crawford's death in this video's hilarious. "Joan Crawford. Dead you know. And she'll never let us forget it." Lol. He sounds exactly like Bette Davis. It's a riot.

[@MensAsses33]

Made me laugh, thank you

[@RT-vw6yw]

Saw him for the first time in a Designing Women episode!

[@markanthonyfuentes4052]

First female Impersonator to book Dorothy Chandler Pavillion and sold out shows. Real Bette Davis once of Charles Peirce 'Supremely Talented'

[@The-Battle-Brother]

Mark Anthony Fuentes Did Davis really see this show? Link to any information about her reaction??

[@markanthonyfuentes4052]

@@The-Battle-Brother I remember reading it in a book. I remember because it was the first time I had heard someone being referred to as 'supremely talented'.

[@The-Battle-Brother]

@@markanthonyfuentes4052 OK, thanks. That's good to know. I've wondered what Davis would have thought of this performance. Pierce is very good.

[@nickmorrell3559]

And for that alone he should be remembered as a drag trailblazer ...

[@dwightpowell6673]

​@@nickmorrell3559RuPaul is the real trailblazer of Drag.

[@franktorres2718]

AMAZING 👑

[@geminidreamatl26]

whats sad is Bette herself didnt like Charles impersonation of her! WTF????

[@dennismichael5891]

Wow....Excellent

[@ryanbrailey-tucker4935]

His BEST impersination!

[@larryransbottom9782]

Got to see him in New York Great Talent

[@stevendaniel8126]

Magnificent !!!!

[@shon7425]

Betty Davis. But I love the Mae West

[@peterward3965]

Bloody brilliant , that's entertainment

[@jamescarr3658]

Perfect

[@italopellegrino6122]

Good performance

[@dana31335]

Brilliant

[@TheBumlord]

"Would you like some eggs" - oeuf!

[@giamariewoods]

3:13

[@heru-deshet359]

Always thought Bette Davis was a dude. This guy is amazing!

[@ev4875]

Can someone explain the Hindu reference?

[@johnthompson932]

Love you baby

[@ev4875]

So good. Anyone know what the reference to RELY meant? Long ago

[@Blue_Lunacy]

I am told that it's female sanitary product.

[@michg8969]

"Raleigh" the brand of cigarettes.

[@felixlizarraga1033]

It was a brand of tampons. It hasn't been made in a long time, so nowadays it's kind of an obscure reference. I had to look it up myself.

[@orawal]

5:34 the hindu avon lady wud tinkle on ur lawn... Someone explain that joke plz

[@JoseighBlogs]

'Tinkle' like 'ring' is another onomatopoeia doorbell sound. 'Buzz' is another one. But, also 'tinkle' means having a piss or pissing (tinkle on the lawn = having a pee on the lawn).

[@ndog2005]

KZbin, Horrible, with it's constant 'loading';

[@JorgeAl]

The music in the beginning is from what movie?

[@CliffnDonChappellDuncan]

Now, Voyager

[@JorgeAl]

Cliff-n-Don Chappell-Duncan thanx! I ve seen this movie many years ago...

[@karolinesmail489]

Now voyager it was also used in the joan Crawford movie Mildred Pierce the great MAX STEINER

[@JorgeAl]

Karoline Smail thank you!

[@nickmorrell3559]

It's always now voyager ..

[@lotharwaltner4058]

👏👏👏👏🤣🤣

[@trilby5546]

Could he play in Tennessee?⭐️👍

[@dwightpowell6673]

He's dead ole' girl...he won't be playing anywhere....he didn't do anything during the height of the AIDS crisis...no benefit performances.

[@eddievaldes9773]

I still don’t get the Hindu Avon lady bit. Can someone give me a thorough run down?

[@eduardmccarthy9623]

6:06

[@jacknorman663]

Pure genius. Too bad he weren't still look icing. He would have been brilliant in Feud. At least he has the pelvic slouch down. Surandon was incapable of imitating Bette's physicalit.

[@tudorhistoryguy]

Can anybody explain the Rely joke at 4:16?

[@pravingurung9316]

She says earlier she relies on the kindness of strangers when she is handed the cigarette. Rely is supposed to sound like- real lie. The joke is supposed to be the fact that the guy who gave her the cigarette is obviously part of the act… and he is not a stranger. So it is a lie, a real lie.

[@franklinajohnson]

The line is from "A Streetcar Named Desire"

[@tudorhistoryguy]

@@pravingurung9316 ok thanks. I knew about the Streetcar line but I was so lost on the rest of it 😂

[@en1909s9iah]

Raleigh was also a brand of cigarettes

[@robertchalker2211]

Hahaha

[@SRX2004]

Laughing my ass off.

[@Garkenrat]

Omg that Shelley Winters joke made me pee! All the fat jokes about her though, was she ever really THAT big?

[@Ephemeral2023]

On Roseanne show

[@LazlosPlane]

A tad over the top, no? Even for homosexuals?

[@kongandgooshow]

What does "even for homosexuals" mean? Sounds like a bigoted homophobic statement.

[@CliffnDonChappellDuncan]

It's camp

[@LazlosPlane]

@@CliffnDonChappellDuncan Even "camp" can be over-done.

[@CliffnDonChappellDuncan]

@@LazlosPlane Camp means over the top! Have a nice day!

[@LazlosPlane]

@@CliffnDonChappellDuncan Wow, you really need this, don't you? How pathetic.