Bette Davis would have been a hundred this [month], and over on her indispensable Sunset Gun [hyperlink] Kim Morgan celebrates via a round-up of some of Diva Davis?s most badass bitchiest moments:
?She was a doll?a doll that could easily contend with Chucky, but a doll nonetheless. God knows she had those famous, buggy-beautiful eyes, silky skin and an amazing chest, but Davis, like most women, lived with numerous imperfections. She didn?t harp on these flaws or engage in diva delusions. Instead, she gleefully played up her problem areas. And it sometimes made her all the more attractive. In All About Eve, she?s supposed to be an insecure, ageing star. Yet even when a young Marilyn Monroe walks on, you can?t take your eyes off Bette. And it wasn?t just her looks. It was her way. Everything Bette did ?walking (in minced steps), talking (with exacting enunciation), smoking (in circular jabs)?she did with a flourish. Bette was her own unforgettable invention, an unconventional glamour-puss, who stands the test of time. Unlike sanctioned beauty, Bette?s particular magic is something that never fades.?
Were Davis around to read this [hyperlink], I?m sure she?d approve, as Morgan knows what she?s talking about and dishes up her affection for the late star in prose both witty and acidic. I would recommend watching Ex-Lady [hyperlink], a witty pre-code sex comedy with Davis as a young commercial artist. It?s one of those ?still ahead of it?s time? scintillators that make today?s rom-coms seem like so much post-code neo-con propaganda in comparison. Not only that, but it?s very funny, and Davis is actually a bona fide sexy babe.
So happy birthday, Bette. Long may your films inspire women everywhere to stop reigning in their inner bitchery and to become their own ?unforgettable inventions.?
?Bright Lights After Dark brightlightsfilm.blogspot.com