Bette Davis

A grande dame of bitchiness, Davis brought intelligence and skill rather than beauty to her roles as a powerful woman whose goals conflict with social codes,rift gold whether in antebellum New Orleans, LA (Jezebel, 1938, Oscar) or twentieth-century Boston, MA (Now Voyager, 1942). While popular with female fans, Davis ran afoul of studios, suing Warner Brothers in 1936 for an unjust contract, which she lost. The studio, however, treated her with more respect, and put her in demanding roles. There were striking gaps in her career as she matured, despite her success as an older actor in All About Eve (1951) and her reinvention as an even older matriarch of horror (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, 1962), as well as in Disney fantasies. Davis’ unique voice, artful gestures (especially with a cigarette) and indomitable roles made many of her lines rift gold proverbial references among generations of American filmgoers, while her style created iconic status among gay commentators as well.