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Title details for Bette Davis by Barbara Leaming - Available

Bette Davis

A Biography

by Barbara Leaming
Grace Conlin
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

She was the tempestuous, strong-willed woman who ignited the movie screen with her legendary performances in Of Human Bondage, Jezebel, and All About Eve. Off-camera, Bette Davis fought endless contractual battles with studios and survived four disastrous marriages, earning a larger-than-life reputation as an actress to be reckoned with. In this extraordinary biography, fans and film historians will discover a different, darker side of Bette Davis: a woman beset with scarring personal and professional doubts, a daughter whose mother was devoted to her success, and a mother who loved her own daughter to distraction. Obsessive and compulsive, Davis was happy only when she was working, but did not always choose her projects wisely. She fought a lifelong battle with alcohol, and she had an insatiable need to be loved, often at great emotional cost. A legend, a star, a remarkable woman, Bette Davis lived her life as if it were a coveted role she was desperately afraid she might not win.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 6, 2012

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781483053448
      • File size: 367170 KB
      • Duration: 12:44:56

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 4, 1992
      The author of biographies of Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles, Leaming offers a portrait of Bette Davis (1908-1989) that is both sympathetic to the actress and frank about her legendary bitchiness and horrible treatment of family and friends. The star of Jezebel and All About Eve , among other notable films, Davis's presentation of herself over the years in interviews and her two autobiographies was misleading at best, Leaming shows. Using material--including scrapbook-diaries kept by Davis throughout her life, letters and other documents--only recently released, Leaming demonstrates that Davis was deeply affected by her father's abandonment of the family when she was a young child. This, combined with her mother's pampering, created a self-assured, demanding person. Although marred by flat writing, the book is distinguished by its psychological understanding of the subject. Photos not seen by PW. BOMC featured alternate; Reader's Digest Condensed Book selection; author tour.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Leaming recounts Davis's half-century on stage and screen in lengthy detail. The writing, however, impedes reader Grace Conlin's talent. Conlin can vary her timing and pitch to some extent, but with little dialogue, there's no need for vocal recognition. Devotees of the actress will appreciate Leaming's meticulous research. An abridgment, however, would suffice for most. D.W.K. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 4, 1994
      Leaming's portrait of Davis, sympathetic yet frank about her horrible treatment of family and friends, is flatly written but insightful.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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