MovieChat Forums > Bette Davis Discussion > Bette's top five performances?

Bette's top five performances?


Bette was superb in the majority of her films, but which five films do you think she gives her best performances in?

For me it's the following.

The Little Foxes
All About Eve
The Letter
Mr Skeffington
Dark Victory


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For the sake of variety, I'll name 5 brilliant performances you didn't mention.

Bordertown

Jezebel

The Old Maid

The Catered Affair

The Nanny

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Oh yes she is wonderful in Jezebel.I have yet to see Bordertown and The Catered Affair, do you recommend them just for Bette or are they good films too?




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BORDERTOWN is very gritty. Bette and Paul Muni are fantastic together. It would be considered a film noir had it been made 10 years later. It's similar to THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE except Muni in BORDERTOWN doesn't commit a crime.

Also, BORDERTOWN was the inspiration for THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT.

Anyone who enjoys the film MARTY should appreciate THE CATERED AFFAIR.

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Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for both of them.



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1. The Old Maid
2. Jezebel
3. The Little Foxes
4. Now, Voyager
5. Dark Victory


I don't rate All About Eve AS MUCH because she's basically playing herself.





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Great choices.

I don't rate All About Eve AS MUCH because she's basically playing herself.

I guess you could see it like that but even if that's true what a superb performance though.




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How the *beep* was she playing herself? Sure she brought some of herself into the role but then again who the *beep* doesn't. It's obviously based on a few characters including Tallulah Bankhead ( which Bette Davis admitted). Did you know Bette Davis personally to make this assumption.

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I liked The Catered Affair a lot. It doesn't sound that exciting if you just read a synopsis, but the whole cast is so good!

That's to be expected from Davis and Borgnine. But this was the first movie I saw where I really appreciated Debbie Reynolds as an actress and not just an entertainer.

Janet! Donkeys!

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I agree. I’ve sometimes found Reynolds a but much to take, to be honest - her perkiness gets a little grating. But she was very good among the fine ensemble of The Catered Affair.

On paper, Davis really should have been miscast too as a working class mother with a New York accent, but she’s very good.

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