MovieChat Forums > Killer Bees (1974) Discussion > Bette Davis originally offered the role

Bette Davis originally offered the role

posted 16 years ago by aussiebears
3 replies | jump to latest

I have read that Bette Davis was originally offered the part that Gloria Swanson played in the movie.Bette liked the script and wanted to do the movie but was really scared of being stung by the bees seeing she had a bad allergic reaction earlier in life which could have killed her so she declined.I really think this would have been a great part for Bette to play considering she had played the mysterious Madame Sin not long before and then gone on to a play another creepy part in The Dark Secret Of Harvest Home not long after.

[–] HarlowMGM 11 years ago

Awww, Bette Davis got so many tv and movie roles in the 70s and 80s let Miss Swanson have this one. I knew that story of Bette being originally offered the part but I also wonder if the size of it had something to do with her turning it down as Kate Jackson and Edward Albert have much larger roles. I actually there was a touch of Bette Davis in her spooky, intimidating grande dames in Gloria's performance but that could be in part it's kind of the flavor most of the older actresses put in these kind of gothic roles. Interesting too that Gloria Swanson at 74 is almost too young to be playing this role since the movie alludes to the fact that she and her husband remained in America since the first WW broke out! Bette wouldn't have even been in double digits then!

[–] PrometheusTree64 10 years ago

I actually there was a touch of Bette Davis in her spooky, intimidating grande dames in Gloria's performance

Bette and Gloria were both Aries/Scorpio Rising. As was Joan Crawford. (Ignore charts which erroneously give Swanson a Sag Rising).

And there is no diva diva-ier than Aries/Scorpio Rising.

I've actually known unsophisticated moviegoers who've praised Bette Davis' performance in SUNSET BLVD. And when I tried to tell them it was Swanson not Davis, they thought I was crazy.

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Non-sequiturs are delicious.

[–] 10 years ago

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