I know, I must have been crazy for disliking this great screen icon, but that’s how it was for me. I disliked Bette, despite the fact that I really hadn’t any credibility when it came to judging her. I guess I just didn’t care about her one way or another, so I labeled her as easily dismissed.
To me, Bette Davis always seemed to have a icy and distant personality. She seemed so reserved. Despite all the good things I had heard about her, that's just how I felt, and I couldn't seem to get that notion out of my mind. I had never seen any of Davis' films until this past summer when I saw All About Eve (1950), and was not very impressed. Granted, I was half asleep because I was watching it late at night. That fact aside, Bette didn't make a huge impact on me.
It wasn't until three weeks ago that I saw Jezebel (1938) (which I was only watching for Henry Fonda) and realized how talented she really was. Her character and the storyline were both interesting, however, I wasn't blown away by her performance. (I know, you all think I'm screwy). I still wasn't a fan, but I did think she could act. So, I decided to give her another chance. It took a viewing of Now, Voyager (1942) to make me like Davis, and now I want to see more of her. Hopefully Bette Davis fans will forgive me for disliking her for so long.
After talking about Bette, I'm excited to watch Marked Woman (1937) tonight on TCM, which stars Bette with Humphrey Bogart. Since Bogie is in it too, hopefully I won't be dissapointed.
