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Customer Reviews (12)

SIMPLY GORGEOUS BOOK!
This is SUCH a beautiful book!Granted, I haven't read all of the text yet, but the photos are movie-star-beautiful and the many quotes from the movie star herself are sassy, as she was.This book, along with the similar book on Lana Turner are a must for anyone who longs for the Hollywood Glamour of the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

Bette Davis in Pictures
Many books have been written about Miss. Davis (good and bad), but no book has ever paid the photo tribute to this film legend that Larger than Life has. If you admire Bette Davis as a woman and as an artist than this is a must have for your collection. Even if there are flaws in the text, this book is worth its salt for the photos alone.

Fabulous color pics of Bette Davis
This book is loaded with pictures and wonderfully readable text.What separates this book from all others are the rather large number of color photos, most of which I'd never seen before.This publication is a big treat for Davis fans.

NOT WORTH THE PRICE
I was sorely disappointed with this volume.Yes, the photographs are beautiful...high gloss on the finest paper.But the prose in this volume is so full of misinformation and factual errors it is an insult.

For example, the author dares to say that Bette Davis does an excellent vocal impersonation of Joan Crawford in a scene in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane."This is totally wrong.Davis did not do the voice!Crawford did and they dubbed her voice.That is just one of many factual errors in this book.Another is they referred to David Brian (Bette Davis' co-star in "Beyond the Forest" as "Brian Keith"!!!!!"There are many, many more mistakes!

Aside from that, as other reviewers posted here, there is nothing, absolutely nothing new to be learned here.A very poor job of research.This book is not worth the almost $50.00 asked for.Only the most die-hard Bette fans will be pleased with this book.....if only for the photographs.But the beautiful photographs cannot make up for the poor writing and editing job on this book.

A Steal!
This is a gorgeous coffee table book....the photos alone make the purchase worthwhile whether you find the bio and movie reviews accurate or not-you cannot beat the price for such a great album of beautiful shots of Bette. A must for her die-hard fans! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (19)

Worth the read
Dark Victory by Ed Sikov is a well researched fair reflection of the life and times of Bette Davis. With one or two exceptions (i.e. The recollections of a studio hand related to Davis & Franchot Tone - a story I just didn't believe) I found it to be a fair and honest reflection of a complex artist and human being by the author. An excellent read by this author. A must for any Bette Davis fan.

Best of Bette
Having read all of the books on Bette Davis - this one is the best of all!Fills in some of the blanks in the others and adds fascinating tidbits!You'll revel in the tiny secrets and Bette's critiques of actors she's worked with. You'll learn reasons why she went the way she did in her acting career and understand better what really drove her!Was she really happy?Damn well she was, because she did it her way!Well written and a fast read, but you'll want to go slowly and savor each morsel!

Fascinating!
I've always wondered about the real Bette Davis, and this book tells me more than I knew before. But we will never know the real BD.

Shallow but Fun
"Dark Victory" is a shallow but fun biography of Bette Davis. It covers the entire sweep of her life, focusing especially on her work in films.

"An Excellent Bette Davis Biography"
There are virtually dozens of Bette Davis books that have been released over the years, especially since her death. "Dark Victory" is one of the best. Not only does author Ed Sikov give the reader a nice overview of her life in pictures, but he also goes into great detailed discussion about her personal life. If you have never read a book on Bette Davis before, or simply have just discovered her through her films, this book is a fabulous way to start getting anecodotes and information on one of the screen's greatest actresses. All her films are covered here from "Jezebel", "Dark Victory", "All About Eve", to "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?". Her marriages and love affairs and her children are discussed in inate detail as well. Mr Sikov writes candidly on the good side of Bette Davis, but he is not shy in writing about her shortcomings. This is an excellent read; I had the book completed in two days. Publisher's Weekly says the book is "perceptive and superbly written". "Dark Victory" also comes with 35 black and white photographs. ... Read more

Product Description
Noted film biographer Charlotte Chandler interviewed Bette Davis extensively in the last decade of her life, resulting in a biography in which the great actress speaks for herself. Chandler also spoke with directors, actors, and others who knew and worked with Davis, and includes brief synopses of all of her theatrical films. Here are some more examples of Bette's wit to be found within these pages: "I'm the one who didn't get the man, which is the more interesting character on the screen, but in real life sometimes I wish I could just have been the girl who got the man, and kept him. I got four husbands and several lovers, but I didn't keep any of them. I was invited to the White House, but no man stayed to share my white cottage." "My favorite actor with whom I never played, professionally or personally, was Laurence Olivier. I admired everything about him. He was a great actor, and he was my dream man. Literally and figuratively. Larry was my fantasy lover, the perfect man, or at least I thought he would be. He was not only beautiful, but intelligent." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

For Other Readers This Is 4 To 5* Stuff
I am Bette Davis' #1 fan. I have had that self-proclaimed distinction since I was 10 years old. And that is precisely why I am lukewarm about this book. If I were a novice in Bette-land, I suspect I'd like this book more. The problem is I have read everything about Bette, including her fairytale over-dramatized autobiography and all the subsequent bios written about Bette by her son and daughter, acquaintances, and total strangers. Unless Bette rises from the dead or Charles Higham exposes Bette as a nazi operative in cahoots with Errol Flynn, nothing is much of a surprise. That is the point. This book didn't contain any insights on Bette Davis that were new, interesting, and/or exciting for me. The general effect left after reading this was deja vu time.
This book is realistically a 4* book if you know little or nothing about Bette Davis. As far as I can tell, it is accurate. Statements made in this book can be corroborated by other people and have been documented in other books. It's a fair treatment. Chandler is a good writer. Unless you are also Bette Davis' #1 fan,read this book because it is good. Unfortunately, there has been so much out there about Bette that it's hard to dig up new information.

Where's the beef?
The breezy style does not match the razor wit of the immortal Miss Davis. I longed for more on the turncoat daughter and the gimmee mom.

Bette Davis review
I havn't got to read this book yet but from thumbing through it it looks really good.

"Bright people are too often sarcastic," says Bette...
It's not until the final pages of the book that Charlotte Chandler really give us some insight into the full Bette Davis personality, as she talks about her views on growing up in a household where she felt battered by "her father's devastating wit...Bright people are too often sarcastic. My father was, and I grew up being quite sarcastic, like him."

Otherwise, this Bette Davis book seems more like a retread of all the books that have already covered her life. One of the best was Lawrence Quirk's extremely penetrating and well-written book called "Fasten Your Seatbelts: The Passionate Life of Bette Davis."

Something new that I did learn: Davis was tempted to play Mary Todd Lincoln in the late '40s, but ended up doing WINTER MEETING ('48) instead--which turned out to be a mess. Too bad she didn't follow her original idea, but let Warner Bros. choose her next project instead.

I expected to hear more about the Bette Davis/Susan Hayward confrontations on the set of WHERE LOVE HAS GONE, but there is not even a mention of Miss Hayward in the brief mention of this film.

Nor is there much to be said of Olivia de Havilland, supposedly one of Bette's few female friends who also happened to be a big star. The HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE section could certainly have included some admiration for de Havilland replacing Joan Crawford as well as she did--since Bette was extremely grateful that her friend agreed to the accidental casting which worked so brilliantly. No mention made of Robert Aldrich's actual comment when he declared: "We were better off with Olivia. She was great."

It does include his opinion that Bette "was born to thrive on conflict," which helps explain what motivated all the on-the-set tensions that existed on the set of most of her films.

A photo in the very fine photo spread has a misidentified photo labeled as Bette in the CHARLOTTE role, but it appears to be from another film.

At least Celeste Holm does get her chance to expand on her view of Davis when they met for ALL ABOUT EVE. She puts it very aptly: "She seemed to think she had a license to be rude." Also, Lillian Gish, hurt at being treated so poorly by Bette when they did THE WHALES OF AUGUST.

The earlier part of the book devotes a lot of time to ground already covered extensivey in other Davis books, but perhaps this could not be avoided. What is disappointing is that only toward the final chapters do we get quotes from Davis about her lifetime experiences that have not been quoted before and some of the revelations are very frank--even a bit disturbing--but seem honest and truthful. One can sympathize briefly with her when she says: "Maybe I just wasn't lovable."

Certainly worth reading if you're a Davis fan--but don't expect to be overwhelmed by new information.

Best for the new Davis reader/Mary Astor correction
I have just finished this book.I found it interesting and easy to read.It contains many quotes and much information that is not new to me, having read other books by, and about,Ms. Davis. For a new reader, not inclined to search out earlier books, this would be very informative.For those who don't mind looking just a bit further, Mother Goddamn, by Whitney Stine is a much better read with lots of great quotes from Davis, for the majority of Ms. Davis' career.It was written in the 70;s so it stops there. This book is strongest in the beginning sections and contains nice plot summaries of each of the major movies.For many of the films there is surprisingly little behind the scenes information, which is a disappointment. Sometimes the transition from the end of one film and the beginning of the next is so abrupt as to be a bit confusing. Personally, I would have preferred to learn more about the making of the films.
The final sections, the mid-60's movies and later, got very short shrift, with little information and even fewer personal stories. Frankly, it more runs of out steam than concludes.
One correction I would like to make.In discussion of Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, someone, I'm not sure from the phrasing if it is Davis or Chandler, implies Mary Astor's career at the time of filming was almost entirely inactive which is not true.She had done 2 major motion pictures recently, numerous television appearances and had begun a highly successful second career as an author, producing 2 autobiographies and 6 novels in the years just prior to, and following, this movie.All in all, again, this book is best for readers with less prior knowledge.In those cases, I think you will find this book highly enjoyable, for the more advanced reader, this is pleasant, but not as impressive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Bette Davis Tells Her Story - Part II
Bette Davis tells the second half of her own story close to the end of her life. She tells the difficult story of her battle with breast cancer, multiple strokes and her valiant fight to comeback to acting in films - which was her life blood. She also responds her daughter's trashy book. It's Bette at her finest hour, gutsy and proud. Michael Herskowitz did a great job at assisting Miss Davis with this effort. I could not put it down.

Okay read
I think Bette Davis's biography was just okay. She talked a lot about what she was doing at the current time, not her life. Well, she did talk about her achievements and awards, but very little about her early career, her movies, etc.. I did however finish the book, and I found it to be a okay read.

Entertaining Read by the great Bette Davis
SO glad that Bette Davis stepped forward and defended herself after he daughter's APALLING book.And what a fun read! I couldn't put it down.As far as "My Mother's Keeper" goes,

Shame on you, B.D. Hyman.

B.D. Hyman would like to come off as a victim who doesn't have any flaws, but her book about her mother, Bette Davis, has the opposite affect.B.D. Hyman comes of as a spoiled rotten, selfish, cold-hearted, and mean teenager and then woman, who has no tolerance for other people and their flaws.

So Bette Davis was a dramatic women, eh? What a shocker.It took her way too long to make Stouffers Macaroni & Cheese for you when you came over?How terrible.She got frustrated carving a chicken and ripped the meat apart with her hands?How obscene.She was irritated her 16 year old daughter wanted to spend their entire vacation in Europe with a 30 year old man?How dreadful.She sent a doctor over to see you when you were sick?What a witch.She spanked your son and put him in his room when she was baby-sitting him?How appalling.Your mother was eccentric? What a BOMBSHELL. She thought you were completely perfect and flawless? What a crime.She wanted you to say thank you when she brought you lobster from Maine? How very dreadful, and what a horrifying life you must have had.

It is clear from this book that Bette Davis had lots of faults.We all do.But none of them could be considered child abuse.And most of us don't have our faults written about extensively for all the world to see, in a fictional, exaggerated novel.

Poor Bette Davis, may she rest in peace.What a thing to have happen to you in your old age.She probably never recovered.

Good book - great woman
I was not a fan of Bette Davis until I saw her being interviewed by Dick Cavett in 1972. The Dick Cavett Show - Hollywood Greats The second she walks on stage you know you are in for a collossal treat.I have watched it over and over.That is what made me a fan and prompted me to get this book (and fill my Netflix queue with Bette Davis movies).I found the book to be very entertaining and loved the letters concerning and reviews about her daughter's hideous back-stabbing stunt at the very end. I think if you are a fan of Bette Davis that you would enjoy this book.

A Bette Davis Fan Must Read
I've been a huge Bette Davis fan and it makes me upset that some of the reviews think that this is a book that isn't worth the paper its written on. I mainly wanted ti read this book to know more about Ms Davis, to know more about the last decade of her life with all the sickness she went through. I loved it, and i think that any Bette Davis fan would enjoy it greatly! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great old photo book of BETTE DAVIS!!! Fabulous!!!
Came across this 1985 book recently and was thrilled! WONDERFUL rare photographs (every page) of BETTE DAVIS not seen in any other book. Includes a rare photo of Davis and Joan Crawford chatting on the set of What Happened To Baby Jane before "the differences between these two stars and their innate sense of competition with each other led to a tense atmosphere on the set." Another shot has the two reading the script for Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte (Crawford fell ill and was replaced)-- a posed Crawford is all dressed up with flashy jewlery and a Pepsi, while Davis is all business studying the script in a simple outfit and hairdo.Bette considered herself an "actress" and Crawford a "star." Written before Ms Davis' death, the last page states that she had just recovered from a stroke. Even though the book ends with A Piano For Mrs Cimino, it still holds up against any other photo book on this classic actress. All kinds of amazing pictures and portraits. Now my favorite Bette Davis book!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Sparing nothing and no-one from her whiplash tongue, Bette Davis provides a running commentary to Stine's portrayal of her long and illustrious career. Her comments demonstrate the same bold approach that made her one of the screen's most successful stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Bette Davis Tells Her Story - Part I
Bette Davis was the first one to tell her story via a ghost writer and it certainly wouldn't be the last time. Released in 1962, this book was tailored for its time and moral sensibilities. It may not tell the full story, but it is an interesting story nevertheless. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. One thing is certain, Bette Davis was never boring - ever!

Difference of opinion
Bette Davis wrote this: "We[Sandford Dody and I] were collaborators in every sense of the word."

I searched the net for Sandford Dody, a professional ghost writer, and found Ghostwriting 1199 by Brooks Peters, including the following paragraph:

'Dody had worse problems with Bette Davis in her eccentric 1962 look back at her career, The Lonely Life. Introduced to the notoriously temperamental star by mutual friend Kaye Ballard, Dody hit it off with Davis, and the book came easily. "I wrote it exactly the way she talks," Dody recalls -- "electric, with short, punchy sentences. The publisher loved it. The Ladies Home Journal bought rights to it. But Bette refused to read it. When she finally did, she was guilt-ridden that she hadn't actually written it. So she tore into it with a hatchet, changing everything. The book needed surgery, not butchery. It was the worst case of egomania I'd ever seen."'

I'm not a movie maven and not a Bette Davis fan, but the book is well paced and readable.

Cont...
I recommend this book, it is frank, honest and has a humility I never knew she had. She was great & difficult as they were. I could not put it down.

A Real Page Turner
This is an excellent autobiography written by the lady herself. I never even knew this book existed until it was mentioned on TCM during a Bette Davis movie marathon in April.Published in 1962--it was written at least a year before her work on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" so no mention is made of the film since the experience had yet to happen.But what you get in this book is a real sense of who Bette Davis was and how she became the great legend we all know & love.Her opinions, philosphies (rants?) on Hollywood, acting, actors, actresses, men and sex are worth the price of the book alone--which BTW was a real steal @ only $6!!! She makes no bones about her notorious ability to go on a film set & wreak havoc: "I do not regret one professional enemy I have made. Any actor who doesn't dare to make an enemy should get out of the business."Her strong bond with her self-sacrificing mother Ruthie is the central theme throughtout the book. Her relationships with the phycially abusive men in her life is the real tragedy here.The title "The Lonely Life" comes from her personal beleife that "One cannot rely on people. One has only ones work to sustain him at the end of the day". And at the end of the day, Bette had her work and what a body of work it was! If you are a Bette Davis fan and you have't read this book, you must get it. ... Read more

Product Description
Drawn largely from conversations with her friends, lovers, fellow actors, and family members, here is the full story of cinematic legend Bette Davis (1908-1989). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

What was the point?
Biographies often tell us as much about the biographer as about the subject, and I felt I learned far too much about Barbara Leaming from this relentlessly critical book. Bette Davis was undoubtedly a difficult and unhappy woman, but Ms. Leaming puts the worst possible spin on every one of Bette Davis' personal and professional decisions. Her criticisms often approach the irrational. Bette Davis was a workaholic; Bette Davis was a malingerer and a hypochondriac. Bette Davis relied too much on physical business and tics in her acting; Bette Davis relied too much on bloated dialogue. Bette Davis never loved anyone; Bette Davis' lifelong passion for William Wyler and obsession with her daughter warped her life.

Oh, and Ms. Leaming would have us believe that "Jezebel" and "The Letter" were Bette Davis' only truly great performances. If you'd only read this book, without having seen the films, you would think that "The Little Foxes" was a disaster, "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" an embarrassment (when I'd call it a curiosity), and "Now, Voyager" nothing special.

Finally, I'm all for a clear-eyed view of the subject, but did we really need the complete transcript of Bette Davis' drunken evening with Mae West, when both women were well past their prime? I didn't.

cold hard fact
Fans of Bette Davis won't like it because it is not flattering.Author is somewhat cold, but the dirt dished here is probably best served cold and objectively.Flew through this book in one night.

Over Dramatizing Bette's Faults
I learned very much about Miss Bette Davis's early life and childhood, i felt that Leaming focused too much on Bette's daughter B.D.'s opinions of her mother, which as is known were not favorable. The book basically made Bette out to be a monster and a horrible person, which i think isn't giving enough credit to the star. Bette Davis may not have been perfect in her professional or personal life, but she deserves better.

A Money Hungry Excuse for an 'author'!
Ms. Leaming, like that dreadful photo. of herself on the cover of this 'book', makes me sick. She is obviously attempting to cause a stir, in order to sell her book. I purchased this when it first was released -- after reading it was from a fair minded 'fan' -- yeah, right! This is a great book if you have a gripe with Bette Davis -- a great female actor, even Ms. Steep says "the Best!", a great American, too -- does anyone know what Bette Davis did for our Military by organizing the Hollywood Canteen and selling War Bonds?

A Huge Disappointment
About half way through this book, I started to scan ahead for details about Bette Davis's later films because of the lack of attention to detail about certain films. And I'm disappointed to say that some of Bette's most interesting films aren't even mentioned in the text. Ex-Lady, which apparently Bette expressed a soft spot for and which she though she gave a deep and complex performance in, isn't even mentioned, nor is Pocketful of Miracles nor Death On The Nile which is a great shame, being one of her best 70's films. Cardplayer, Mrs Cimino, As Summers Die are brushed over as are most of her earliest work as well. Leaming's only out to make a quick buck obviously.Leaming seems to be intent on telling us again and again what a drunken b***h Bette Davis was and how self destructive she was on her own career. Yet Leaming herself wants to make sure how her own career pans out after this blasting of an American legend. Bette's career speaks for itself. Avoid this book and go instead to Christopher Nicken's pictorial biography of Bette. I hated Leamings book and glad I didnt' buy it. I borrowed it from the library. One star out of five. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

An Interesting Read
Overall I must say, I found 'Fasten your Seat Belts' to be well worth my time. The book takes a different tack than what I expected but, it is deliciously entertaining with tales of Miss Davis and a number of Hollywood legends. A very interesting read indeed - as told by someone who was in the know during the heydays of Hollywood.

MORE THAN A BIT OF BETTE...
As a big Bette Davis fan, I looked forward to reading this biography of her, particularly as it had been written by an individual who had also been a film critic. I was not disappointed. This is a very well researched, extensive book of the life of Bette Davis, her relationships, and her body of work. The author takes the reader through her early beginnings in Lowell, Massachusetts to her last breath in Paris, France. It is evident that for the author this was a labor of love.

Given the author's own connection to the film world, as well as the fact that he, himself, is a big fan of Ms. Davis, much of his writing is peppered with interesting insider information. It is the culmination of an amazing forty three years of research. Being a member of the cognoscenti, the author provides a great deal of colorful background that fleshes out her life, grounding it in the context of the time in which she lived and developed as the great star that she eventually became. He does this through extensive interviews of the people who had played a role in her life, news clippings, film reviews, and his own interviews of Ms. Davis.

The author takes the reader through her relationships, many of which were rocky, with her family, her fellow actors, directors, writers, producers, and studio heads. The author discusses her marriages, of which there were a four, and her lovers. It is, however, when discussing her films, her highs and her lows, that the author's knowledge really comes to the forefront. Having seen most of the films of which he writes, I especially enjoyed and was totally fascinated by all the background information, skullduggery, and behind the scenes hoopla that went on in the making of these films. I will definitely go back and see some of these films again, as they are now couched in a new light.

This fascinating book is, without a doubt, the definitive biography of Bette Davis, warts and all. The author succeeds in painting a three dimensional portrait of a feisty, determined woman, who brooked no nonsense when it came to her craft, but who also had a softer side, wanting to love and be loved. This is a woman who asserted herself and refused to countenance anyone who would try to make her be something that she wasn't. While this may not have made her very popular with those who lived or worked with her, this quality shone through in her films, making her one of the most popular and enduring superstars of all time. Bette Davis eventually became more than the sum of her parts. She became a legend.

Depends on What You're Looking For...
If you are looking for an indepth analysis of every movie Bette Davis made, and the personal and business circumstances behind them, then this book is for you. If you are looking for more of a character study of Davis, insights into her personality and psychology and interpersonal relationships, you might to better to look elsewhere. As this book was written by a long time critic, it makes sense that it is so oriented toward the film angle. Some good "dirt" on the old Holywood pantheon---but sometimes the author told me more (esp. about their sexual lives) than I wanted to know.

MORE THAN A BIT OF BETTE...
As a big Bette Davis fan, I looked forward to reading this biography of her, particularly as it had been written by an individual who had also been a film critic. I was not disappointed. This is a very well researched, extensive book of the life of Bette Davis, her relationships, and her body of work. The author takes the reader through her early beginnings in Lowell, Massachusetts to her last breath in Paris, France.It is evident that for the author this was a labor of love.

Given the author's own connection to the film world, as well as the fact that he, himself, is a big fan ofMs. Davis, much of his writing is peppered with interesting insider information. It is the culmination of an amazing forty three years of research. Being a member of the cognoscenti, the author provides a great deal of colorful background that fleshes out her life, grounding it in the context of the time in which she lived and developed as the great star that she eventually became.He does this through extensive interviews of the people who had played a role in her life, news clippings, film reviews, and his own interviews of Ms. Davis.

The author takes the reader through her relationships, many of which were rocky,with her family, her fellow actors, directors, writers, producers, and studio heads. The author discusses hermarriages, of which there were a four, and her lovers.It is, however, when discussing her films, her highs and her lows, that the author's knowledge really comes to the forefront. Having seen most of the films of which he writes, I especially enjoyed and was totally fascinated by all the background information, skullduggery, and behind the scenes hoopla that went on in the making of these films. I will definitely go back and see some of these films again, as they are now couched in a new light.

This fascinating book is, without a doubt, the definitive biography of Bette Davis, warts and all. The author succeeds in painting a three dimensional portrait of a feisty, determined woman, who brooked no nonsense when it came to her craft, but who also had a softer side, wanting to love and be loved. This is a woman who asserted herself and refused to countenance anyone who would try to make her be something that she wasn't. While this may not have made her very popular with those who lived or worked with her, this quality shone through in her films, making her one of the most popular and enduring superstars of all time. Bette Davis eventually became more than the sum of her parts. She became a legend.

Good reading for Bette Davis fans
As an avid fan of Bette Davis, I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of this book because I'd been told it was one of the best biographies about her.The author (himself a film critic) takes you through her life,step by step, taking time to focus on the films (good and bad), the men,and the events that defined her career.From her outstanding performanceas Mildred in Of Human Bondage to her slightly campy double role in DeadRinger, the author covers them all.The book is impressive in the amountof research and personal interviews the author conducted with formerco-stars and other Hollywood notables that helped frame this book.Bettehad no shortage or enemies or admirers, that's for sure!Before I readthis book, I always believed that Bette and her mother Ruthie were veryclose because that was merely the nature of their relationship; in reality,Ruthie was one of Bette's many hangers-on.I'd expected to hear more aboutBette and B.D.'s relationship - or lack thereof - but it wasn't there. Bette cut her only natural child out of her will, and it was even mentionedthat B.D. would have been prevented from attending the funeral (she wasn'tgoing anyway). It would've merely added to the book to have heard moreabout B.D., but the author devotes only a few passages to her. This bookrepresents a total of 43 years of researching, interviewing, and writing,and the author makes it clear how much admiration he has for Bette, as hefrequently uses the first person and interjects his feelings about a filmor an event.Bette Davis was a fireball on and off screen, and this bookdoes good justice in illustrating that.Because of the author's commentsabout some of Bette's lesser-known films, I will be heading out to thevideo store in search of more Bette.Great book. ... Read more

Product Description
Roy Moseley’s classic account of his fifteen tumultuous years with Bette Davis was first published just before her death in 1989. This eagerly anticipated new edition reveals additional material that her long-time companion has only now seen fit to divulge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Jealous much, Moseley?
First of all I must say that the only reason why I bought this book is because Google Books wouldn't allow me to preview the whole thing so I was curious to read the last chapters and understand what lead the author to write such an awful and disrespectful memoir about someone he keeps describing as "one of my best friends".

Roy Moseley was always fashinated by celebrities and stardom and after school decided to work in show business, looking for any kind of job that would allow him to approach movie stars. He began as simple dresser, eventually evolving into star-agent. He had been a Davis fan all his life and his biggest dream was to meet her, but unlike other actresses Bette was not so easy to reach since she always refused the glamorous Hollywood life and retired to her beloved East Cost as soon as a movie was completed. He didn't give up and many years later, through various acquaintances, he finally managed to meet her and became a friend of hers for 15 years.

If the first chapters are kind of sweet and the reader might identify with Moseley and his adoration for this legendary woman, it doesn't take much before he reveals his real nature. The more you go on reading the more stalkerish he gets. "All About Roy" would have been a much appropriate title since it's basically all about HIM. He adores name-dropping, claming everybody was a friend of his and often taking credits for things he didn't do (such as arranging meeting and events). He's a real showbiz parasite. This book was originally released in 1989; Bette wasn't pleased by it and thought about sueing him but eventually didn't. In 2003 a new edition came out. "In this revised edition I have added to the story some details I did not feel comfortable telling while the great actress was still living." Well done Moseley, you're such a great friend. I haven't read the first edition but I can only guess the things he added. Through the whole book he never misses a chance to wain how Bette broke their relationship; you can clearly feel the resentment. This would explain the awful things he wrote here and there, such as: "The great mystery to me was where she actually found the depth of character that she put into her great performances. In the whole fifteen years that I spent with her, I was never able to detect an intellect or depth of human understanding that would have been capable of producing such great interpretations of such a wide range of characters." I find this, as well as many other remarks, totally disrespectful. How can he claim to be a friend if he had such a low consideration about her? He clearly liked to be around famous people, no matter what. Also, he always made sure not to contradict her because he wanted to stay in her life as much as possible, he never showed his "true colors", which I found rather annoying. Their friendship ended when Moseley was asked by Charles Higman to co-write a book about Davis. She hated the idea, Higman wrote some very controversial biographies in the past, so she asked Moseley to give up the project. Of course he didn't, and that's how it all ended. Higman and Moseley co-wrote various books together until they eventually had some kind of quarrel. As it is reported on Wikipedia: "In the first edition of Moseley's memoir of Bette Davis, Higham is called "my great friend", but in the second revised edition he is a "doubtful author" and his name is omitted from the acknowledgements". I think this tells ALL about the reliability of this book.
Taking about reliability... I have read many books about Bette so I couldn't help but notice some major mistakes, which makes me wonder even more about its content. Funny because Moseley criticizes Whitney Stine's "Mother Goddamm" (which is like THE BIBLE about Bette's career) stating "it turned out to be a dreadful book" (jealous much, Moseley?), as well as Bette's autobiographies, saying they're not reliable since she tended to tramatize things. Well, he should be very careful about dissing other people's books since HIS book is full of mistakes.

First of all, the infamous story about Bette coming back to the studio after being bandaged by her real doctor to have a more realistic effect... He says the movie was "20.000 years in Sing-Sing". WRONG! Everybody knows it was "Marked Women". Then Bette's fantasy about making love on a bed full of gardenias... It came true with composer Johnny Mercer, but Moseley says it happened with Howard Hughes. He takes credit for photographer George Hurrell's reborn career, stating he "talked the great celebrity photographer out of obscurity to photograph Bette. After that, his career was revived." The year was 1977, Bette was asked by the AFI to provide some new pictures for publicity. But the truth is Hurrell had been contacted by Stine two years before for the backcover picture of "Mother Goddamm". Moseley tries to picture Davis as a monster, saying nobody in Hollywood could stand her. Talking about Frank Capra's AFI he reports "she received only a muted welcome from the audience". Clips reveal quite the contrary, as she was welcomed with a full standing ovation. He badmouths Bette and Olivia DeHavilland's long friendship writing down a totally different speech by Olivia at the AFI. "As a little girl in San Francisco I remember looking at the screen and seeing this wonderful actress, Bette Davis." No such words ever came out of her mouth. He went on "this offended Bette, as DeHavilland was all of seven years younger than she." He remembers about Bette calling him the next day shouting: "Olivia saying she remembered watching me as a kid. I told you she hated me!". These are just a few examples. In general Moseley seems to put bad words into Bette's mouth all the time, as if she hated everyone she ever worked with. I have the impression he often took her too seriously, not understanding her at all. The fact she had fights with someone didn't necessarily mean she hated or didn't respect said person. As a matter of fact she had the biggest fights with William Wyler, who she considered the love of her life and for whom she always had the greatest admiration. Most of the times he writes about things he heard by someone else (not a very accurate way to write a book) and he disses anyone who came in between him and Bette, such as her assistant Kathryn Sermack or her manager Harold Shiff. He sounds quite jealous and full of himself, having the nerve to write things as: "I believe that if Bette had not ended our friendship so abruptly and cruelly, I could have helped her to retain her links with B.D." -- Who the hell does he think he his?!

If you'd like a more personal glimpse into Bette's life I suggest Whitney Stine's "I'd Love To Kiss You: Conversations with Bette Davis" (aka "No Guts, No Glory: conversations with Bette Davis") where Stine writes about working with Bette for the book "Mother Goddamm" and how they became longtime friends. Davis was very temperamental and not easy to handle, and he never denied it; but nevertheless he always talked about her with great respect. The respect that Moseley clearly doesn't have.

engrossing
a very perceptive memoir of actress bette davis by her friend of many years,roy moseley.moseley was a fan who became a friend.having read a few other books about bette davis,i found mr moseley's description of her to be accurate and what i expected.bette seems to have been a difficult (at times impossible) person to deal with.i think it shows great strength of character that mr moseley was able to tolerate bette's negative side and to continue to stay with her and be her friend instead of backing away.
by the by,i see nothing wrong with mr moseley's book.he is straightforward in his recollections and seems to have genuinely cared about bette davis as a person,not just as a movie star.

It's a good read.
I enjoyed reading Moseley's book, as it offered some intimate views of Miss Davis's life during the time he spent with her. It was sometimes difficult, however, to follow things in a chronological fashion as the author tended to skip around a lot. I think that was due to telling a certain story and then needing to backtrack or skip ahead to fill in some facts and info.
It did bother me a little to realize the lengths many people will go to in order to be around movie stars. People had to morph into marionettes on strings in order to placate Miss Davis, and yet at the same time, she disliked the very qualities she demanded in people.
Moseley's book showed the strange, contradictory workings of Davis's mind and personality. She was both sensitive/vulnerable and cruel/overbearing at the same time. She wanted to be liked but her actions guaranteed conflict and resentment.
Moseley himself gave this reader the impression that he was somewhat full of himself and that he enjoyed name-dropping, but I liked his book anyway.

This Nut Betrayed Davis during and after her life!
The books is -- sort of -- fun. But, Mr. Moseley is whinnnnnny about being shut out of Bette Davis's life, after he went behind her back to work on a book with an author, without her consent - is this a 'friend'?
Poor Mr. Moseley, with only brushes with Greatness (Davis and others) he is left to write books to bad mouth the dead, to find his fame -- how pathetic.

A FUN READ FOR FANS OF LA DAVIS
While this book isn't by any means a definitive biography about the legendary Bette Davis - nor does it pretend to be - it's actually more fun to read than many books about Bette, because it reveals many facets of Davis's complex personality and fun tidbits which one doesn't find in other books written about this celebrated lady. Roy Moseley was introduced to the world of Bette Davis movies via his mother - who was a fan - as a boy and grew to admire her so much that he made it a point to know her personally - a feat he accomplished!

There are various anecdotes in the book which are refreshing, surprising and funny: seems Bette was a most contradictory woman who could be extremely unpredictable: honest, caring and lovable one minute and harsh, cynical and monstrous the next. Apparently, like most great stars, geniuses, etc., she was quite insecure and a walking paradox who was fascinating but exhausting to be around!

The book is a valuable read for fans (and there are many) of this great First Lady of the Silver Screen because it reveals the real woman behind the legend. As I have long suspected, Moseley pointedly states that many things Davis said in print about her life were totally worthless as historical facts biograpy-wise, because she tended (as many stars of her era did) to romanticize/whitewash her personal life to the point of rendering it rather dull. And dull definitely is not an adjective one would use to describe this brilliant woman! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A Great Book About a Great Actress
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.Certain of Bette Davis's performances fascinate Mr. Thomson, such as her role in "The Letter."Thomson examines these performances in the context of her whole career and the history of Hollywood.I highly recommend this book along with his other recent biographies.

Awful
While this book has many interesting details of the great actresses films, there is little about Bette Davis the woman.In addition, the author's discomfort with female sexuality is evident in his stigmatizing of her passions, referring to her, at one point, as a "trashpot".Please. ... Read more

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After fifty-five years in the film industry, during which she made over ninety films, Bette Davis was considered the indisputable grand dame of Hollywood. Alexander Walker, who knew Bette Davis for twenty years, has pieced together her early life through to her promising career on the New York stage. The subsequent film career was by no means an instant success. The turbulent relationship between Bette Davis and Warner Brothers is legendary but gradually she managed to seize the opportunities to show her astonishing range. In this book, Alexander Walker identifies the extraordinary qualities that enabled Bette Davis to survive the Hollywood system and become one of its most durable actresses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A good start.
If you are wanting to learn more about Bette Davis, this is a good place to start. However, If you are a well researched fan, you won't find anything new here. I do still recommend this book because the writing styleis very fresh and easy to read. It also does make the her life "comealive" when compared to a lot of other biographies that tend to be soflat/dead. Also check out the biography of Vivien Leigh by the same author.That book was so good that I decided to give Alexander Walker another try -and read this one. It is difficult to find biographers that you can reallyenjoy. This is one I do. Again, like I said if you are a seasoned fan ofBette Davis, you won't find anything new in this book. If you are a firsttime reader of Bette Davis biographies this is an excellent place to start.

Paste-up Job proves worthless
This is a paste-up job from beginning to end, bringing zero new material to the reader. Everything in the book has been written before, with a few anemic observations by the author. A total waste for anyone wanted toexpand knowledge of la Davis. "Fasten Your Seatbelts" by LawrenceQuirk is far superior. Instead of an exciting read, Walker's tome is likesipping lukewarm tea.

Paste-up Job proves worthless
This is a paste-up job from beginning to end, bringing zero new material to the reader. Everything in the book has been written before, with a few anemic observations by the author. A total waste for anyone wanted toexpand knowledge of la Davis. "Fasten Your Seatbelts" by LawrenceQuirk is far superior. Instead of an exciting read, Walker's tome is likesipping lukewarm tea. ... Read more

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A biography of the renowned movie actress whose film career spanned more than fifty years. ... Read more

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Paperbck book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Film History of a Movie Icon
This excellant book Describes every film-and every role-that Bette Davis played in.It also includes a brief biography of this Hollywood legand.Very well done. ... Read more

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NonfictionLarge Print Edition(Bette Davis fans) will purr with delight . . .starred, BooklistBette Davis was both a box-office superstar and a consummate actress, whose career spanned the early 1930s and the late 1980s. Since her death, a new generation of fans has been fascinated by this woman ahead of her time. Unlike the prior biographies, this is a book of interviews conducted by the author from the mid 1970s on. Davis candidly discusses (and dishes) husbands, beaux, costars, rivals, movies and growing old. This is her story in the voice of the woman who always spoke for herself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A GREAT AMERICAN WOMAN ACTRESS
BEING VERY NEW AT AMAZON I MUST SAY THIS PURCHASE CAME EASILY WITHOUT FUSS OR TROUBLES.BEING I ORDERED THIS AND MANY OTHER BOOKS LATELY EVEN MOVIES, OUT OF THEM ALL ONLY ONE ERROR, BEING MINE.
I DO WORRY ABOUT MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER "OUT THERE" NOW AND HOPE IT WILL STAY SAFE AND PRIVATE SO TO SPEAK.
I AM SO GLAD THATAMAZON CARES TO CARE ABOUT THE OPINIONS OF BUYERS AND I DO LIKE HOPE THEY KEEP TRACK OF OTHER BOOKS AND ALL THAT INTEREST ME BY SHOWING THEM OFF WHEN I AM ON LINE, VERY GOOD SALESMANSHIP.
SO THIS ALL IS A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR ME WHO CAN'T FOR HEALTH REASONS GET OUT MUCH.THANK YOU.
AND MAY I MENTION SOME SALES WOULD BE NICE.
LINDA SCHIERBERG

Bette tells all - or did she?
Some resident reviewers say that this is Bose's book made up about Bette.There is enough material here that reads like the Bette we all read about, to make a good read with confidence she pitched her remarks where she wanted them to go.The only dubious report is Bose getting her in interview to almost admit to her affair with Howard Hughes whereas our Bette was quoted as saying she was "the only star in Hollywood who didn't have an affair with H.Hughes".Well, it's iffy.But who cares now? Her photos included here are lovely - it breaks your heart. Anyone who has worked in the industry knows they all dished the dirt - it was their world, present and future and they reveled in it.They were all larger than life. This book does in effect find a balance between Bette the Difficult and Bette, the professional actor born with great drive and talent who just wanted to do the best job everytime.

a little too polished, if you catch my drift
As a newspaper editor for over 30 years, I've learned how to judge a writer -- If he consistently comes up with quotes "too good to be true,"they usually are.

What a dupe!
More posthumous interviews from beyond the grave, courtesy of one of Hollywood's most prolific and definitely least credible star scribblers. Funny how Boze Hadleigh (a total unknown when these sessions allegedly took place)somehow coaxed these incredibly candid (and wildly out-of-character) remarks from some of the most publicity-savvy stars in show biz.

So what do Davis and every other big name in this book have in common?THEY'RE NOT AROUND TO DEFEND THEMSELVES--AND EVERYONE KNOWS YOU CAN'T LIBEL THE DEAD. If he's really smart, Hadleigh would market a CD compilation of all his old taped interviews. But that might be problematic, eh, Boze???

Highly Questionable "Interviews"
These "interviews" sound nothing like Bette Davis as anyone who ever read the scores of bona fide interviews she gave over the years.Miss Davis was hot-tempered and sharp-tongued at times but her fans know she was really something of a prude so it seems highly questionable she would dish dirt like this. (Remember she had a feud with her last film director because the film included a dark comic joke concerning Joan Crawford which Miss Davis thought was in terrible taste.And Joan was of course no friend of Bette's!!) This frankly reads more like a drag queen's nightclub act not an interview with a star.I don't know a single movie buff who believes Mr. Hadleigh's books. ... Read more