Book Description
Even a short list of Bette Davis's most famous films -- Of Human Bondage; Jezebel; Dark Victory; The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex; Now, Voyager; All About Eve; What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? -- reveals instantly what a major force she was in Hollywood. Her distinctive voice, her remarkable eyes, her astonishing range and depth of characterization -- all these qualities combined to make Bette Davis one of the finest performers in film history.
Drawing on extensive conversations with Bette Davis during the last decade of her life, Charlotte Chandler gives us a biography in which the great actress speaks for herself. (It was she who suggested that Chandler write this book.) Chandler also spoke with directors, actors, and others who knew and worked with Davis. As a result Davis comes to life in these pages -- a dynamic, forceful presence once again, just as she was on the screen.
Though she owed everything to her mother, Ruthie, Bette Davis remained fascinated all her life by her hard-to-please father, who walked out on his family. She remembered the disappointment -- which never left -- over her father's lack of interest in her, and she believed that her resentment of him was probably a major factor in her four failed marriages: she kept putting her men in a position where they would eventually disappoint her. She spoke happily of her love affairs with Howard Hughes and William Wyler; she recalled her leading men, favorite co-stars, and unloved rivals; and she took great care to refute the persistent Hollywood legend that she was difficult to work with. Alone and ill, she faced her last days with bravery and dignity.
The Girl Who Walked Home Alone is a brilliant portrait of an enduring icon from Hollywood's golden age and an unforgettable biography of the real woman behind the star.
Download Description
"Even a short list of Bette Davis's most famous films -- Of Human Bondage; Jezebel; Dark Victory; The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex; Now, Voyager; All About Eve; What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? -- reveals instantly what a major force she was in Hollywood. Her distinctive voice, her remarkable eyes, her astonishing range and depth of characterization -- all these qualities combined to make Bette Davis one of the finest performers in film history. Drawing on extensive conversations with Bette Davis during the last decade of her life, Charlotte Chandler gives us a biography in which the great actress speaks for herself. (It was she who suggested that Chandler write this book.) Chandler also spoke with directors, actors, and others who knew and worked with Davis. As a result Davis comes to life in these pages -- a dynamic, forceful presence once again, just as she was on the screen. The Girl Who Walked Home Alone is a brilliant portrait of an enduring icon from Hollywood's golden age and an unforgettable biography of the real woman behind the star.
Customer Reviews:
Her life in quotes..........2007-07-17
I ran across this book in the library when I was doing some research on old Hollywood and the title "The Girl Who Walked Home Alone" really struck me. Being as this was the first I've ever read about Bette Davis, I can't really say how true to form or redundant it may be in relation to previous biographies or accounts of her life. What I liked most about this book was the perspective it gave, the fact that it encompassed not just Miss Davis's take on things but those around her as well. She really had a larger-than-life life, which you really can't help but admire her for living through. I found myself with great sympathy and respect for her after reading this book. Many may be turned off by the fact that the entire biography is a mere compiling of quotes with little narrative by the author herself, but I rather liked it that way. No false second-hand impressions here. I've never been a fan of biographers who try to get into the heads of their subjects and recount from their own imagination as if they themselves were the authority in the matter, all knowing and telling. Here, all concerned spoke for themselves (assuming they were accurately quoted) and the interpretation is left to the reader basically. I thought Miss Davis herself came across rather intelligent and forthright in looking into her own life, though of course not entirely unbiased in her own way. But it gave her a very human quality that I found quite endearing. And with age comes insight it seems, as she detailed the events in her life. However, the amount of typos and grammatical errors in the book was distracting. I mean, it wasn't riddled with them but definitely made me think were there no editors around or did they all just snooze on the job? But overall, a pretty engrossing read about a thoroughly interesting person of substance.
A centerfold of black and white photos completes a wonderful coverage.......2007-06-09
The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis, A Personal Biography is a recommended pick for any collection strong in movie star biographies, especially those which aren't overstocked on Bette Davis coverage's already. Film biographer Charlotte Chandler interviewed Davis extensively in the last decade of her life, so this biography includes many of Davis' own words and insights, rather than the usual third-party analysis from those who just have had her films and reference materials to work from. A centerfold of black and white photos completes a wonderful coverage, highly recommended for any library strong in film biography.
Been Done Before and Better!!.......2007-05-08
I agree with the reviewer below who said there is nothing new here. The author breezes through Davis' life with Davis interjecting here and there. Its been done before and a lot better (notably Whitney Stine's book 'Mother Goddam'). The author writes very poorly as well and the book is labyrinthical and very confusing. One doesn't know when Davis is talking, when the author is talking, or when one of the people whom the author interviewed is talking. Skip this one. Davis deserves better.
Listening to Bette Davis in person.......2007-01-05
I casually opened this book, thinking it would be just like every other biography, and didn't put it down until I finished it the next day. It was just as if Bette Davis was talking in person. It gives a real insight into her life, which wasn't as glamorous as we probably all imagined. Very very interesting!!
A little redundant.......2006-12-10
The book was good, yet a little redundant. I found myself having to force my way through to get the book finished in the beginning. Honestly, going back and forth from quote to quote to narration was a little confusing. A lot of time it was not stated who was speaking, so you'd have to backtrack to find out who was the speaker at that moment. But once I got into the book, it got better. If you're interested in Bette Davis, I would definitely recommend the book, but keep in mind that it can get a little boring, at least in my opinion.
Customer Reviews:
Quick, enjoyable reading and gives you a real sense of her personality.........2007-04-14
The thing I found most enjoyable was reading Bette Davis speaking - a strong and vibrant personality comes through and it is both enjoyable and interesting to read.
Also, in it she reveals some information such as names of affairs which she says that she didn't reveal in her own biography The Lonely Life. She discusses her thoughts on co-stars and loves and family, it's fascinating.
Bette In Her Own Words..........2006-06-13
I happened upon this book quite by accident. While impatiently waiting for one of my libraries to have 'The Girl Who Walked Home Alone' (the new Bette Davis Bio) available, I found this book, and figured, what the heck, maybe this would hold me over till I could get the new one. Well, it was much better than I expected! It was Bette telling her own stories in her own words, to her good friend and author Whitney Stine.
Mr. Stine became a fan of Ms. Davis's when he was 8, and kept a scrapbook of the star all throughout her career. Well, in 1968, and in his thirties, he finally got the chance to meet her after she heard he was writing a Biography of her career, not her life (Mother Goddam - 1974). She was intrigued, and once the two met, they remained very close friends for almost 20 years.
What I enjoyed most about this book was it was conversations that Bette had had with Mr. Stine over their 20 year friendship. Bette herself explaining her favorite movies, people she did and didn't like working with, tidbits about her personal life, awards she'd won, and missed opportunities. It wasn't some author who never knew her personally making up things they thought had happened, or filling in blanks themselves.
Overall I was very pleased with this book...and am very glad I found it. Now that I've had my Bette Davis fill, I can be a little more patient while waiting for her new bio to become available!
Book Description
Bette Davis (1908-1989) was the great actress of the Golden Age of Cinema. Known for her bullish temper and incomparable candor, she began life as the favorite daughter of a lonely, unfulfilled single mother. Convinced that she lacked beauty, Davis devoted everything to her acting. In classic films such as Jezebel, All About Eve, Dark Victory and Now, Voyager, she distorted herself into grotesque, shocking characters -- always, she insisted, for the good of the role. Off-stage she never achieved the same success, becoming a serial divorcee. By the end of her life, her repertoire had narrowed into excruciating self-imitation. This book unearths the complex, self-destructive woman beneath the steely public persona.
Customer Reviews:
Based on Bette Davis' daughter's awful book.........2006-11-26
A shallow treatment of Bette Davis' career and a mean-spirited run down of her in her private life, via BD, Bette's universally despised daughter, who wrote a memoir of her mother so inaccurate . even the most solid of Bette's detractors hated it.
Many "facts" are lifted from BD's pages about her mother, and then Moser tries for analysis of certain films, by way of the Films Of Bette Davis. Not an original thought here at all..of course she never met Bette Davis , nor has she seen her films.
Get This N' That and The Lonely Life,by Miss Davis herself, and The "Interview" books..Mother Godamn, and I'd Kiss Ya..etc." for better information.
Moser has the nerve to cite BD's book as a souce that's not very good(she says), but irresitible..irresistable for copying and agreeing with all of it.Avoid this one.
A terrible book about a truly great artist and star.
Bette Davis (Life and Times).......2006-03-19
This is one of the most comprehensive bios I have ever read. Very honest and ... like being in the room with Bette Davis. I was absolutely enchanted by it.
THE BEST BETTE BOOK EVER.......2006-03-12
There is no need to buy any other book about Bette Davis but this one! It has it all---in her words as well as excerpts from others. Having read other books about this celebrated actress, this book won hands down as a must read. Trust me, you will be awed by this. It's simply a book that you cannot put down till you finish it.
Fascinating!.......2004-10-06
I loved this intriguing biography of Bette Davis. Moser's elegant prose makes it a pleasure to read. She writes with great detail and really gets into Bette's psychology. Even as a true Bette fan, I gained a lot of insight by reading this book! What a complicated woman...
Average customer rating:
- The eyes of Bette Davis
- Fascinating
- Let Me Just Say This . .. .
- B.D. Hyman--Sold Her Mother Out for $$$$$$$$$
- My Mother's Keeper Book
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My Mother's Keeper
B. D. Hyman
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
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This 'n' That
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The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis - A Personal Biography
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Bette Davis (Life&Times series)
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Mommie Dearest
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Bette Davis: A Biography
ASIN: 068804798X |
Customer Reviews:
The eyes of Bette Davis.......2007-09-29
I am not crazy about this book because it seems to be an apparent attempt for B. D. to cash in on her mother's famous name. The book describes how Bette was an unsympathetic and uncaring mother over the years and how B. D. had to "take care of her." Is this really true? I have no idea. Was the book interesting? Yes, parts of it were.
Before I read this book I was never too crazy about Bette Davis. Am I the only one that thinks she always looked and sounded so haggard and tired in all of her pictures? But after reading it I have a new understanding of Bette. She wasn't concerned with Hollywood or with all the glitz. She just wanted to be an "actor." Maybe that was what meant the most in the end.
Fascinating.......2007-09-16
Although I think Bette Davis was a fine actress, she obviously had a very hard time with relationships and it's sad that her daughter had to suffer. You can tell that the author (daugher B. D. Hyman) loved her mother through it all. It gives us insight into Bette's psyche.
Let Me Just Say This . .. ........2007-08-29
I love all of these amateur psychiatrists diagnosing NPD. Apparantly Joan Crawford suffered from this same disease - I read all about it in the reviews for "Mommie Dearest". No one can definitely say what went on in the home of Bette Davis. Even if B.D. speaks the truth - there are 2 sides to every story & her book would be a pretty boring read if she didn't try to stir up some dirt. I don't think Bette Davis was a perfect mother - but I do believe she loved her daughter and did the best she could. Bette was a great actress - and that would undeniably take a toll on other areas of her life so I believe that B.D. probably suffered for it but not to the extent that she claims in "My Mother's Keeper." At the end of her life Bette didn't have a vast fortune to bestow on any of her children - that is why Bette worked up until the end - she was in constant need of money. She supported her Mother, her sister, maintained her daughter Margo's care, and eventually supported B.D.'s family. B.D. needn't have waited until Bette's death for an inheritence that would never come. I am of the impression that B.D. felt the need to soil her mother's name and in the midst of Bette's illness to make a buck. I do think that B.D. should drop it already - if you go to her website she is still preaching about her controlling mother - how can you preach forgiveness if you yourself can't forgive? Why doesn't she just get on with her life already?
B.D. Hyman--Sold Her Mother Out for $$$$$$$$$.......2007-06-16
Well well well...B.D. Hyman--say Amen, folks! The woman who seems never to have had a real job in her life, along with her leech-like husband Jeremy--tears her mother apart with this sensation-seeking piece of muck raking.
Bette Davis was not an easy woman to deal with--I think anyone with a brain in their head could figure this out. Highly strung, neurotic, and probably an alcoholic, she was demanding to the point of torture. B.D. and Jeremy, however, b***ch and moan about what a witch she is, but still had their hands out ready to take any cash she offered. If you would like a good laugh, read Narrow Is the Way, B.D.'s follow-up book detailing how they ran away to the Bahamas when creditors started chasing them in the U.S.. B.D. now runs an evangelical ministry--snigger snigger--you can give her money--cash, credit card or check--and she'll pray for you.
My Mother's Keeper Book.......2007-03-08
Thanks for sending the book so quickly. I appreciate this. Great Service!!
Customer Reviews:
Good book - great woman.......2007-04-02
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.......2006-04-07
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!
You'll love it if your a fan of Bette's.......2005-10-03
Obviously the one star reviewers aren't very big fans of Bette's. This is an honest and real account of some of the movies, struggles she faced with all her recovery from her surgeries. This is an important read to a bette davis fan and I would highly reccomend it!
Jonathan goldis
This'N That Jumps Around.......2005-09-24
I was never a big fan of Bette Davis, but I am always interested in reading what others have written about their own lives. This book had it's moments, but it would have been better if they would have given more of a chronological history. Instead, she jumps around from story to story, as each one pops into her head. This made things a little confusing for me. I did feel like she had an ulterior motive for writing the book. That motive was to get back at her daughter for a nasty book she had written about Bette. I have not read the daughter's book, but it obviously shook up Bette Davis and ruined a mother/daughter relationship. For me, this made the book end in a sad fashion. It also leaves the reader hanging, wondering if this mother and daughter ever worked out their differences. I can't really recommend this book unless you are just seeking more information on the life of one of Hollywood's biggest stars. One last positive thing I will say about the book is that Bette Davis does not get into a lot of the dirt she could have told about Hollywood stars. I do respect her for this.
WRITTEN ONLY TO GET BACK AT B.D........2005-08-13
This book was written by Davis only to throw Kathryn Sermak in her daughter's face because of "My Mother's Keeper". Davis subtly refrains from mentioning B.D. in any way until the last chapter where she has her supporters like Mia Farrow talk about what a liar B.D. is. Unfortunately, the rest of the book, is as another reviewer pointed out, a loving tribute to Kathryn Sermak. Its "Kath this -n- Kath that". Davis was obviously a very disturbed woman with manic tendencies that were demonstrated all through her life, no thanks to a controlling mother, which she herself became. This book offers vignettes about her career but its nothing that hasn't been read before. In whole the book is dull and trite.
Product Description
A memoir that reveals Bette Davis in her own words, her accounts of career, failed marriages, affairs, and feuds.
Average customer rating:
|
Bette Davis: Film Star (Library of Famous Women)
Gene Brown
Manufacturer: Blackbirch Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: 1567110282 |
From the Publisher
During her more than 50 years in film, Bette Davis changed the image of women in the movies with her portrayals of strong and independent characters.
Slowly but surely, the accomplishments of women are being recognized and appreciated by the world at large. In our schools and in the media, more emphasis is being placed on the meaningful roles women play.
The Library of Famous Women features an international collection of courageous and determined individuals who have overcome both personal adversity and societal prejudice to achieve their goals. Many of these important stories have previously gone untold, but now
The Library of Famous Women brings the life stories of these powerful and eloquent role models to your young readers.
Grades 3-7; 7 x 9; 64 pages; Sturdy library binding; Glossary; Further Reading; Index; More than 30 color and black-and-white illustrations
Book Description
Explosive, exhaustive and unsparing, the inside, tell-all story of the celebrated, long-term feud of Hollywood's two greatest screen legends, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
Customer Reviews:
a delicious read.......2007-10-13
If you're a fan of Bette and Joan, you'll surely get a kick out of Shaun Considine's "The Divine Feud". It's filled with hilarious anecdotes, catty quips and perfectly distills the lives of these two Hollywood legends.
Bette Davis would have liked to think she had absolutely nothing in common with Joan Crawford. The truth would have it otherwise. Both stars ruled their respective movie studios with an iron fist, had numerous husbands--and even boyfriends in common; and both had daughters who wrote poisonous hatchet jobs about their upbringings.
Davis considered herself the "Actress" and Crawford the "Movie Star". They only came together for one very memorable movie, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", which has gone down in history as one of the milestones of camp cinema. This book explores their individual careers and personal lives with great detail but never seems laboured or dry. The witty, chatty narrative of Considine gives the book an enjoyable tone. To be fair, the author also points out the various flaws and failings in his subjects--proving that life is always in shades of gray.
"The Divine Feud" is bound to be a must-own volume for the devotees of Ms Crawford and Ms Davis.
not worth the paper it's printed on.......2007-09-30
The "Divine Feud" offers no new information, no new interviews and no types of facts to back up the author's ridiculous accusations. Instead, it's second-hand gossip that has been passed down for years and years. The only problem is, by the time it made its way into this book much of the momentum was lost. Shaun Considine just wanted to capitalize on Joan Crawford's good name. But, Joan never hated Bette Davis and vice versa. Bette Davis even complimented Ms. Crawford during one of her last interviews (with David Letterman.) Joan was the MGM box-office Queen of the 20's and 30's and Bette was the "actress" of Warners throughout the 30's and 40's; I suppose it was only natural for the rumor-mongers to stir up trouble where there wasn't any. Why can't people believe that two strong and talented woman can celebrate each other's accomplishments, rather than backstab? Why are people so quick to believe the worst in others? Joan Crawford always looked up to Bette Davis. She wasn't a conniving person. She was kind and loving to her coworkers and her fans and to anyone else that would give her a chance. If you want to honor Ms. Crawford and Bette Davis, watch them in their 60's cult-classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Two-Disc Special Edition) and skip this dreadful mess!
Camp tittle-tattle.......2007-01-23
Only mildly entertaining because so little of it rings true. The frequent quotes are often as not from the columns of Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper or from a gossip magazine called Motion Picture, yet they are treated as fact. There is little analysis of the artistry and ravishing beauty of Crawford and Davis' film work.The endless exchanges of witless, bitchy quips is, in the end, deadening and depressing.
DISHY.......2005-04-15
Here's a treat for you: the inside scoop of two legendary divas who ruled the screens while despising one another, who nearly came to blows on the set of the classic Whatever Happened to Baby Jane movie, and whose love hate relationship was as famous as their tormented lives behind the glamour. Take Inside Edition's tabloid style and add a touch of Entertainment Tonight's interview vault and you get a pretty good idea what's in store for you. Sure, the novel doesn't break any literary ground, but what do you expect when its theme is the over-the-top antics of its two subjects.-----Martin Boucher
What a coupla great broads.......2004-06-13
This is a really well-written book---two bio's in one, parallel chronologies expertly interwoven, and bountiful barbs. Hilarious as well as poignant, this one volume brought these true legends much more to life than any of their individual auto/biographies I've read.
Through comparison and contrast---more often than not in their own oblique or direct words---Considine captures Bette and Joan from angles not, I think, so fully considered in other works. One comes to a better understanding of their personalities and how each both affected, and was affected by, their numerous characters as well as each other in their endless arguments over which was the "actor" and which the "star."
Augumentatively orbiting each other for decades until their professional tangent in "Baby Jane", these two really did share much mutual respect and admiration, though seemingly less for the person and more for the performer. Virtually all of it, however, went unexpressed or unbelieved.
One wonders what might have been had these two followed the last sentiments of Jane to Blanche: "you mean all this time we coulda been friends?" But think of the tangalizing tale of Hollywood oneupmanship we would have missed if they had.
(note: there is no mention of Bette's death in this 1989 publication, which evidently preceeded it in October of the same year)
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