Today would have been Bette's 99th birthday, so I decided to make a little post about her. When I was younger, and didn't realize how great old movies were, I remember seeing Bette on talk shows, I think Phil Donahue was one, and I wondered 'Who is that old lady, and what's with the big attitude?' It wasn't until I was older that I finally realized the awesome-ness of Bette, and many of the other Old Hollywood stars.
Bette Davis was cool, and awesome, and ballsy, and fought for good roles where she could show her talent, unlike actresses of today who are more worried about what designer gown they're going to wear to premieres and award shows. That's why she had 'attitude' - she was good and she knew it, and many people see that as vanity or conceit, but it's really just confidence. All women should be that confident. Her career had many ups and downs but she continued to work, and was nominated for 10 Oscars. She thought of acting as a professional career, not as a lifestyle.
I think many people think of Bette in her later days. But I wanted to show off some younger photos of her, and since this is supposed to be a vintage-clothing related blog, I tried to choose some photos that showed off not only her beauty, but a little classic clothing too.
Some fun Bette Quotes -
- "I'm the nicest goddamn dame that ever lived"
- "Why am I so good at playing bitches? I think it's because I'm not a bitch. Maybe that's why Miss Crawford always plays ladies."
- "I've no time for broads who want to rule the world alone. Without men, who'd do up the zipper on the back of your dress?"
- "I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make-up box."
- "Old age is no place for sissies"
- "I was thought to be 'stuck up.' I wasn't. I was just sure of myself. This is and always has been an unforgivable quality to the unsure"
- “I'd luv to kiss ya, but I just washed my hair.”
- "When a man gives his opinion he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion she's a bitch.”
- "You know what I'm going to have on my gravestone? 'She did it the hard way.'"
Bette Davis info on Wikipedia
And while searching online for photos and quotes (I really should be doing some work this morning) I found this great blog post, which kind of sums up how I see Bette too - Bette With An E: Why I Should Be Best Friends With Bette Davis
2 comments:
How absolutely adorable, I love this tribute. Simple, yet heartfelt; it's very genuine. Question:Is Bette Davis the inspiration for the character Betty Boop?! I always thought it was Betty Paige. Maybe both?
Lauren
Hmm, I don't know who the inspiration was for Betty Boop. It wasn't Bettie Page though, because Betty Boop started in the 1930s, and Page didn't become popular until the 1950s.
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