Bette Davis cover art

Bette Davis

A Biography

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Bette Davis

By: Barbara Leaming
Narrated by: Grace Conlin
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About this listen

She was the tempestuous, strong-willed woman who ignited the movie screen with her legendary performances in Of Human Bondage, Jezebel, and All About Eve. Off-camera, Bette Davis survived four disastrous marriages and earned a larger-than-life professional reputation as an actress to be reckoned with.

In this extraordinary biography, fans and film historians will discover a different, darker side of Bette Davis: a woman beset with scarring personal and professional doubts, who fought a lifelong battle with alcohol, and had an insatiable need to be loved, often at great emotional cost. Obsessive and compulsive, Davis was happy only when she was working, but did not always choose her projects wisely. A legend, a star, a remarkable woman, Bette Davis lived her life as if it were a coveted role she was desperately afraid she might not win.

©1992 Barbara Leaming (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Entertainment & Celebrities

Critic Reviews

“Leaming offers a portrait of Bette Davis that is both sympathetic to the actress and frank about her legendary bitchiness…The book is distinguished by its psychological understanding of the subject." (Publishers Weekly)

“Strong, honest, vivid biography…A rapid but rich full-dress portrait of a matchlessly magnetic actress whose chains of self-centeredness grew ever heavier as she aged… Excellent especially on Davis’ tics and mannerisms and how they undermined her ferocious energy and greater possibilities.” (Kirkus Reviews)

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Absolutely Brilliant

I listen to a lot of audiobooks. This may be the best ever. Couldn’t stop listening. Fascinating. Detailed, honest and pulled no punches. The portrait painted is perhaps not as flattering as other biographies, but I appreciate the lack of sycophancy some life stories of movie stars or celebrities contain. Regardless, I still admire in some ways her courage, tenacity and talent. A balanced, completely riveting book. Kudos to Barbara Leaming.

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