Want to know the best Bette Davis movies? How about the worst Bette Davis movies? Curious about Bette Davis’s box office grosses or which Bette Davis movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Bette Davis movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which one got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place…. because we have all of that information and much more.
Bette Davis (1908-1989), a two time Oscar® winning actress. She was voted as the second greatest actress of all-time according to the American Film Institute. Her movie career started in 1931 and ended only months before her death in 1989. According to IMDB, she had 122 television and movie credits over her career.
The American Film Institute lists the Top 25 Actors and Top 25 Actresses of all-time that appeared in a movie before 1950. My new movie page goal is to write a page on all 50 of the performers. So far I have done 17 of the 25 actors, but only 11 of the 25 actresses. So this Bette Davis page will be the 11th actress that I have written about on that list.
Her IMDb page shows 123 acting credits from 1931-1989. This page ranks 79 Bette Davis movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos, some early 1930 Davis movies and movies that were not released in North American theaters were not included in the rankings.
Bette Davis Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
79 Bette Davis Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Blue Movie Title is a link that will take to that movie’s trailer
- Sort Bette Davis movies by co-stars of her movies
- Sort Bette Davis movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Bette Davis movies by adjusted worldwide box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions) *** if domestic and worldwide box office are the same…then worldwide is unknown
- Sort Bette Davis movies by how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Bette Davis movie received.
- Sort Bette Davis movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
- Use the search and sort buttons to make this page very interactive….for example type Bogart in the search box and all 6 Bogart/Davis movies will pop up or type in *** in the search box and all of Davis Oscar® nominated performances will pop up.
Possibly Interesting Facts About Bette Davis
1. Bette Davis made her movie debut in 1931’s The Bad Sister. The movie also starred another newcomer, Humphrey Bogart. Davis and Bogart would appear in 6 movies together from 1931 to 1939.
2. Bette Davis was nominated 11 times for a Best Actress Oscar®. She won twice…..1935’s Dangerous and 1938’s Jezebel. Only one of her films won the Best Picture Oscar®….1950’s All About Eve.
3. Bette Davis holds the record with Greer Garson for most years in a row to receive an Oscar® nomination…..5 years in a row. Davis was nominated every year from 1938-1942. Garson did the same accomplishment 1941-1945.
4. Bette Davis was married four times in her life. Her marriages to Harmon Nelson (1932-1939) and Arthur Farnsworth (1940-till his death in 1943) produced no children. She had one daughter with her third husband William Sherry(1945-1950) and two adopted children(boy and a girl) with fourth husband Gary Merrill(1950-1960).
5. Roles Bette Davis turned down or was seriously considered for during her career: Cool Hand Luke, The African Queen, Come Back Little Sheba, 1931’s Frankenstein, Mary Poppins and Gone With The Wind. Davis really wanted the Scarlett O’Hara role but her studio would not allow her to work for another studio.
6. Bette Davis and Lucille Ball both attended the John Murray Anderson Dramatic School. Davis was the star of the school, while Ball was sent home because she was too shy to become an actress.
7. Bette Davis was one of the founders of the Hollywood Canteen in 1942. The Hollywood Canteen was a nightclub where soldiers passing through Los Angeles during World War II got to see Hollywood stars perform live on stage. Often Davis would spend all day making a movie and all night performing for soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen. She felt that the Hollywood Canteen was one of her greatest accomplishments.
8. Bette Davis once sold over two million dollars worth of war bonds for the troops during World War II in only two days.
9. In 1981 Kim Carnes released the song “Bette Davis Eyes”. The song would reach number one and earn gold and platinum record status. Bette Davis Eyes helped Davis be discovered by a new generation.
10. One of the best collection of Bette Davis fans can be found on Facebook at Bette Davis Babylon. If you are a Bette Davis you have to join this group….it is easily the best movie group on Facebook that I have come across….and I am in many Facebook movie groups.
Check out Bette Davis‘s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Steve Lensman’s Bette Davis You Tube Video
For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
Since you asked, “Juarez” is my very favorite Bette Davis movie. I love everything about it. The wardrobe is fabulous and even the song “La Paloma” is so lovely it brings tears to my eyes.
I don’t know how I found it, but I am happy to see a site about the incredible Ms. Davis
Hey Margarett…I also enjoyed her Juarez. I agree with your mini review of it. I also enjoyed John Garfield in that movie. La Paloma is very well done in that movie. Glad you found us….our Bette Davis page is one of our most popular pages. Thanks for the visit and the comment.
I love Bette Davis a great actress.
Hey Tracy glad a Bette Davis fan found our page…thanks for the comment.
She was voted 2nd best actress?? Who could ever be better?? Always be number ONE to me
Hey Vicky….Top 2 is pretty good….only the Great Kate beat her out….and I imagine it was a close call…thanks for stopping by.
STEVE
1 Can’t spot a Chuck Heston video on the links to your productions that you and Bruce gave me.
2 Have u done one on him or is it sacrilege of me to ask ! ?
Bob, I haven’t got round to Charlton ‘Behold His Mighty Hand’ Heston yet, but he will definitely get a top 30 video from me, as will Marlon “Stellaaaaa!” Brando. 🙂
1 Thanks for reply. Both worth waiting for.
2 I understand that you’re English so this might interest you. A recent biography revealed that Mr Mumbles’ favourite British actor was Peter Bowles probably best know over here for hit TV series such as the comedy ones To the Manor Born and Only When I Laugh .
3 According to Bowles they had arranged a dinner date that did not materialise because of Marlon’ death in 2004. [Leo DiCaprio was not invited !]
Best wishes BOB
Peter Bowles? I know him mostly as a TV actor, is it possible Mr. Mumbles was a fan of those British TV shows? But then a lot of American actors have a fondness for British TV comedy and drama, i.e.Downton Abbey.
STEVE
1 Mr M’s personal fave genre for his own pleasure is supposed to have been comedy – he apparently loved silent slapstick such as Chaplin and may have so admired Bowles because the latter was a funny man
2 For some same strange reason though he seemed to like the English anyway !! For example one of his closest friends was Sir Michael Gambon [Dumbledore in Harry Potter] who was Irish born but took out British citizenship and self-identifies now as an English actor.. In a recent interview Sir Michael told of how he and Mr M had great times together.
3 Also Mumbles and England’s David Niven got on like a house on fire when making Bedtime Story years ago according to Niven Maybe it’s some of those lovely clear-spoken English accents that appealed to Mr M because you know what they say – “Opposites Attract”!
Anyway have a good weekend.
BOB
Hey Bob & Steve…..learn something everyday…got admit I have never heard of Peter Bowles. Yes we Americans love lots of Brit stuff….especially Downtown Abbey…though I admit I have not seen a single episode of that tv show.
Hey Bob and Steve….I find it shocking that Steve has not done a Heston video now. I am thinking he needs to resign from his role as the official president of the Heston fan club….or he could go ahead and make the video….lol. I can only imagine the movie that will get the number one spot….it has to be The Omega Man or Lucy Gallant.
Nice job with all the data, and we appreciate your hard work.
I do want to point out that ALL ABOUT EVE is an ensemble drama, and Bette doesn’t play the title character. So I think it’s a little unfair to give her most of the credit for the film’s success. It was truly a team effort. And my guy, George Sanders, is the one who earned an Oscar for it. Just sayin’.
Not only Bette Davis gave the performance of her career in All About Eve but George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Anne Baxter, and the rest of the cast are at their best. Even Marilyn Monroe steals a scene or two. And there’s great work also from Alfred Newman, Edith Head, Barbara McLean, and the rest of the crew. And Joseph L. Mankiewicz. His screenplay is sharp and witty, and his direction is quick, strong, and observant. Rather than a Bette Davis movie, I’ve always considered All About Eve a Joseph L. Mankiewicz film.
It’s a film that belongs to all of them, in front of and behind the camera.
Those Warner Brothers films in the late 30s and 40 were Bette Davis films built around her talents. But ALL ABOUT EVE was a film that Bette Davis happened to be in. Big difference. And as we know, she wasn’t the first choice for the role of Margo Channing. She gives an incredible performance, but then, they all do.
I agree with what you’re all saying but when people think of All About Eve it’s the legendary Bette Davis that comes immediately to mind, and she does have the films one iconic line. 🙂
Hey Steve….you speak wisely my friend….thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I agree with both Arsan404 and you as it relates to All About Eve, which is why I posted: “I would also rank this as the ‘best’ production she was involved in”.
Hey Top Billed….thanks for the return visit and comment…I understand your thought process.
Hey Top Billed….she might not have been the first choice for Margo Channing…..but now it is hard to even imagine anybody else playing the role. This was probably the peak of her career….as the rest was downhill….a slow descent….but a descent for sure. I agree 100%…there is not a bad performance in the entire movie.
Hey Arsan 404….good comment…and one that I agree with…..in my database which now has almost 28,000 movies…..it is one of the highest scoring movies…ranked 50th overall. One of the great movies for sure….with 14 Oscar nominations….it was nominated it almost every single possible category….not many movies can make that claim. Interesting about it being a J.L. Mankiewicz film…I will have to do a UMR page on him. Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks Top Billed….I think Bette needs a little more credit…yes she was part of an ensemble cast….but she was the star of the movie. Recently I saw a trailer for All About Eve in current theaters….and it was all Bette in that one….including ending the trailer with the “bumpy night” quote. Your guy, George Sanders, barely made the trailer. Though at the end of the day he was the only actor or actress to get an Oscar for that movie.