Ask anyone who is the best actress in Hollywood history, and one name will be a constant: Bette Davis. Widely considered by many to be among the biggest icons from Hollywood's Golden Age, Davis won two Oscars and became the first performer to receive 10 Oscar nominations.
Davis' career spanned over fifty years and included multiple films that have become legendary. Although she became famous for playing villains — the infamous Bette Davis bitches from the 1940s — she also starred in multiple other genres, from romantic dramas to period pieces. Davis' legacy is rich and textured, with a filmography full of certified classics.
10 'Death on The Nile' (1978)
Peter Ustinov stars as Hercule Poirot in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic Death on the Nile. The film follows the famous detective who investigates a mysterious death aboard a luxurious cruise down the Nile. The ensemble cast includes Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, and Davis, who plays the wealthy and cleptomaniac socialite Marie Van Schuyler.
Death on the Nile shines on the strength of its all-star cast, even if the mystery isn't as compelling in the hands of director John Guillermin. Davis brings her acerbic and tough energy to what could easily be a thankless role, creating an entertaining dynamic with Maggie Smith that ranks among the film's strongest elements.
9 'The Petrified Forest' (1936)
Archie Mayo's 1936 crime drama The Petrified Forest stars Davis opposite Leslie Howard and a then still somewhat unknown Humphrey Bogart. The plot centers on a struggling writer and a young waitress who form a connection while being held hostage by a violent gangster.
The Petrified Forest is a triumph, thanks to the rich characterization of the three leading figures. In one of her most delicate roles, Davis makes for a compelling ingénue opposite Howard's equally engaging leading man. And while Bogart ultimately steals the show as the now-iconic gangster Duke Mantee, The Petrified Forest remains a high point in Davis' early filmography.
8 'Dangerous' (1935)
Davis won her first Oscar for her role as the self-destructive and chaotic Joyce Heath in the 1935 drama Dangerous. The story sees Joyce attempting to stage a comeback with the help of wealthy architect Don Bellows; however, her alcohol addiction will make things difficult.
Dangerous marked the beginning of Davis' glorious leading career as Warner Bros.'s greatest leading actress. Delivering a cruel, wicked, and unsentimental performance, Davis is a tornado of fury and feeling, a challenging heroine as likable as she is frustrating. Few actresses could've pulled this tough act, but then again, Bette Davis was not like other actresses.
7 'Of Human Bondage' (1934)
Leslie Howard first worked with Bette Davis in the searing 1934 drama Of Human Bondage. The plot centers on Philip Carey, a medical student who falls for the manipulative and ruthless waitress Mildred Howard. The two then become entangled in a destructive cycle, with Mildred returning to mess up Philip's life every time he seems out of her claws.
Of Human Bondage turned Davis into an instant star. Mildred was like no role audiences had seen before: callous, mercurial, selfish, self-destructive, and utterly despicable. Davis received rave reviews, and many anticipated an Oscar nomination. When she didn't receive one, the uproar was such that the Academy allowed write-in votes in addition to the three actresses nominated that year. To this day, the Academy lists Davis as an official nominee for her harrowing work in Of Human Bondage.
6 'Jezebel' (1938)
Davis won her second and last Oscar for her work in William Wyler's romantic drama Jezebel. The film, also starring Henry Fonda, centers on Julie Marsden, a spoiled Southern Belle whose selfish actions cost her the love of the man she loves.
Richly produced and finely crafted, Jezebel is an effective tale of love and its feeble nature. Davis shines brightly as the strong-headed and shifting Julie, a role that once again calls for her fierce, cunning side. Jezebel was a major commercial and critical success, cementing Davis as the defining star of the Warner Bros. lot and one of her generation's mightiest actresses.
5 'Dark Victory' (1939)
Although best known for her infamous antagonistic roles, Davis played several tragic heroines throughout her career. 1939's Dark Victory follows hedonistic socialite Judith Traherne, who attempts to find love and turn her life around after learning she has a brain tumor. The film reunites her with Humphrey Bogart and also stars future US president Ronald Reagan.
A powerful melodrama that aims for the jugular, Dark Victory is among Davis' most earnest and sympathetic performances. The film is, first and foremost, a love story, and Davis makes for an excellent partner to George Brent, giving Dark Victory a bittersweet but powerful boost.
4 'Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?' (1962)
Davis joined her infamous rival, Joan Crawford, in Robert Aldrich's psychological horror thriller Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The story centers on an aging and increasingly delusional former child star tormenting her wheelchair-using sister while living in a dilapidated Hollywood mansion.
A major phenomenon at the time of its original release, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? gave Davis her 10th and last Oscar nomination. The drama surrounding her Oscar loss remains a famous Hollywood tale, further ensuring the film's legacy. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? launched an entire sub-genre of movies starring former stars in harrowing scenarios known as "psycho-biddy." More importantly, it features one of Davis' finest performances, a haunting depiction of regret and mental deterioration that remains highly regarded.
3 'The Little Foxes' (1941)
William Wyler reunited with Davis for 1941's drama The Little Foxes. Based on the eponymous 1939 play, the story revolves around the vicious Regina Hubbard Giddens and her ambitious brothers, who plan to use Regina's husband's wealth to get rich from a cotton mill.
Regina Hubbard Giddens is a cinematic monster and one of Davis' finest creations. The character is one of two Davis villains to appear in the AFI's list of the all-time best movie villains, and with good reason. Regina is self-serving and devious, ambition brought to life with cold precision. The seminal scene where Regina watches her husband collapse from a heart attack is among the most haunting in cinematic history.
2 'Now, Voyager' (1942)
The 1942 romantic drama Now, Voyager stars Davis opposite Paul Henreid. The story follows Charlotte Vale, a young woman dominated by her overbearing and cruel mother. After a stint at a mental hospital, Charlotte comes out of her shell and becomes a confident woman, finding love with a married man aboard a luxurious cruise.
One of the best classic romances from Hollywood's Golden Age, Now, Voyager is a triumph from beginning to end. Davis is at her utter best, delivering a bold and refreshing performance as the inspiring heroine Charlotte and creating a timeless romance with Henreid's Jerry. Now, Voyager is the melodrama to end all melodramas, an occasionally sappy but infinitely rewarding experience for fans of classic Hollywood romances.
1 'All About Eve' (1950)
"Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night," Margo Channing famously says in the first act of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's acclaimed drama All About Eve. The film is a certified cinematic classic, with Davis at the top of her game as the aging actress Margo Channing, who falls prey to the schemes of the manipulative and ambitious Eve Harrington.
Few movies explore the nature of acting and show business better than All About Eve. A masterpiece in every sense of the word, the film is a triumph of directing, screenwriting, and acting. Davis delivers the best performance of her career as the acidic and witty Margo, a now-legendary role that cemented her legacy as the best actress in classic Hollywood.