Bette’s real name was Ruth; Bette came from a character in Balzac’s Cousin Bette.
Accompanied by her mother, Davis traveled by train to Hollywood, arriving on December 13, 1930. She later recounted her surprise that nobody from the studio was there to meet her; a studio employee had waited for her, but left because he saw nobody who “looked like an actress”.
Joan Crawford and Davis feuded for years. During the making of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Bette had a Coca-Cola machine installed on the set, fully aware that Joan Crawford was the widow of Pepsi’s CEO.
Joan got her revenge by putting weights in her pockets when Davis had to drag Crawford across the floor during certain scenes.
Bette was the first person to accrue 10 Academy Award nominations for her acting.
On her tombstone is written “She did it the hard way”.
The Big Screen