A series of 10 films starring the big screen legend Bette Davis will be shown at the Irish Film Institute this June. All month long some of the greatest works by Davis will have new eyes on them, as Fasten Your Seatbelts: The Films of Bette Davis takes place at the IFI, 8 – 26 June.
Famous feuds on-screen and off, a drawling voice that could cut glass and a timeless screen presence, the work of Davis deserves to be seen on the big screen, and you’ll have your chance at the IFI this summer.
The IFI have announced a special series of screenings to celebrate a true Hollywood icon, Bette Davis (1908-1989), one of the greatest actors in film history. Known for her distinctive voice, intensity, and extraordinary versatility, often portraying complex and independent women, she won two Academy Awards over her six-decade career.
Featuring work from Directors William Wyler, Frank Capra, Robert Aldrich, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Irving Rapper and Edmund Goulding, the Bette Davis season at the IFI kicks off on 8th June with William Wyler’s Jezebel which won Davis her second Best Actress Oscar. This is followed by Dark Victory (dir: Edmund Goulding) 9th June, The Letter (dir: William Wyler) 11th June, Now, Voyager (dir: Irving Rapper) 15th June, a classic of the era All About Eve (dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz) 16th June, Another Man’s Poison (dir: Irving Rapper) 18th June, Pocketful of Miracles (dir: Frank Capra’s final film) 20th June, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (dir: Robert Aldrich) featuring sworn real-life rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford on 22nd June, Hush… Hush Sweet Charlotte (dir: Robert Aldrich) 23rd June and finishes up on 26nd June with Bette Davis’ last great performance in The Whales of August (dir. Lindsay Anderson).
Bette Davis made her film debut in Bad Sister (1931); however, it was her move to Warner Bros. in the mid-1930s that catapulted her to stardom. There she received critical acclaim for her performances in films like Of Human Bondage (1934) and Dangerous (1935), for which she won her first Oscar. She continued to receive accolades for her roles in films like Jezebel (1938) and Dark Victory (1939). Known for her outspoken nature, Davis often clashed with the studio system, fighting for better roles, and challenging the typecasting of actresses in Hollywood.
Davis’s career flourished in the 1940s with major hits like The Letter (1940) and Now, Voyager (1942). In 1950, Davis delivered a memorable performance in All About Eve, a highlight of her career. Davis continued to work in films, television, and stage throughout her career. Notable later works include the ghoulish What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).