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The Worst of the Acclaimed Bette Davis
By an Amazon.com customer
Mr. SkeffingtonMr. Skeffington
Buy new: $5.79 / Used from: $10.28
Possibly the worst performance ever considered for an Oscar. Davis' high-pitched voice, overcooked make-up and physical posturing are cartoonish at best. Simply atrocious.
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and EssexThe Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Buy new: $5.79 / Used from: $4.50
With an English accent that's about as authentic as margarine, Davis twitches and strides through her scenes with sotto-voiced, misplaced intensity. Amateurish and laughable.
The StarThe Star
Buy new: $17.99 / Used from: $5.24
Over-the-top hambone antics that inexplicably earned an Oscar nomination. Her clipped ranting and gyrating gait make her look like a drag queen impersonating herself.
The Whales of AugustThe Whales of August
Buy used from: $18.25
Davis' next to last film, she once again expected an Oscar for this (though she wasn't even nominated). By this point, the rigid mannerisms were phoned in and she was incapable of reacting to anything. Just a pre-planned selection of attitudes that grate.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Two-Disc Special Edition)What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $8.66 / Used from: $15.94
In this film, Davis couldn't be more over-the-top if she were being electrocuted. A camp howler, she expected to win an Oscar for this dreck. Maybe if she lived on Mars.
Of Human BondageOf Human Bondage
Buy new: $7.98 / Used from: $3.86
Her breakthrough perforance now comes across as stagey, far too busy and much too shrill. The actress has no idea of how to underplay and she's about as subtle as steam shovel.
The Man Who Came to DinnerThe Man Who Came to Dinner
Buy new: $5.79 / Used from: $8.74
With a comic touch as light as lead, Davis comes across as wan and lifeless. She a total bore in this somewhat entertaining relic.
Old AcquaintanceOld Acquaintance
Buy new: $17.49 / Used from: $6.97
Davis and Hopkins compete for overacting honors. They both win...it's the audience that loses.
Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition)Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition)
Buy new: $15.99 / Used from: $6.74
Davis won an Oscar for this shrill, one-note perforance. Her Julie is a neurotic borderline who plots and schemes, but her change of heart late in the film doesn't convince because Davis is still doing her shrill, bug-eyed masochist bit.
The Old MaidThe Old Maid
Buy used from: $10.47
This might have worked if Davis could manage subtley and layers, but as an actress she always chose one note and beat it into the ground. Miriam Hopkins acts rings around her.