Born in Lowell Massachusetts as Ruth Elizabeth Davis, screen legend Bette Davis appeared in over 100 films between 1931 and 1989. Unafraid to portray manipulative, unlikeable and decidedly unglamorous women, Davis challenged the Hollywood status quo and earned 10 Academy Award nominations over a span of three decades. In this class, we’ll examine five of her many memorable roles. We’ll start with The Little Foxes, directed by William Wyler and co-starring Herbert Marshall and Teresa Wright, with Davis as a ruthless matriarch who will go to any length to consummate a business deal involving her estranged husband. We’ll next look at Mr. Skeffington, co-starring Claude Rains, an unabashed melodrama with Davis as a supremely vain woman who marries a Jewish financier for money. We’ll then turn to All About Eve, directed by Joseph Mankiewicz and co-starring Anne Baxter and George Sanders, a classic drama with Davis taking a scheming young actress under her wings. Next will be The Catered Affair, co-starring Ernest Borgnine and Debbie Reynolds, with Davis as a working-class mother who wants to put on a unaffordable wedding for her daughter. We’ll end with What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, a psychological thriller co-starring Joan Crawford, with Davis as the once famous vaudeville performer who seeks revenge for her sister’s successful career.

Participants will need to watch the films before class. These movies are available on streaming services and the Minuteman Library system. During class, we’ll cover background material and view selected clips, but the emphasis will be on a group discussion, focusing on script, acting, and cinematography.