Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006)

Combining unprecedented access to Davis' vast personal archives with original interviews, this documentary reveals a startling portrait of one of hollywood's most gifted and enigmatic stars.

Directors:

Peter Jones, Mark A. Catalena (co-director) (as Mark Catalena)

Writer:

Peter Jones

Stars:

Bette Davis, Susan Sarandon, Ruthie Davis

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Self (archive footage)
Susan Sarandon	...	Narrator (voice)
Ruthie Davis	...	Self (archive footage)
Barbara 'Bobby' Davis	...	Self
Michael Merrill	...	Self
James Woods	...	Self
Marion Sherry	...	Self (as Marion Richards)
James McCourt	...	Self
Vincent Sherman	...	Self
Cecil Clovelly	...	Self (archive footage)
Conrad Nagel	...	Self (voice) (archive footage)
Casey Robinson	...	Self (voice) (archive footage)
Leo Rosten	...	Self (voice) (archive footage)
Jack L. Warner	...	Self (voice) (archive footage)
Ellen Burstyn	...	Self

Storyline

A standard biography of the famed actress recounting her childhood, early films and her rise to stardom. Her father abandoned the family when she was quite young and she remained close to her domineering mother. As she became more popular she had many fights with Jack Warner, the head of Warner Brothers studio, but eventually managed to exert greater control over her career. She was nominated for several Oscars. Her private life life included several failed marriages and she was deeply hurt when her daughter, who was her closest companion for several years, wrote a tell-all and unflattering memoir of her life.

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Plot Keywords:

film actress | warner bros. | photography | newsreel footage | interview | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Goofs

This documentary claims that Arliss saw Bette in a play,"The Wild Duck". In fact, character actor Murray Kinnell after working with Davis advised Arliss to have her read for him, as he knew Arliss was looking for a specific type for a film and Kinnell thought that Davis might suit Arliss. Arliss was unfamiliar with Davis but had worked with Kinnell in the theater as well as on film.

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Connections

Features A Stolen Life (1946)

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Soundtracks

Star Dust
Music by Hoagy Carmichael
Lyrics by Mitchell Parish
Performed by Nat 'King' Cole

User Reviews

A good reason for Davis fans to rejoice...an excellent bio-profile...

And yet--having given that title to my commentary--I have to say that not everything depicted here paints BETTE DAVIS with a rosy glow. It's an accurate, no holds barred sort of documentary of her life on and off the screen--and some of it has a "warts and all" kind of truth to it that does away with gushing fan worship that some seem to prefer their favorite stars bathed in. For those fans, this is an eye-opener.

Instead, it's a penetrating look at the kind of Yankee upbringing the actress had, how she craved from her father the kind of attention she only got from her mother "Ruthie"; how her father's indifferent attitude toward her career as an actress was something she was never able to overcome; how the main influence on her life was the mother who doted on her rather than her less strong-willed sister; and, finally, how she developed into a strong and determined young woman who was not about to let anyone stand in the way of the sort of career she felt she fully deserved.

All of this is accompanied by interesting family still photos, excellent film clips, and, occasional remarks from co-workers or friends on how they see Bette Davis, the person and the actress.

While much of the material has been presented before, it has never been examined with such precision and understanding, giving a clearer portrait of the actress than ever seen before.

Peter Jones is to be congratulated for writing an excellent expose. It's not a gushing fan tribute, but an extremely sharp and penetrating look at a woman who had many admirable traits, but whose ambition and self-absorption (an ingredient necessary for a successful actress), left her with some bitter memories of a not altogether successful personal life.

Details

Official Sites:

Turner Classic Movies [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Bette Davis-Story

Company Credits

Production Co:

Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Turner Entertainment, Peter Jones Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1