In the article “Bette Davis: actor/star” by Martin Shingler and Christine Gledhill, the authors present the idea that while other celebrities appeared to be slowly revealing more about their own personalities through their film roles, Bette Davis was revealing something entire different; she showed audiences that personality itself was really just a construct, something to be carefully curated and performed. I think for most people, some aspect of their identity is performative. For many of us to reveal our most authentic selves to strangers is vulnerable. However, I also think that most people will perform only for strangers, and are willing to be completely authentic with close friends and family.
https://talkfilmsociety.com/columns/reel-pride-all-about-eve-1950
It was truly interesting to study Bette Davis through the lens of performative identity, because it seems that in All About Eve, Margo Channing’s greatest performances are for those closest to her. That is the thing about the phenomenon of celebrity; living in the public eye means that giving someone your true self could mean showing everybody your true self. The consequences of this are highlighted in the eventual fate of the character of Eve, who built a fragile persona on lies and was ultimately exploited for it.
http://iveneverdonethat.com/blog_files/allabouteve.html
I found the scene in All About Eve where Davis and Karen Richardson’s character were trapped in a car that has run out of gas and are stranded to be particularly poignant. It is here that Davis seems to let her mask slip a little. Watching her think about her career in the past tense, and dreading the inevitable return to normal personhood, it feels obvious that Davis is drawing from true emotions she must have been experiencing at the time regarding her own career.
https://mattsko.com/2013/12/09/bette-davis-in-all-about-eve-gif/
The idea of character takes on a different shape when applied to Davis. I think the difference can be found in the fact that Davis, in contrast with most of the actors of the day, did not seem to be type-cast. It is my understanding that she plays a wide variety of different types of characters, leading the public to wonder just what characteristics are “real” and which are performed.
The authors of “Bette Davis: actor/star” also claim that before Davis became really famous, she was widely regarded by audiences as homely. They also claim that it took a director at RKO allowing her to play to her strengths in her performance for her studio to reorient the way she was marketed to reflect her skill as an actress. This was a revolutionary idea for the time, to invest in a star not for her personal appearance, but for her talent alone. It is interesting to contrast this with the way Hollywood works today. It seems like competition is so fierce that you have to be beautiful, funny, an amazing actor and probably also a dancer and singer to really gain people’s attention. Beyond that, with the rise of social media, celebrities are also expected to maintain a carefully curated public persona which shares just enough to be believable, but also doesn’t alienate anybody. It would be interesting to see if a young Bette Davis would make it on Broadway or in Hollywood today.
https://templeilluminatus.com/group/the-performing-arts-group/forum/topics/bette-davis-eyes-31-rare-photos-of-an-unforgettable-star?overrideMobileRedirect=1