This week the topic was on one of the best actresses, Bette Davis. I did not know too much information about Bette Davis before going into the readings about her, and I found it very interesting to find out how she got her start in the business. Warner Brother Studios noticed her talent in acting right away and immediately wanted to sign her. I found this very interesting since nowadays celebrities act in films that are under a variety of different movie studios. While Bette Davis is a beautiful actress, she was recognized for more than just her looks. Bette Davis was one of the first actresses to demonstrate how a person can fully emerge themselves into the role they are playing. Davis’ parts would often mimic real people. In one of her films called Dangerous, she played a woman who was modeled off of the Broadway actress Jeanne Jones. To me, this reminded me of the biopics that we see today. Those happen to be some of my favorite films, especially when the actors play people who have passed away. This is because the audience can see how well of a job they did with performing these characters. I feel that the best actors are the ones who can make the audience believe that they are the character they are playing. Bette Davis acted in films that were said to be geared more towards women. While that is a not genre that is typical today, I find it interesting that these types of movies were made.

Comparing this to movies that Marilyn Monroe starred in, it did not seem to bring that typical “sex appeal” that was known to sell and bring in audiences of men and women. However, this is some of Bette Davis’ best work as she then became known for not only being a star seen in the public eye but also an actress. The movie that was discussed during this week was All About Eve. I believe that this film’s theme is still very relevant to today when it comes to actors and actresses. The central premise of this film is “out with the old and in with the new”. Bette Davis played a character by the name of Margo, who is a critically acclaimed actress and recognized for being in several productions. However, a new aspiring actress named Eve snakes her way into Margo’s life to try and get her position. There are many prominent actors who have been around in the business for a while who still are being cast in major roles. However, I find that Hollywood often sticks with the new upcoming actors and casts them in as many roles possible until the next new actor comes along. This makes me sad to realize that this issue was happening during the time when Bette Davis was the most famous actress. It also makes me think of the question as to why this is a continuous thing that is occurring. Is there really such a thing as a shelf life for actors?