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The Lonely Life: An Autobiography
The Hollywood legend talks about her four marriages, her leading men, her feud with a well-known co-star, her longing to have a child, and her favorite roles.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
513 people are currently reading
2012 people want to read
About the author
Bette Davis
34 books98 followersRuth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress of film, television and theatre. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres; from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies, though her greatest successes were romantic dramas.
After appearing in Broadway plays, Davis moved to Hollywood in 1930, but her early films for Universal Studios were unsuccessful. She joined Warner Bros. in 1932 and established her career with several critically acclaimed performances. In 1937, she attempted to free herself from her contract and although she lost a well-publicized legal case, it marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career. Until the late 1940s, she was one of American cinema's most celebrated leading actresses, known for her forceful and intense style. Davis gained a reputation as a perfectionist who could be highly combative, and her confrontations with studio executives, film directors and costars were often reported. Her forthright manner, clipped vocal style and ubiquitous cigarette contributed to a public persona which has often been imitated and satirized.
Davis was the co-founder of the Hollywood Canteen, and was the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She was the first actor to receive 10 Academy Award nominations and the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Her career went through several periods of decline, and she admitted that her success had often been at the expense of her personal relationships. Married four times, she was once widowed and thrice divorced, and raised her children as a single parent. Her final years were marred by a long period of ill health, but she continued acting until shortly before her death from breast cancer, with more than 100 film, television and theater roles to her credit.
In 1999, Davis was placed second, behind Katharine Hepburn, on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female stars of all time.
After appearing in Broadway plays, Davis moved to Hollywood in 1930, but her early films for Universal Studios were unsuccessful. She joined Warner Bros. in 1932 and established her career with several critically acclaimed performances. In 1937, she attempted to free herself from her contract and although she lost a well-publicized legal case, it marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career. Until the late 1940s, she was one of American cinema's most celebrated leading actresses, known for her forceful and intense style. Davis gained a reputation as a perfectionist who could be highly combative, and her confrontations with studio executives, film directors and costars were often reported. Her forthright manner, clipped vocal style and ubiquitous cigarette contributed to a public persona which has often been imitated and satirized.
Davis was the co-founder of the Hollywood Canteen, and was the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She was the first actor to receive 10 Academy Award nominations and the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Her career went through several periods of decline, and she admitted that her success had often been at the expense of her personal relationships. Married four times, she was once widowed and thrice divorced, and raised her children as a single parent. Her final years were marred by a long period of ill health, but she continued acting until shortly before her death from breast cancer, with more than 100 film, television and theater roles to her credit.
In 1999, Davis was placed second, behind Katharine Hepburn, on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female stars of all time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
February 11, 2025
Choppy, but intellectual and witty- this is Bette Davis spouting off opinions. This includes the art of acting; and the first half of her professional life, the height of her career at Warner Brothers during the 1930s and 1940s.
Ms. Davis also touchingly writes the memoir as a tribute to her mother, Ruthie who was her biggest champion and supporter. When I read this, I felt her fighting personality also stemmed from being abandoned by her father Harlow when she was a kid by telling her how insignificant she would always be. Boy, did she ever prove him wrong!
The book is also peppered with anecdotes and bits about Ms. Davis' struggles being a woman in a male dominated film industry, but its oddly tightly wound and conservative for a woman with so much zest and "fire and music" as she would be quoted from the immortal "All About Eve".
I felt an aspect of her Yankee puritanical streak crept in when she was oblique about certain subjects when it came to her personal life, but she’s also honest about the regret of having had abortions early in her young life to maintain a Hollywood career.
She also writes about her admiration for Katharine Hepburn, and while she had a disdain for Miriam Hopkins, she respected her talent. It is La Davis letting her hair down, putting the cigarette butts on the ashtray and being vulnerable and real.
She doesn’t write about Joan Crawford- they hadn’t costarred yet in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”.
Her movies were ingrained in my DNA: I always ask myself, if am in a sticky situation, what would Bette Davis do? She gave herself to her art, her work and what a work ethic it was!
A must read for Bette Davis fans. This first memoir is harder to find than her second one, the disjointed "This n'That"; but this one actually was written with her mind intact, thirty years before suffering the tragic series of strokes that would eventually lead her to the end.
Ms. Davis also touchingly writes the memoir as a tribute to her mother, Ruthie who was her biggest champion and supporter. When I read this, I felt her fighting personality also stemmed from being abandoned by her father Harlow when she was a kid by telling her how insignificant she would always be. Boy, did she ever prove him wrong!
The book is also peppered with anecdotes and bits about Ms. Davis' struggles being a woman in a male dominated film industry, but its oddly tightly wound and conservative for a woman with so much zest and "fire and music" as she would be quoted from the immortal "All About Eve".
I felt an aspect of her Yankee puritanical streak crept in when she was oblique about certain subjects when it came to her personal life, but she’s also honest about the regret of having had abortions early in her young life to maintain a Hollywood career.
She also writes about her admiration for Katharine Hepburn, and while she had a disdain for Miriam Hopkins, she respected her talent. It is La Davis letting her hair down, putting the cigarette butts on the ashtray and being vulnerable and real.
She doesn’t write about Joan Crawford- they hadn’t costarred yet in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”.
Her movies were ingrained in my DNA: I always ask myself, if am in a sticky situation, what would Bette Davis do? She gave herself to her art, her work and what a work ethic it was!
A must read for Bette Davis fans. This first memoir is harder to find than her second one, the disjointed "This n'That"; but this one actually was written with her mind intact, thirty years before suffering the tragic series of strokes that would eventually lead her to the end.
April 13, 2009
This was her first autobiography. Largely out of print but you can find a used copy if you scour ebay or book fairs. I savored every detail of this book as part of my training to be a fag.
August 25, 2020
Being a huge Bette Davis fan I totally adored this book! I never realized what a complicated life she truly led!
June 15, 2017
Mercy, I enjoyed this book. I am never not enthralled by how books help connect you to kindred spirits across time and space.
Bette Davis was my kind of woman. She's smart. Some of the best parts of the book were her talking through her interpretations of certain characters and how she navigated through disagreements with her directors. You really get a sense of how that dynamic works and doesn't work and what films are possible when both parties are really invested in the final product.
Her commentary on men and life spoke right to my heart. This woman here knew the score.
And the book read like pure poetry. I was engrossed from the first page and quickly finished within hours. She had a ghostwriter and honestly, I think more public figures who are not writers should have one. A good ghostwriter will help you organize your thoughts and, most importantly, maintain your voice. If you don't write, then it's very easy to lose yourself when you write and as a result we get crappy memoirs from people who actually have important things to share. This book sounded exactly like Davis. I felt like I had been invited over for tea and I sat and listened as she talked. I was so sad when it was time for me to leave.
Bette Davis was my kind of woman. She's smart. Some of the best parts of the book were her talking through her interpretations of certain characters and how she navigated through disagreements with her directors. You really get a sense of how that dynamic works and doesn't work and what films are possible when both parties are really invested in the final product.
Her commentary on men and life spoke right to my heart. This woman here knew the score.
And the book read like pure poetry. I was engrossed from the first page and quickly finished within hours. She had a ghostwriter and honestly, I think more public figures who are not writers should have one. A good ghostwriter will help you organize your thoughts and, most importantly, maintain your voice. If you don't write, then it's very easy to lose yourself when you write and as a result we get crappy memoirs from people who actually have important things to share. This book sounded exactly like Davis. I felt like I had been invited over for tea and I sat and listened as she talked. I was so sad when it was time for me to leave.
May 14, 2009
Those of you who know me know that my heart belongs to Joan Crawford. But I love Bette, too, and I'll easily admit she's the better actress. This autobiography, written (ghostwritten, no dobut, but the voice is pure Bette) in the early sixties, is a fantastic look at a STAR. She readily admits to ego, temper tantrums, perfectionism, bull-headedness--everything for which Bette Davis is famous.
Her childhood sounds awful--her parents divorced around WWI, and her equally tough-as-nails mother is portrayed as a dynamo, taking jobs to support herself and her two daughters (Bette's sister, Bobby, is a classic nervous-breakdown prone sibling of a forceful personality, always condemned to a life in her sister's shadow, grateful yet resentful of her sister's support). But Bette makes it sound tough, romantic, and plucky.
Her marriages were also a rough go--first husband Ham hated having a more famous wife, and forced her to have an abortion; second husband Farney fell and hit his head and died; Sherry apparently roughed her up and drank; Gary Merrill was torn between the life of a free-spirited actor and the comforts of home and family. And then there are the kids--B.D., who will grow up to write a Mommie Dearest-style hatchet job about her (I just ordered it from ABEbooks, of course); Margot, who turns out to be developmentally handicapped and is sent to live in a home (fifty years ago, you know, that's what they did); Michael, who is barely mentioned.
Bette tells tales on her famous co-stars, too, although most are favorable. I am looking forward to reading her later memoir, This'n That, written in the eighties. Good stuff.
Her childhood sounds awful--her parents divorced around WWI, and her equally tough-as-nails mother is portrayed as a dynamo, taking jobs to support herself and her two daughters (Bette's sister, Bobby, is a classic nervous-breakdown prone sibling of a forceful personality, always condemned to a life in her sister's shadow, grateful yet resentful of her sister's support). But Bette makes it sound tough, romantic, and plucky.
Her marriages were also a rough go--first husband Ham hated having a more famous wife, and forced her to have an abortion; second husband Farney fell and hit his head and died; Sherry apparently roughed her up and drank; Gary Merrill was torn between the life of a free-spirited actor and the comforts of home and family. And then there are the kids--B.D., who will grow up to write a Mommie Dearest-style hatchet job about her (I just ordered it from ABEbooks, of course); Margot, who turns out to be developmentally handicapped and is sent to live in a home (fifty years ago, you know, that's what they did); Michael, who is barely mentioned.
Bette tells tales on her famous co-stars, too, although most are favorable. I am looking forward to reading her later memoir, This'n That, written in the eighties. Good stuff.
February 25, 2022
Bette Davis is one of my favorite actresses so it was about time I read her autobiography. While not the happiest life, she lived an amazing life and a lot of that is down to her mother. While a lot is chronicled, the detail isn't in-depth, which seems very Bette Davis. She'll let us in...but only so far. Regardless, it's wonderful book for Bette Davis fans.
July 23, 2018
This is a great read. Her strong personality radiates through each line.
May 4, 2017
I first read Bette Davis’s autobiography The Lonely Life over fifty years ago—back when everyone in the world knew who Bette Davis was. I saw it on my shelf recently and thought I should re-read it, now that she has been dead for many years. The book covers her life from birth until her triumph in the early 1960s in Tennessee Williams’s stage play The Night of the Iguana. Along the way, we hear of four failed marriages, a mother who was extremely involved in her daughter’s life, an absent father, two Oscars, three children, and a lot of philosophy of life. Davis was a strong, strong woman who, in many cases, placed her career above everything else. Here she expounds on her struggles as a superstar whose principles were quite different from what her bosses wanted from her. She also lets us know how she feels about men, and it ain’t pretty. She felt that men, for the most part, were afraid of strong women and weak themselves in nature. And we hear of her views on method acting, praising Brando for his great talents, which, she says, transcended his method. As for other method actors, she has little respect. An autobiography is a curious genre (made curiouser when there is a ghost writer involved.) We hear a life through the voice of the person who led it, yet we can’t trust that voice to be objective or even truthful. Here, it is a joy to “hear” Davis relate her life in her own voice (and I believe that mostly her ghost only shaped the book and had little to do with how she said things.) But we can’t trust everything she says. She speaks at length about her philosophy of raising children, making us feel she was extremely hands-on and demanding while pouring out love all the while. Yet she also lets us know she had a nanny for the older child and a baby nurse for the two younger ones, and then when they were older, the older girl and the boy were packed off to boarding school. The younger girl was diagnosed as special needs—or as Davis says in the perfectly okay vernacular of her time, retarded. She was sent off to a special school. Davis explains it was the best choice for her (and it probably was) but there is little warmth in her explanation and very little regret that her child was gone from her. Still, this book was written when Davis was in her prime, had many years left of her career, and most probably didn’t want to damage her public image. My regret is that she spends not much time describing her films and the experience of making them, with the exception of her most high profile performances in Of Human Bondage, Jezebel, and All About Eve. And she repeats the oft-told legend of how she is the one who gave the Oscar his nickname (the Academy admits it is uncertain where the nickname came from, but they ascribe it, most likely, to the original secretary of their organization.) But let’s not quibble. This book is a chance to get into the mind of one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, and that’s a good thing for us movie fans.
January 28, 2018
Truth be told, I am a Stanwyck girl through & through. No one else has even come close. But then I saw FEUD & wanted to learn more about Bette Davis, which led me to this book. Now I can say, while Stanwyck will ALWAYS be my queen, I think I have now found a woman who can give her a run for her money!
I really enjoyed this book--and I heard Bette's voice in my head with every word I read. She is such a fascinating person. And she's VERY human--something we tend to forget our celebrities are even capable of. I truly admire how willing & able Bette was to put herself on the line, and buck the system. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty & show her soul. I can't wait to go back & re-watch some of her pictures, because this time, I'll be a HUGE fan.
My only gripe, is that the e-book version that I read, did not include any pictures. Otherwise, I would've given this 5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book--and I heard Bette's voice in my head with every word I read. She is such a fascinating person. And she's VERY human--something we tend to forget our celebrities are even capable of. I truly admire how willing & able Bette was to put herself on the line, and buck the system. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty & show her soul. I can't wait to go back & re-watch some of her pictures, because this time, I'll be a HUGE fan.
My only gripe, is that the e-book version that I read, did not include any pictures. Otherwise, I would've given this 5 stars.
July 12, 2020
"I have always been driven by some distant music—a battle hymn no doubt—for I have been at war from the beginning. I rode into the field with sword gleaming and standard flying. I was going to conquer the world.
When the war was won and I knew the triumph of standing victorious over my own dead body, there among the vanquished, I found a woman lying at my feet. A gold band and a silver thimble on her left hand. Against my full regalia, she had been defenseless.
With my passion for order, I tidied up the battlefield and buried her with full military honors. I even wrote her epitaph. It is the most honorable I know. HERE LIES RUTH ELIZABETH DAVIS ... 1908-1961 ... SHE DID IT THE HARD WAY."
So begins The Lonely Life, and not that I ever doubted Bette Davis was an intelligent, passionate, empathic, literate and powerhouse creature, but it's nice to read the Queen's eloquent own words. What a lady, what a life. And she finishes it with two Gypsy quotes.
When the war was won and I knew the triumph of standing victorious over my own dead body, there among the vanquished, I found a woman lying at my feet. A gold band and a silver thimble on her left hand. Against my full regalia, she had been defenseless.
With my passion for order, I tidied up the battlefield and buried her with full military honors. I even wrote her epitaph. It is the most honorable I know. HERE LIES RUTH ELIZABETH DAVIS ... 1908-1961 ... SHE DID IT THE HARD WAY."
So begins The Lonely Life, and not that I ever doubted Bette Davis was an intelligent, passionate, empathic, literate and powerhouse creature, but it's nice to read the Queen's eloquent own words. What a lady, what a life. And she finishes it with two Gypsy quotes.
September 24, 2018
This book was originally written in about 1962. In the late 1980s' Bette Davis came back to the book and added a couple more chapters to go from 1962 up to near her death. A pretty good read by the actress. I can sure hear her voice in her words. She writes of her father abandoning the family and her mother Ruthe raising Bette and her younger sister "Bobbie". They grew up struggling. Bette decided to become an actress and she writes of her mother supporting her wishes and helping her by moving to NYC and then L.A. California.
She talks about the movies she was in, the husbands she married { there were four} the ups and downs of her career. It was when she came back in the 80s when she writes briefly about the movie "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" I was surprised that she wrote that she and Joan Crawford got along famously. considering to this day I hear about the feuds the women had during the filming. Nice to read about this talented actress.
She talks about the movies she was in, the husbands she married { there were four} the ups and downs of her career. It was when she came back in the 80s when she writes briefly about the movie "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" I was surprised that she wrote that she and Joan Crawford got along famously. considering to this day I hear about the feuds the women had during the filming. Nice to read about this talented actress.
June 20, 2010
This was inspiring and a good portrayal of an actor's rising career. Bette Davis was intelligent, confident and well spoken. She never whined, but worked hard for what she wanted and achieved, fighting the Hollywood machine, losing, carrying on, and gaining a lasting respect among her peers. She acknowledged that she was too strong for most men, married to four, and the one she got along with best was killed - although that marriage may not have lasted ultimately. Her turn of phrase is quite original, for anyone who reads for writing style as I do. Her great joy and pride was in her daughter B.D., who later betrayed and devastated her who her book. The book is chatty, informative, pithy with opinion, a good view of an actor's challenges on stage and in film, and a tribute to a fiercely strong-minded woman whose beauty lasted far beyond her youth.
July 2, 2017
Bette Davis has always been one of my favorite actresses. I have always loved watching old movies, and she was one of the best. After watching "Feud" I decided it was past time to read this book I have had for quite a while. I was not disappointed. It is a fascinating story of an amazing life and career that could only be told by Bette herself. The book starts with her childhood and family struggles and continues through both the triumphs and downturns of her life and career up to that time (published in 1962.) She was an early advocate for equality for women in films, as well as realistic portrayals of characters. She freely admits she made mistakes along the way. She was both a theater and film pioneer, and a great actress. A great read for anyone who admires Bette and her films.
September 28, 2020
I am a huge fan of Bette Davis as an actress so I was very excited to read her Autobiography. I listened to the audio version which was around 13 hours long and did manage to finish it but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else as it was bizarrely quite dull.
It read a little more like a time line of accomplishments and list of co-stars with the odd bad review of a film, person or self thrown in every now and then without much story. There weren't many details about her life from a story telling aspect which gave the impression that her life was quite empty which I couldn't imagine being true before I read the book.
I would have loved to hear about her relationships with her husbands, children, co-workers and family to get a greater understanding of Bette as a person than Bette the star, but sadly there wasn't much of that.
It read a little more like a time line of accomplishments and list of co-stars with the odd bad review of a film, person or self thrown in every now and then without much story. There weren't many details about her life from a story telling aspect which gave the impression that her life was quite empty which I couldn't imagine being true before I read the book.
I would have loved to hear about her relationships with her husbands, children, co-workers and family to get a greater understanding of Bette as a person than Bette the star, but sadly there wasn't much of that.
October 24, 2017
I couldn't finish this. Started reading it, got a couple chapters in, and it's just so dramatic. It reminds me of sitting on the porch with an old relative having to listen to every single thing that ever happened to them that they have an opinion about, and not being allowed to go inside because THEY'RE FAMILY. I'm sure she lived an interesting life but no actress's life interests me enough to slog through this self-important mess.
April 11, 2018
I'd say this book is only for real Bette Davis fans . In my option Miss Davis concentrated too much on her early years and therefore it took me a while to get into the story. The last 30% were very interesting to read. She definitely was a strong woman and she really did it the hard way ;) I'm definitely gonna read her other autobiography
3,5
3,5
January 14, 2021
What a wonderful and strong woman! Got this on audiobook version and I absolutely loved it! If you are a fan of Bette Davis, you will love this.
August 16, 2023
4.5/5
I love Bette Davis with my whole being, omg.
~~~~~~~~~
Confession: I used to dislike Bette Davis.
It's not that I was even really familiar with her. I just happened to watch a couple movies she's in where I was more interested in other featured actresses and, frankly, I thought she was odd looking. Thankfully I've grown since then and have more than come around to Bette. I'd say I'm smitten right now. Totally infatuated. And endeared!
I had previously seen a handful of Bette's films before my recent interest in her: All About Eve, Dead Ringer, The Nanny, The Whales of August, The Watcher In The Woods, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte- mostly post-Old Hollywood/The Golden Age titles. But earlier this year I got really into 1930s films. With that I ended up seeing more of her films and then was actively seeking them out and watching them. TCM's celebration of Warner Bros. this spring had me recording so many 1930s films, plus films from the adjacent decades starring certain actors/actresses. Bette Davis was one of them! So it was a perfect time to listen to this audiobook and learn more about Ruth Elizabeth Davis and her journey into and life as Bette Davis.
I think this book has a really good mix of personal and film information, along with opinions and thoughts of Bette's. I think it's those kind of statements that made the biggest impression on me. I so admire and am truly jealous of Bette's ambition. Not only did she seem fearless in her endeavors to become an actress, a great actress!, her mother also took on that fearlessness and they seemed unwavered by obstacles or unexpected/unfavorable outcomes, or at least ready to take on such outcomes. She really was a force to be reckoned with and was unapologetically herself. And her respect, passion, and commitment to the craft and artistry of acting stood out to me. The portrayal of the characters and the story they're in came first among all else and she tried to not let them be sacrificed for whatever a studio head or director wanted to do. Learning about her court case against WB pertaining to unfair contracts and wages was particularly fascinating to hear about, considering the current writers and actors strikes in Hollywood.
The only thing is, I wish I had made notes for each title she talked about: her feelings during production and thoughts on the final product. That way when I watch or rewatch those movies I have that context, especially as I don't currently own this book physically. But I should definitely listen again and compose a Letterboxd list with the contextual notes! It was so interesting hearing she thought a particular film was horrid, cliché, or she detested her role when the film is well-liked or enjoyable enough today, if not more so. And I wonder what she would think of them now, in hindsight, and without her experience influencing her opinion as much.
I still have many of her films to watch and particularly noteworthy films! I'm definitely pushing certain books up my tbr, to read and then watch the classic adaptation starring Bette. I really don't think I can accurately describe the deep desire I have to want to consume all things Bette Davis right now and how I so wish I could meet her! Just looking at a photo of her or watching her on screen I can feel the hole and pull in my chest, you know what I mean?
Also, as I listened to this on audiobook, I have to mention how it seemed like the narrator, Suzanne Toren, really got Bette's voice and way of speaking down. I had to double check a couple of times that it wasn't actually narrated by her, though she would have sounded much older if it really had been.
[Classic Film Reading Challenge 2023 (1/6)]
I love Bette Davis with my whole being, omg.
~~~~~~~~~
Confession: I used to dislike Bette Davis.
It's not that I was even really familiar with her. I just happened to watch a couple movies she's in where I was more interested in other featured actresses and, frankly, I thought she was odd looking. Thankfully I've grown since then and have more than come around to Bette. I'd say I'm smitten right now. Totally infatuated. And endeared!
I had previously seen a handful of Bette's films before my recent interest in her: All About Eve, Dead Ringer, The Nanny, The Whales of August, The Watcher In The Woods, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte- mostly post-Old Hollywood/The Golden Age titles. But earlier this year I got really into 1930s films. With that I ended up seeing more of her films and then was actively seeking them out and watching them. TCM's celebration of Warner Bros. this spring had me recording so many 1930s films, plus films from the adjacent decades starring certain actors/actresses. Bette Davis was one of them! So it was a perfect time to listen to this audiobook and learn more about Ruth Elizabeth Davis and her journey into and life as Bette Davis.
I think this book has a really good mix of personal and film information, along with opinions and thoughts of Bette's. I think it's those kind of statements that made the biggest impression on me. I so admire and am truly jealous of Bette's ambition. Not only did she seem fearless in her endeavors to become an actress, a great actress!, her mother also took on that fearlessness and they seemed unwavered by obstacles or unexpected/unfavorable outcomes, or at least ready to take on such outcomes. She really was a force to be reckoned with and was unapologetically herself. And her respect, passion, and commitment to the craft and artistry of acting stood out to me. The portrayal of the characters and the story they're in came first among all else and she tried to not let them be sacrificed for whatever a studio head or director wanted to do. Learning about her court case against WB pertaining to unfair contracts and wages was particularly fascinating to hear about, considering the current writers and actors strikes in Hollywood.
The only thing is, I wish I had made notes for each title she talked about: her feelings during production and thoughts on the final product. That way when I watch or rewatch those movies I have that context, especially as I don't currently own this book physically. But I should definitely listen again and compose a Letterboxd list with the contextual notes! It was so interesting hearing she thought a particular film was horrid, cliché, or she detested her role when the film is well-liked or enjoyable enough today, if not more so. And I wonder what she would think of them now, in hindsight, and without her experience influencing her opinion as much.
I still have many of her films to watch and particularly noteworthy films! I'm definitely pushing certain books up my tbr, to read and then watch the classic adaptation starring Bette. I really don't think I can accurately describe the deep desire I have to want to consume all things Bette Davis right now and how I so wish I could meet her! Just looking at a photo of her or watching her on screen I can feel the hole and pull in my chest, you know what I mean?
Also, as I listened to this on audiobook, I have to mention how it seemed like the narrator, Suzanne Toren, really got Bette's voice and way of speaking down. I had to double check a couple of times that it wasn't actually narrated by her, though she would have sounded much older if it really had been.
[Classic Film Reading Challenge 2023 (1/6)]
July 18, 2022
Bette’s voice definitely comes across in this book. It’s about how she honed her craft and negotiated her career at a time where talented, intelligent women like her still really struggled to be taken seriously. It’s also about the impossibility of “having it all” and how her relationships failed due to men’s inability to handle her status.
I like that she applied the same direct approach to her successes and her failures: there was no evidence of false humility in this book. She’d happily admit to desperately wanting an award that she lost out on because she felt like she deserved it more, for example.
Towards the end, the tone changes and becomes more embittered in response to her daughter’s tell-all book about her. It’s clear that this really cut her to the core.
Although she titled this The Lonely Life, it’s not a bleak read. Bette Davis’ very original and witty sense of humor keeps the tone light even when the topic gets heavy. Extra points for saying Faye Dunaway was aptly named because she wished she could do away with her, lol.
I like that she applied the same direct approach to her successes and her failures: there was no evidence of false humility in this book. She’d happily admit to desperately wanting an award that she lost out on because she felt like she deserved it more, for example.
Towards the end, the tone changes and becomes more embittered in response to her daughter’s tell-all book about her. It’s clear that this really cut her to the core.
Although she titled this The Lonely Life, it’s not a bleak read. Bette Davis’ very original and witty sense of humor keeps the tone light even when the topic gets heavy. Extra points for saying Faye Dunaway was aptly named because she wished she could do away with her, lol.
April 14, 2022
The Lonely Life by Bette Davis (aka Ruth Elizabeth Davis) is an excellent autobiography about her life on stage and off.
Some of her life choices seem questionable, to say the least. It definitely was a different world back then!
Especially recommended for fans of Bette Davis' movies.
Minus one star for the absence of photos - the digital copy I purchased had zero photos. Odd for a motion picture star's memoir.
Some of her life choices seem questionable, to say the least. It definitely was a different world back then!
Especially recommended for fans of Bette Davis' movies.
Minus one star for the absence of photos - the digital copy I purchased had zero photos. Odd for a motion picture star's memoir.
July 10, 2024
I say this as a Bette Davis fan, but this is the best autobiographical book I’ve ever come across! What a fascinating way to read someone’s life ..
August 21, 2024
I can’t say I was glued to this book; however, the vibes were great. I aspire to have half of the confidence Bette Davis had, because holy smokes.
April 14, 2025
Excellent!
March 4, 2021
This is the kind of book I finish and I am so delighted that I read it. A bit too much detail at the beginning, but then I was hooked. I appreciate and admire Bette Davis more then ever.
Favorite quotes –
“Men become much more attractive when they start looking older. But it doesn't do much for women, though we do have an advantage: make-up.”
“Life is the past, the present and the perhaps.”
“I survived because I was tougher than anybody else.”
Favorite quotes –
“Men become much more attractive when they start looking older. But it doesn't do much for women, though we do have an advantage: make-up.”
“Life is the past, the present and the perhaps.”
“I survived because I was tougher than anybody else.”
February 17, 2021
Always loved Bette Davis and this did not disappoint
March 30, 2018
Well written and completely honest
I thought this was a very interesting book written to share the facts concerning the illustrious career of Bette Davis. It is honest, giving her opinions and observations of a great actress who had to fight for every script and many of her characters. She was even forced to go to court to win the right to accept work in Europe since Warner Bros. insisted she play parts that were distasteful to her. She lost the case but won the war.
I liked her honesty regarding both her personal and public life. She was willing to open up regarding marriages, reasons for divorces, children and friends.
I would highly recommend this book to all of her fans and followers, or anyone contemplating becoming an actor.
I thought this was a very interesting book written to share the facts concerning the illustrious career of Bette Davis. It is honest, giving her opinions and observations of a great actress who had to fight for every script and many of her characters. She was even forced to go to court to win the right to accept work in Europe since Warner Bros. insisted she play parts that were distasteful to her. She lost the case but won the war.
I liked her honesty regarding both her personal and public life. She was willing to open up regarding marriages, reasons for divorces, children and friends.
I would highly recommend this book to all of her fans and followers, or anyone contemplating becoming an actor.
February 14, 2019
Reading this in the year 2019 is quite an eye opener. There were so many incredible circumstances that she had to endure that would not happen (hopefully) in this day and age. It's remarkable that women in the entertainment industry are just now making some headway this many years after Bette Davis's generation.
Bette was a trailblazer. She didn't take guff from anyone and for that I have an extreme amount of respect for her. Yes, she had a horrible temper and oftentimes did not express herself in a mature manner. However, her feisty personality ensured no one walked over her.
I love that she shared her stories of her relationships with her mother, her sister, her husbands, and her children. She was very candid about what she wanted out of life, both personally and professionally.
Bette was a trailblazer. She didn't take guff from anyone and for that I have an extreme amount of respect for her. Yes, she had a horrible temper and oftentimes did not express herself in a mature manner. However, her feisty personality ensured no one walked over her.
I love that she shared her stories of her relationships with her mother, her sister, her husbands, and her children. She was very candid about what she wanted out of life, both personally and professionally.
June 15, 2017
BETTE DAVIS -- THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER STAR LIKE HER
I am so happy that Bette Davis took the time to write his beautiful autobiography describing her childhood and her unwavering drive.
I am so happy that Bette Davis took the time to tell the story of her life and fabulous acting career. I thought I knew what she was like until she shared the pain of her father's rejection. How she her mother and sister were virtually homeless until she became a successful Hollywood actress. She suffered at times, but the greatest happiness she had was from acting and her children. I enjoyed The Lonely Life very much.
I am so happy that Bette Davis took the time to write his beautiful autobiography describing her childhood and her unwavering drive.
I am so happy that Bette Davis took the time to tell the story of her life and fabulous acting career. I thought I knew what she was like until she shared the pain of her father's rejection. How she her mother and sister were virtually homeless until she became a successful Hollywood actress. She suffered at times, but the greatest happiness she had was from acting and her children. I enjoyed The Lonely Life very much.
November 7, 2019
Surprising that this "memoir" was written in 1962....before she'd made 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?'
Sharp mind, detailed recollections...Davis wrote much like she spoke. Blunt, self critical yet unapologetic, the force of her innate energy drives this book headlong through her early home and school life, earliest theater roles, and her early days as a contract player in studio system.
A hard book to put down...each chapter flows seamlessly into the next adventure, making Davis quite the talented writer/ memoirist
Sharp mind, detailed recollections...Davis wrote much like she spoke. Blunt, self critical yet unapologetic, the force of her innate energy drives this book headlong through her early home and school life, earliest theater roles, and her early days as a contract player in studio system.
A hard book to put down...each chapter flows seamlessly into the next adventure, making Davis quite the talented writer/ memoirist
December 8, 2020
One of the more interesting stars of 30s and 40s cinema. The tone is honest
Outside of her boundary pushing artistically with plenty of very iconic performances, her challenges to the moral and artistic wrongs of the studio system at the time and her war work are both very admirable. Yet it is possible to read between the lines that the same brittle stubbornness was a contributing factor to her failed relationships. The figure at the end of the novel looking for continued professional acclaim and estranged from a daughter following the daughter's critical memoir is a bit sad.
Outside of her boundary pushing artistically with plenty of very iconic performances, her challenges to the moral and artistic wrongs of the studio system at the time and her war work are both very admirable. Yet it is possible to read between the lines that the same brittle stubbornness was a contributing factor to her failed relationships. The figure at the end of the novel looking for continued professional acclaim and estranged from a daughter following the daughter's critical memoir is a bit sad.
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