| Bette Davis Book:
Bette Davis: Larger than Life
Book
Bette Davis: Larger than Life |  |  | | List Price: $35.00 | | Publisher: Running Press
Salesrank: 18578
| | Our Price: $18.59 | | Used Price: $18.69 | | | Media: Hardcover | |
Editorial Review:
“Until you’re known in my profession as a monster, you’re not a star,” Bette Davis once said. Let’s just say in Hollywood she was considered the ultimate star. The Academy Award-winning actress was one of the movies’ most riveting and volatile personalities both on and off the screen. She comes to life in the pages of this lavish, fully illustrated tribute produced in conjunction with her estate. Bette Davis remains one of the most acclaimed and well-known stars in the history of film. Breaking new ground for women, she was a fighter who took on the Hollywood establishment at the drop of a dime. She reveled in lifelong feuds (such as with arch nemesis and co-star Joan Crawford). She was a mother, wife, and friend. She was also a no-nonsense New Englander who happened to have more talent than the movies seemed able to contain. Her personality leapt off the screen and earned her an unprecedented number of high-profile nominations and awards for her work in films like Jezebel, Dark Victory, All About Eve, and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? As the epitaph on Davis’s tombstone reads, “She did it the hard way.” Through a biography, comprehensive filmography, and hundreds of rare photos, readers will find out why. Bette Davis: Larger than Life Reviews:
SOMEWHAT ENJOYABLE BUT NO GREAT SHAKES!! 
2009-12-29 - By far the best thing about this book are the photographs. Although many of the pictures are the same as those seen through the years in other Bette Davis bios - there are a significant number I have never seen elsewhere before. Also, all the photographs are magnificently reproduced - crystal clear with great detail and depth.
The text of the book contains absolutely no new information (except for a few careless factual errors) regarding Ms. Davis' personal life, career or movies. However it is an enjoyable,
easy, quick read - a sort of "Cliff Notes" of Ms. Davis' life and movies.
Somewhat offensive is the author's (Schickel) need to rationalize his interest in Ms. Davis in the Introduction paragraph - which he writes "doesn't make sense". He lets the reader know that his interests are strictly the "regular" man ones -- in movie genres (war, adventure) as well as in other hobbies (football, baseball, etc.). In the next few paragraphs he clumsly describes/apologizes what it could possibly be about Ms. Davis and her movies that would appeal to a person like him. It reminded me of when I was a teenager and a straight friend of mine embarassingly confided in me (and later tried to deny) that he watched a movie musical on television the night before rather than an 'important' ball game. I guess some things never change!!
WONDERFUL Tribute 
2009-12-27 - I recieved this book from my husband for Christmas. As I am a HUGE, Bette Davis fan, I must elaborate on how beautiful this book is. Very nicely done. It captures her whole career, in film, and television. To those fans who are new to Davis' career would recieved alot of knowledge into her career through her movies and television. This book was greatly done. I would recommended to any Bette Davis fan, new and old.
Bette Davis: Larger Than Life
2009-11-18 - This is a huge book about our greatest film actress,BETTE DAVIS (ok Meryl Streep comes close) Great Photography" Larger than Life" is just that! a book about Davis! A well deserved tribute. Read it buy it Worth every penny! Very satisfied Has many color large photos which are absolutlely beautiful (most Ive never seen before) !! Very impressive book!
Artful Photo Tribute 
2009-10-08 - This newest book about Bette Davis is recommended for the many superior photos included, and for the good layout of her films, presented, generally in sequence. There are several factual errors, and the text of the two authors more than occasionally contradicts what the other has written. The errors include actor David Keith being called Brian Keith,by co-author Richard Schickel, and the surprisingly naive statement by the main author, George Perry, that Davis successfully imitated Joan Crawford in telephone scenes in 'Baby Jane' when Crawford had in fact agreed to dub in her own voice while Davis 'lip-synched' her imitation (this information is covered in the 2 disc 'Baby Jane' dvds, and also, in my opinion, is fairly obvious).
Running Press, the publisher, also gave the public the very enjoyable oversized books about Lucille Ball ('Lucy At The Movies') and the excellent (and best of the three) Lana Turner book, 'Lana' The Memories, The Myths, The Movies' which greatly benefitted from having Cheryl Crane's insight and her dedication to having her mother's memory being preserved. The 3 very attractive-looking Running Press books all are worth buying, and are great conversation pieces for those interested in classic films and/or classic stars of an era long-gone.
Of the 2 authors of "Bette Davis: Larger Than Life", George Perry does the better job; Richard Schickel editorializes all over the place and some of his highly subjective observations just don't ring true, to this reader. As I read on, Schickel's opinions became irrelevant and tiresome. He writes from the perspective of his experience of enjoying the work of Davis as being of more import than the films or performances Davis gave in them.
The photos in the book are incredible, and the quality of paper used and photo resolution may make some fans want to buy two copies, one for the coffee-table, and the other for high-quality frameable rare photographs of the greatest film star of the 1940s.
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