 | |
List Price: $16.95 | | Publisher: Applause Books
Salesrank: 106630
Released: June 15, 2002 |
| Our Price: $7.00 |
| Used Price: $4.97 |
|
| Media: Paperback |
|
Editorial Review:
Noted film biographer Charlotte Chandler interviewed Bette Davis extensively in the last decade of her life, resulting in a biography in which the great actress speaks for herself. Chandler also spoke with directors, actors, and others who knew and worked with Davis, and includes brief synopses of all of her theatrical films. Here are some more examples of Bette's wit to be found within these pages: "I'm the one who didn't get the man, which is the more interesting character on the screen, but in real life sometimes I wish I could just have been the girl who got the man, and kept him. I got four husbands and several lovers, but I didn't keep any of them. I was invited to the White House, but no man stayed to share my white cottage." "My favorite actor with whom I never played, professionally or personally, was Laurence Olivier. I admired everything about him. He was a great actor, and he was my dream man. Literally and figuratively. Larry was my fantasy lover, the perfect man, or at least I thought he would be. He was not only beautiful, but intelligent."
The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis - A Personal Biography (Softcover) (Applause Books) Reviews:
Where's the beef? 
2009-11-16 - The breezy style does not match the razor wit of the immortal Miss Davis. I longed for more on the turncoat daughter and the gimmee mom.
Bette Davis review 
2009-05-30 - I havn't got to read this book yet but from thumbing through it it looks really good.
"Bright people are too often sarcastic," says Bette...
2009-05-25 - It's not until the final pages of the book that Charlotte Chandler really give us some insight into the full Bette Davis personality, as she talks about her views on growing up in a household where she felt battered by "her father's devastating wit...Bright people are too often sarcastic. My father was, and I grew up being quite sarcastic, like him."
Otherwise, this Bette Davis book seems more like a retread of all the books that have already covered her life. One of the best was Lawrence Quirk's extremely penetrating and well-written book called "Fasten Your Seatbelts: The Passionate Life of Bette Davis."
Something new that I did learn: Davis was tempted to play Mary Todd Lincoln in the late '40s, but ended up doing WINTER MEETING ('48) instead--which turned out to be a mess. Too bad she didn't follow her original idea, but let Warner Bros. choose her next project instead.
I expected to hear more about the Bette Davis/Susan Hayward confrontations on the set of WHERE LOVE HAS GONE, but there is not even a mention of Miss Hayward in the brief mention of this film.
Nor is there much to be said of Olivia de Havilland, supposedly one of Bette's few female friends who also happened to be a big star. The HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE section could certainly have included some admiration for de Havilland replacing Joan Crawford as well as she did--since Bette was extremely grateful that her friend agreed to the accidental casting which worked so brilliantly. No mention made of Robert Aldrich's actual comment when he declared: "We were better off with Olivia. She was great."
It does include his opinion that Bette "was born to thrive on conflict," which helps explain what motivated all the on-the-set tensions that existed on the set of most of her films.
A photo in the very fine photo spread has a misidentified photo labeled as Bette in the CHARLOTTE role, but it appears to be from another film.
At least Celeste Holm does get her chance to expand on her view of Davis when they met for ALL ABOUT EVE. She puts it very aptly: "She seemed to think she had a license to be rude." Also, Lillian Gish, hurt at being treated so poorly by Bette when they did THE WHALES OF AUGUST.
The earlier part of the book devotes a lot of time to ground already covered extensivey in other Davis books, but perhaps this could not be avoided. What is disappointing is that only toward the final chapters do we get quotes from Davis about her lifetime experiences that have not been quoted before and some of the revelations are very frank--even a bit disturbing--but seem honest and truthful. One can sympathize briefly with her when she says: "Maybe I just wasn't lovable."
Certainly worth reading if you're a Davis fan--but don't expect to be overwhelmed by new information.
Best for the new Davis reader/Mary Astor correction
2009-05-17 - I have just finished this book. I found it interesting and easy to read. It contains many quotes and much information that is not new to me, having read other books by, and about, Ms. Davis. For a new reader, not inclined to search out earlier books, this would be very informative. For those who don't mind looking just a bit further, Mother Goddamn, by Whitney Stine is a much better read with lots of great quotes from Davis, for the majority of Ms. Davis' career. It was written in the 70;s so it stops there. This book is strongest in the beginning sections and contains nice plot summaries of each of the major movies. For many of the films there is surprisingly little behind the scenes information, which is a disappointment. Sometimes the transition from the end of one film and the beginning of the next is so abrupt as to be a bit confusing. Personally, I would have preferred to learn more about the making of the films.
The final sections, the mid-60's movies and later, got very short shrift, with little information and even fewer personal stories. Frankly, it more runs of out steam than concludes.
One correction I would like to make. In discussion of Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, someone, I'm not sure from the phrasing if it is Davis or Chandler, implies Mary Astor's career at the time of filming was almost entirely inactive which is not true. She had done 2 major motion pictures recently, numerous television appearances and had begun a highly successful second career as an author, producing 2 autobiographies and 6 novels in the years just prior to, and following, this movie. All in all, again, this book is best for readers with less prior knowledge. In those cases, I think you will find this book highly enjoyable, for the more advanced reader, this is pleasant, but not as impressive.
Feels like you are having tea with Miss Davis
2008-09-07 - I am about 80 pages into the book and I can honestly say it is great. What I like about the book so much is that Miss Davis tells her own story and you here from a woman who has had a most fascinating life, worked hard, and who is very intelligent and sensitive. You really see the human side of her and underneath it all she has had feelings like you or I have had. I like how the writer set up the book because while reading it, it feels like Miss Davis is actually talking to you and telling you her life story. At one point in the book she talks about how brown mascara is better then black mascara. Just for the heck of it I bought some brown mascara and Miss Davis was right. Brown mascara is much better then black! So that aside, overall a terrific book!
