Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in association with the Film Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, will present “A Centennial Tribute to Bette Davis” on Thursday, May 1, at 8 p.m. in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Hosted by Robert Osborne, the program will honor the legendary actress with an evening featuring clips of her indelible screen performances as well as onstage discussions with several of her colleagues, friends and family, including Joan Leslie, James Woods, Kathryn Sermak, Gena Rowlands, and Davis’s son, Michael Merrill.
In the studio era, Bette Davis was a star in a Hollywood constellation that included Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland and Barbara Stanwyck. While she was well known for her expressive eyes and instantly recognizable voice, Davis distinguished herself by excelling at untraditional, often unsympathetic characters in a range of genres, earning in the process the considerable respect of her peers. Among her nine Best Actress nominations during that era were an unprecedented five consecutive nominations between 1938 and 1942; she took home Oscars® for her performances in “Dangerous” in 1935 and “Jezebel” in 1938. She received her 10th and final Academy Award® nomination in 1962 for her role in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”
Her performances in such notable films as “Of Human Bondage” (1934), “Dark Victory” (1939), “The Letter” (1940), “The Little Foxes” (1941), “Now, Voyager” (1942), “Watch on the Rhine” (1943) and “All About Eve” (1950) secured not only her stardom, but her reputation as a versatile and fearless performer.
Davis was an equally strong presence off the screen. She was elected the Academy’s first female president in 1941, although her tenure was brief and contentious. A staunch supporter of the war effort, Davis was one of the founders of the Hollywood Canteen and an active fund-raiser on the home front.
Tickets for the Academy’s “A Centennial Tribute to Bette Davis” may be purchased online at www.oscars.org , in person at the Academy box office or by mail. Doors open at 7 p.m. All seating is unreserved. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.
“A Centennial Tribute to Bette Davis” continues with a screening series at LACMA’s Leo S. Bing Theater.
Friday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m.
“Jezebel” (1938)
“The Old Maid” (1939)
Saturday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m.
“All About Eve” (1950)
“Of Human Bondage” (1934)
Friday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m.
“The Letter” (1940)
“Beyond the Forest” (1949)
Saturday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m.
“Now, Voyager” (1942)
“Old Acquaintance” (1943)
Saturday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m.
“The Little Foxes” (1941)
“Payment on Demand” (1951)
Friday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m.
“Dark Victory” (1939)
“Marked Woman” (1937)
Saturday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m.
“The Star” (1952)
“The Catered Affair” (1956)
Saturday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m.
“What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962)
“The Nanny” (1965)
For more information, call the LACMA box office at (323) 857-6010 or visit www.lacma.org
