It's hard for me to compile a Top 10 list of many movie stars. I like a lot of classic movie stars and I enjoy their movies, but I don't always think about how I'd rank their movies on a list such as we do here.
With Bette Davis, however, I know my favorite movie of hers is ALL ABOUT EVE. Not only is that my favorite Bette Davis performance, it's also easily one of my favorite classic movies. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and Davis slides on the Margo Channing role like a snug little glove. The supporting cast -- Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Marilyn Monroe, and Barbara Bates -- only elevate the movie. It's one of the few movies that comes as close to perfection as possible, especially for me.
I know the purpose of these discussions is to "rank" our favorite movies for said movie star, but I really don't know if I can do that for Davis.
So, instead, if it's permissible with the committee, I can discuss nine more of Davis' films -- therefore making a Top 10 list -- but with the remainder not being in any specific order.
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? gives us an iconic Davis performance as former vaudevillian Jane Hudson. Davis brings a lot of layers to the character and turns in one of her strongest performances. The fact that she's paired with Joan Crawford is just icing on the cake.
HUSH... HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE is a downright good Southern gothic-type picture and Davis again brings nuance to the demented Charlotte Hollis. The cinematography is sharp and Olivia DeHavilland is a good counterpart to Davis.
DEAD RINGER often gets lost in the shuffle of Davis' post-BABY JANE career, but it's a very good B-movie. It's Davis' second time playing identical twins, and she has some good co-stars along for the ride, like Karl Malden and Peter Lawford.
THE NANNY was a movie I was dismissive of for many years. Once I actually watched it, I understood the hype. Davis turns in a strong, erie performance as the nameless Nanny of the title. It might be one of the very top performances of her entire decades-long career.
JEZEBEL is a career-defining moment for Davis. She won her second Oscar for her performance as Julie Marsden, a spoiled Southern belle. Henry Fonda and George Brent make for solid, handsome leading men. The movie is much more than Davis' "consolation prize" for missing out on getting to play Scarlett O'Hara.
OLD ACQUAINTANCE is the second film Davis did with Miriam Hopkins, an actress she infamously did not like. The Davis-Hopkins tension that resulted in the two actresses endlessly trying to upstage one another plays deliciously in this story of two women whose lengthy friendship has a series of ups and downs.
THE WHALES OF AUGUST tries very hard to be very important, and while it mostly falls short, I do like the fact that Davis and silent screen star Lillian Gish star here as elderly sisters. Ann Sothern and Vincent Price are also among the cast, and the script's shortcomings and missed opportunities can be overlooked with such talented people at the helm.
NOW, VOYAGER was released at the height of WWII and at the height of Davis' power as the Queen of Warner Brothers in the early-'40s. Davis stars as Charlotte Vale in this tear-jerker about a suppressed woman who comes out from under her mother's controlling thumb. It's classic Davis, and I personally think she was her most attractive in this film.
DARK VICTORY was Davis' personal favorite of her many films. The story had been originally bought by producer David O. Selznick for Greta Garbo, but Davis turns in a fine performance as a partier whose rowdiness is sidelined when she learns she's dying. As a side note, Ronald Reagan is among the supporting cast.
THE LITTLE FOXES is an adaptation of the Lillian Hellman stage show, with Davis taking on the role of Regina Giddens that Tallulah Bankhead famously originated. Davis was well-suited to Hellman's brand of steamy Southern melodrama, and the movie stands out as one of her most iconic performances.
As I said, I know my method of listing my favorite movies doesn't necessarily fall into the rules of this thread. But this is probably the only way I can participate. It's hard for me to weigh the pros and cons of different films to construct such a Top 10 list ranked #1 to #10. But, in my way, I've put together a Top 10, with my favorite movie being singled out and the other nine being tossed out there in any order.
