5 DVD Set for Bette Davis' 100th Birthday
This centenary collection honors the greatest actor of the 20th century whose career spanned 60 years and her film vita includes over 100 motion pictures and so many more filmed public appearances from 1929 to 1989. The cover in which the DVDs are stored has a gorgeous photograph of Bette Davis in her middle-age prime.
"All About Eve," should be named, "All About Margo Channing," instead, since Bette Davis' character is Margo Channing, the film is not only about her, but Bette Davis completely takes the lead and makes Margo Channing her signature role. This film won the Oscar for Best Picture, was nominated for 14 more and won a total of 6. (See my review for the details).
"Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte," with Olivia de Haviland is a classic film noir, murder mystery, and horror. (See my review of the movie in detail & at length). The basic plot is that Bette Davis is Charlotte, a socially driven-round-the-bend former debutant whose fiancee' was murdered. The cast includes an elderly Cecil Kellaway playing an investigative reporter, Charlotte's physician, Joseph Cotton & Agnes Moorehead, playing Charlotte's protective housekeeper (which earned her an Oscar).
"The Nanny," is yet another murder mystery, horror that features Davis as the nanny from hell! (See my review for the details at length).
"The Virgin Queen," is Bette Davis playing Queen Elizabeth the 1st, the queen who made England quite rich and powerful due to her "marriage" to the country, instead of to a husband. It is in color so it features Davis wearing Elizabeth's famous bright red-haired wig, 1551 (Renaissance) clothing to die for, and at last, viewers can see the turquoise color of her famous expressive eyes. (See my review for the details).
Interesting that "Phone Call From a Stranger," is part of this collection because it's the only film in which Bette Davis plays a very subdued character and isn't taking the lead. Instead, her 4th husband, Gary Merrill, plays the lead. However, Davis' character delivers the surprising morality motif of the film. Davis and Merrill appeared in 4 films together, one of which was filmed in their own home ("Another Man's Poison"--the original of this one is extremely hard to come by. See my reviews of both for details).
In the former 4 films, Davis is a middle-aged woman and a master actor who blows everyone else off of the set with pure acting talent. Each of the other 4 characters are fire-brands who allow Davis to royally show how well she can raise the roof in a great many scenes. It's unimaginable that anyone else could play these characters as polished as Davis has.
She'll have you bowing to her as a queen; having nightmares as the nanny; knowing way better than to mess with her man or acting career as Margo Channing; keep you on the edge of your seat wondering if she is suffering from being a hauntedly deranged murderer; and finally, feel surprisingly tempted to pity her when wisdom about life proves to be the great quality of her character.
All of these films were originally released to the public as VHS tapes, so the tapes are collector's items. However, since high definition and DVD capacities have evolved, and because there are many extra features on the DVDs, owning them has different kinds of rewards for viewers other than collector's historical value~Read full review
