Born as Ruth Elizabeth Davis on the 5th April 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts USA, Bette Davis . She was an actress, whose career lasted for 60 years, and she made notable roles in such films as “All About Eve” (1950), “What Ever Happened To Baby jane” (1962), and “Burnt Offerings” (1976), among other films. She passed away in October 1989.
Have you ever wondered how rich Bette Davis was at the time of her death? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Bette Davis’s net worth is as high as $2 million, an amount earned through her successful acting career which spanned over 50 years.
Bette Davis Net Worth $3 Million
Bette Davis was a daughter of Harlow Morrell Davis and Ruth Augusta, but her parents divorced in 1915 and Bette and her sister Barbara went to Spartan boarding school called Crestalban in Lanesborough. Her mother started working as a portrait photographer, after moving to New York City, with Bette and Barbara.
Bette then saw the film “The Four Horseman Of The Apocalypse” starring Rudolph Valentino, which inspired her to pursue an acting career. She enrolled at the Cushing Academy, located in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, and after matriculation became a student of the John Murray Anderson Dramatic School.
Her first acting job was in George Cukor`s stock theater company; although not quite impressed with her talent, he offered her a job, and she played a chorus girl in the play “Broadway”. After that, she portrayed Hedwin from the “The Wild Duck”, which led to her Broadway debut in “Broken Dishes” (1929). The following year she moved to Hollywood, but failed in several auditions, until landing the role of Laura Madison in the film “The Bad Sister” (1931). In the early 1930s, Bette played numerous notable roles, including in films such as “Seed” (1931), “The Menace” (1932), “Hell`s House” (1932), “The Rich Are Always With Us” (1932), and “The Cabin In The Cotton” (1932). Success of the early films in which she starred marked the beginning of one of the most profound careers in the history of acting, as Bette appeared in more than 120 film and TV titles, which increased her net worth by a large margin.
In the second half of the 1930s, Bette starred in such films as “The Girl From 10th Avenue” (1935), “Front Page Woman” (1935), “Special Agent” (1935) with George Brent alongside her, “Dangerous” (1935), “That Certain Woman” (1937) with Henry Fonda, “Marked Woman” (1937) starring Humphrey Bogart, and “Dark Victory” (1939), which only increased her net worth by a large margin.
In the 1940s, she experienced a personal tragedy, as her husband died, however, that didn`t stop her from continuing her acting career, and she had roles in such films as “Now, Voyager” (1942), “Watch On The Rhine” (1943), “The Corn Is Green” (1945), “Winter Meeting” (1948), “June Bride” (1948), and “Beyond The Forest” (1949), increasing further her net worth.
Her next appearance was as Margo Channing in the film “All About Eve” (1950), which became her most famous role until the 1960s, and her role in “What Ever Happened To Baby Jane” (1962). However, during the 1950s, her career declined somewhat, and her appearances were criticized, which affected her personal life as well.
Nevertheless, Bette returned stronger than ever in the 1960s, and after the role of Baby Jane Hudson in “What Ever Happened To Baby Jane” (1962), Bette starred in films “Dead Ringer” (1964), “Where Love Has Gone” (1964), “The Nanny” (1965), and “The Anniversary” (1968).
In the 1970s, she managed to maintain a presence in Hollywood, with films such as “Bunny O` Hare” (1971), “Madame Sin” (1972) with Robert Wagner, “Scream, Pretty Peggy” (1973), “The Disappearance Of Aimee” (1976) with Faye Danaway, “Return From Which Mountain” (1978), and “Strangers: The Story Of A Mother And Daughter” (1979).
Bette started the 1980s with appearances in films “The Watcher In The Woods” (1980) and “Skyward” the same year, and “Family Reunion” (1981). However, in 1983 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a mastectomy, but suffered four strokes after surgery. Nevertheless, Bette stayed active as an actress until her death, appearing in films “Murder With Mirrors” (1985), “The Whales Of August” (1987), and her last appearance as Miranda Pierpoint in “Wicked Stepmother” (1989).
Thanks to her skills, Bette received numerous prestigious nominations and awards, including 11 Oscar nominations, with two successful outcomes in the category Best Actress in a Leading Role for films “Jezebel” (1938), and “Dangerous” (1935). Also, she received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to film, among many other awards.
Regarding her personal life, Bette was married four times; her first husband was Harmon Nelson(1932-38). Her next husband was Arthur Farnsworth, from 1940 until 1943, when he died. Two years later, she married William Grant Sherry, and stayed with him until 1955; the couple had one child. The same year she married Gary Merrill, but they divorced ten years later, but had two children.
Bette Davis died on the 6th October 1989 in France, in an American hospital, after discovering that the cancer had returned. She was interred in Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery, located in Los Angeles. On her tombstone is written; “She did it the hard way”
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