Evening star., 1939-11-12
Bette Davis.
And Queen
Much Alike
Elizabeth and Star
Have Many Things
In Common
By Sheilah Graham.
HOLLYWOOD.

HOLLYWOOD. i.
Queen Elizabeth of England-the
10th century version-and Bette
Davis of Hollywood-1939- Shave
more In common than the current
picture in which Bette is doubling
for the Virgin Queen. Both were
and are completely themselves
saying what they think, fighting for
what they want, obstinate to the
point of pig-headedness. Both were
and are-great actresses-occupy-
ing stellar positions-in spite of
lack OF beauty and because of great
talents.
Bette Davis has been trying to
play her queenly namesake for the
last five years. When Katharine
Hepburn was chosen for Mary OF
Scotland" in the Maxwell Anderson
movie version, Bette begged her
Warner bosses to allow her to play
the secondary role of Elizabeth.
They refused. Said the part was
not important enough. Bette said
1t was. She had pictures taken in
Queen Elizabeth makeup. They
still said, mo" She went on strike.
They still said mo" And, when the
opportunity finally arrived, Miss Da-
Wis grumbled-"1 really should be
10 years Older
It was quite feat for the 31-year-
old Miss Davis to appear in techni-
color as a 50-year-old harridan.
Her solution of the problem stamps
her as the most courageous actress
In Hollywood, as we'll as the most
talented. For weeks she worked with
Perc Westmore, Warmers makeup
and hair-dress wizard. She appeared
for her first camera test a fright,
with her hairline shaved back two
inches all around-including the
neckline-and wearing red wig,
tightly curled. Her face was the
color Of white four-Elizabeth, in
pathetic attempt to erase the wrin-
kles from her face, used to plaster
It with inches of cream and powder.
Because the queen thought her
face was better without eyelashes-
50 did Bette, substituting, like the
monarch, thing. penciled line. II
look like" said Bette the first
day on the set (mentioning a hot
place where the wicked are supposed
to go). Tibbie, her pet scottie,
failed to recognize her and ran
yelping to Bette's dressing room.
When the test was screened q
few days later for Bette and a
bunch Of studio executives, the
actress screamed-"Good Heavens, I
look just like Harpo Marx" Then
followed a fight with her bosses.
The latter wanted her to look more
attractive. This time 1t was Bette's
time to say, no"
But there was one thing even
Miss Davis was unable to preform-
she could not make her neck look
30 years old. She was more success
full with her chest, which was en-
ameled in white, overloaded with
pearl necklaces Ito hide its YOUTH
and pushed out of shape with
painful buckram board underneath
her dress. One day Bette tore oil
the .buckram and revealed two red
welts.
Major fight for Miss Davis during
the picture was over the all-import-
ant question Of the title. At first
1t was called Elizabeth and Essex"
The Maxwell Anderson play, Eliza
beth the Queen" from which it was
taken, excluded billing for Enrol
Flynn, and so the Essex was added
to the title. This was all right
with Bette, as her name was first.
But, this was not so all right with
Enrol Flynn, whose name was
second. The title was changed to
1.-THE Knight and The Lady" Bette
did not like this at all I'm the
first place." she stormed, mo queen
. was ever described as a lady. She
and the knight" this gave Bette
did not say what her second objec-
ton was-she didn't have to-it was
the question of billing again.
The title went back to "Elizabeth
and Essex" 1t was then discovered
that there was book by that name
and the author was demanding a
small fortune for the title rights.
Back went the title to THE Lady
and the Knight"-this save Bette
first billing. But she was still dis
satisfied.
Charles Laughton visited her on
the set one day. His presence re-
minded Bette of Laughton's picture
THE Private Life of Henry V11I,"
the father of the queen she was
portraying. And so you get the
movie as "The Private Lives of
Elizabeth. and Essex"-"Which, :"
says Miss Davis, has box office
merit as we'll as dignity"
The trouble with makeup and
title was almost matched by the
discomfort of the beautiful dresses
Bette wears in the picture. OF the
eight Gorgeous creations, not one
weighed less than 40 pounds. The
heaviest tipped the scales at 10. To
make it worse, the picture was shot
during a heat wave, which, plus
the double glare and heat of techni-
color light, resulted in a bad health
breakdown.
BY the way, in the scene where
Elizabeth is disguised with her lack
Of beauty and breaks every mirrow
In her bedroom, she tried 46 times
to crack the four mirrors. At that
point, Director Mike Curtiz groaned
Anybody should be glad to have
. wife what can't throw any better
than you'-and took over the mir
ror-breaking Job himself.
(Released BY the North American News
paper Alliance)
Todoy's Fill