Milford chronicle., 1940-12-13
BETTE DAVIS rs TRUE
FIRST LADY OF SCREEN
Bat Star Of "The Letter" Turns
Down GIamOr Role In Her on
Screen Life; Coming to the New
Plaza Theatre on Monday and
Tuesday, December 1911


Bette Davis is the kind of a girl
who sincerely likes to walk in the
. rain. It's fun, as most men and few
women know, but with Bette it seems
TO be something more Small, wet,
and sometimes muddy, she likes to
slosh out in damp tweeds to defy
the elements
This meteorological whim may
haYe been inherited from stern New
England ancestors who bucked salt
spray i'm whale boats, but more than
likely it is Bette's own particular
notion
'Shrewd, hard-bitten Bette Davis"
curt, clear, complete Time called her.
Shrewd, yes. Hard-bitten, no.
She fought and scratched her way
up from ushering in New England
summer theatre, from bits in tawdry
stock companies, and from sweet and
futile parts in Organdie dresses and
flOppy hats when she first came to
Hollywood Now she plays her
hearts desire, tragedy. She is a.
completely successful woman, doing
the work she likes best to do, and
doing it better than anybody else.
But everybody calls her Bette.
She could easily be the most formid
able person in Hollywood, town i'm !
which any number of small fry act
like sharks, but she isn't The only |
persons who annoy her are the Occa-
sional few who, appalled, by her
vast reputation, are afraid of her.
This happens now and then, 10
Bette's embarrassment. Not being
afraid Of anybody, and being quite
willing to call a spade anything the
spade deserves to be called, Bette
has no respect whatsoever for timid
souls. She tries to be kind, but she's
always embarrassed.
The arrival of Miss Bette Davis is
usually heraldcd by several loud,
high boots Of laughter, verging on
the hysterical, small black dog
called "Tibby," and red-headed Mag
gle Donovan. Maggie is hairdresser
and confdante.
She has adroitly side-stepped her
rightful role as HollywoOd's First
Lady by declining to play such
glamOrous, welI-adyertised part Cur
rently, her enthusiasm is q house In
Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, a Revo-
lutiOnary farmhouse which she has
had remOdelled, and whore she in
tends to spend the rest of her sum !
mers. II
On the lot when not working =
Bette is likely to wear play suit :
of bright red, or shorts. She lets her
hair fiuff out and blow in the wind.
She was long ago convinced that she
was not a beautiful woman, but she !.
thinks her hair is lovely and doesn't !
mind saying so. AS for beauty se-
crets and such, she uses less makeup y
than any actress in the film colony, /.
despite her many character parts
She doesn't want to make a. cOm- =
edy, despite the number Of tragic
roles she has,played, and the number {
Of times she has been t0rtuiedl beat
en-, jailed or murdered for diumatici
affect She dOesnt, as matter Of J
Tact. think she would be very funny &
rs comedlenne, and besides,
love tragedy.
Bette's pictures always require an
amount OF concentration
md she always draws the kind Of
director who finds IT, necessary tot
keep the set quiet The stage was
lushed throughout the filming Of
All This, and Heaven Too" With
Anatole Lityak directing. but this
vas not Bette's doing. So far as she
s concerned, the doors could be
brown open and the world inyiiediin
or picnic. II wouldn't affect her
lcting. Hbr current picture, -The
setter," was often closed. Between
axes. Bette would call for WILLIE
md the harmonica. Willie is William
Vyler, distinguished director Of
Jezebel," "Wuthering Heights" and
Dead End" He plays the mouth or
an. a trick he learned from dough-
oys il France