Bette Davis Day – April 5th
“I wouldn’t worry too much about your heart. You can always put that award where your heart ought to be.” – Bette Davis
On this day in 1908, Bette Davis was born in Lowell, MA. She made her Broadway debut in 1929 and soon became one of the most celebrated actresses in Hollywood with a 60-year acting career. Davis was the first person to accrue ten Academy Award nominations for acting and she won twice for Best Actress (Dangerous and Jezebel), leading to her title as The First Lady of The American Screen.
Bette’s quick wit, big eyes, intense acting style, and her proclivity for darker roles made her a fan favorite for decades. Critics praised her “disturbing talent” even in films they called mediocre. She became an icon for nonconformity in Hollywood and a role model for other actresses in an era that usually promoted women based on their looks.
Off stage, Davis preferred to gossip about others while they were in close proximity, a practice we call “shade” today. Her legendary rivalry with Joan Crawford began in 1933 and climaxed with the release of the 1962 cult-classic film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in which Davis and Crawford shared starring roles.
“I think that Bette Davis would probably be burned as a witch if she had lived two or three hundred years ago. She gives the curious feeling of being charged with power which can find no ordinary outlet.” – E. Arnot Robertson,1935
Music Du Jour: Bette Davis Movie Theme Playlist and Bette Davis Eyes
Films Du Jour:
Bette Davis appeared in nearly 100 films during her career. The list below are the films for which she received Academy Award nominations.
- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
- The Star (1952)
- Skeffington (1944)
- All About Eve (1950)
- Now, Voyager (1942)
- The Little Foxes (1941)
- The Letter (1940)
- Dark Victory (1939)
- Jezebel (1938)
- Dangerous (1935)
- Of Human Bondage (1934)
Snacks du Jour: Bette’s favorite food was baked beans. Here’s her recipe at Silver Screen Suppers.
Cocktail Du Jour – The Bette Blue
Bette made ads for Jim Beam, so any Jim Beam cocktail is appropriate and can also be used as a substitute for the blended scotch in the Bette Blue. The Bette Blue recipe below comes from Thrillist, designed by Ian Hardie at Brooklyn’s Huckleberry Bar in honor of Ms. Davis:
- 5 oz blended scotch
- .5 oz blue Curaçao
- .5 oz apple cinnamon syrup
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes spicy bitters (Scrappy’s Firewater)
Combine liquid ingredients in shaker in order over ice and shake well. Pour into rocks glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Mocktail Du Jour – The Bette Blue Mocktail
- 5 oz non-alcohol scotch
- .5 oz non-alcohol blue Curaçao syrup (DaVinci)
- .5 oz apple cinnamon syrup
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes spicy bitters (Scrappy’s Firewater)
Combine liquid ingredients in shaker in order over ice and shake well. Pour into rocks glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Beer Du Jour
Any Navigation Brewing label if you’re in the Lowell Mass area, Hollywood Brewing labels, Academy Brewing labels, Freefall Brewery’s Jezebel Red Ale, or Star Lager
Wine Du Jour
Champagne, Bette Davis Malbec, or Bette Davis White Zinfandel (if you have some money to spend).
Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.
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Photo credit: “Bette Davis” by twm1340 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 with quote added.
