Bette Davis: Larger than Life [Hardcover]

Richard Schickel (Author), George Perry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

“Until you’re known in my profession as a monster, you’re not a star,” Bette Davis once said. Let’s just say in Hollywood she was considered the ultimate star. The Academy Award-winning actress was one of the movies’ most riveting and volatile personalities both on and off the screen. She comes to life in the pages of this lavish, fully illustrated tribute produced in conjunction with her estate.

Bette Davis remains one of the most acclaimed and well-known stars in the history of film. Breaking new ground for women, she was a fighter who took on the Hollywood establishment at the drop of a dime. She reveled in lifelong feuds (such as with arch nemesis and co-star Joan Crawford). She was a mother, wife, and friend. She was also a no-nonsense New Englander who happened to have more talent than the movies seemed able to contain. Her personality leapt off the screen and earned her an unprecedented number of high-profile nominations and awards for her work in films like Jezebel, Dark Victory, All About Eve, and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? As the epitaph on Davis’s tombstone reads, “She did it the hard way.” Through a biography, comprehensive filmography, and hundreds of rare photos, readers will find out why.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Evening Standard -UK 12/3/09
"…a pleasure to flick through. The biographical facts have a juicily gothic feel. The family and studio portraits of Bette meanwhile are a revelation.”

San Jose Mercury News, 11/25
“…what makes the book impossible to put down are the photos — gorgeous period images beautifully integrated into the text.”

Rage Monthly, November 2009
“This lush must-have coffee table book is big, luxurious and full of fascinating descriptions and stories befitting the Queen of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Gee, what a great holiday gift this would make!”

 

15 Minutes Magazine, Jan/Feb 2011
“a keeper: the text is crisp; the photos are magnificent. Lots of delicious anecdotes…”
 

 

About the Author

Richard Schickel was a movie critic for Life, Time, and Time.com from 1965 through 2008. He is the author, co-author, or editor of close to forty books, including You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story. He is also the director, writer, and producer of a similar number of documentary films. His latest, a profile of Ron Howard, is nineteenth in his series of director portraits, which constitute an unparalleled history of film authorship in America.

George Perry is a film critic, journalist, and broadcaster who has interviewed an array of film greats in his distinguished career. He is also author of many books on film history and the stars who lived it, his most recent work as co-author being You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story. George lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762436883
• ISBN-13: 978-0762436880
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Artful Photo Tribute, October 7, 2009

By 

ClassicKol "Kol" (Connecticut, mostly) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bette Davis: Larger than Life (Hardcover)

This newest book about Bette Davis is recommended for the many superior photos included, and for the good layout of her films, presented, generally in sequence. There are several factual errors, and the text of the two authors more than occasionally contradicts what the other has written. The errors include actor David Keith being called Brian Keith,by co-author Richard Schickel, and the surprisingly naive statement by the main author, George Perry, that Davis successfully imitated Joan Crawford in telephone scenes in 'Baby Jane' when Crawford had in fact agreed to dub in her own voice while Davis 'lip-synched' her imitation (this information is covered in the 2 disc 'Baby Jane' dvds, and also, in my opinion, is fairly obvious).
Running Press, the publisher, also gave the public the very enjoyable oversized books about Lucille Ball ('Lucy At The Movies') and the excellent (and best of the three) Lana Turner book, 'Lana' The Memories, The Myths, The Movies' which greatly benefitted from having Cheryl Crane's insight and her dedication to having her mother's memory being preserved. The 3 very attractive-looking Running Press books all are worth buying, and are great conversation pieces for those interested in classic films and/or classic stars of an era long-gone.
Of the 2 authors of "Bette Davis: Larger Than Life", George Perry does the better job; Richard Schickel editorializes all over the place and some of his highly subjective observations just don't ring true, to this reader. As I read on, Schickel's opinions became irrelevant and tiresome. He writes from the perspective of his experience of enjoying the work of Davis as being of more import than the films or performances Davis gave in them.
The photos in the book are incredible, and the quality of paper used and photo resolution may make some fans want to buy two copies, one for the coffee-table, and the other for high-quality frameable rare photographs of the greatest film star of the 1940s.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars SOMEWHAT ENJOYABLE BUT NO GREAT SHAKES!!, December 29, 2009

By 

DEAN (PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bette Davis: Larger than Life (Hardcover)

By far the best thing about this book are the photographs. Although many of the pictures are the same as those seen through the years in other Bette Davis bios - there are a significant number I have not seen elsewhere before. Also, all the photographs are magnificently reproduced - crystal clear with great detail and depth.

The text of the book contains absolutely no new information (except for a few careless factual errors) regarding Ms. Davis' personal life, career or movies. However it is an enjoyable,
easy, quick read - a sort of "Cliff Notes" of Ms. Davis' life and movies.

Somewhat offensive is the author's (Schickel) need to rationalize his interest in Ms. Davis in the "Introduction" chapter - which he writes "doesn't make sense". He lets the reader know that his interests are strictly the "regular" man ones -- in movie genres (war, adventure) as well as in other hobbies (football, baseball, etc.). In the next few paragraphs he clumsily describes/apologizes what it could possibly be about Ms. Davis and her movies that would appeal to a person like him. It reminded me of when I was a teenager and a straight friend of mine embarassingly confided in me (and later denied to others) that he watched a movie musical on television the night before rather than an 'important' ball game. I guess some things never change!! Rest easy Mr. Schickel - you can feel free to enjoy Bette Davis without fearing people will think you are gay.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poor Writing Wrecks Book, January 13, 2010

By 

Matt Callaway (Indiana) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bette Davis: Larger than Life (Hardcover)

I really can't understand why this book was published. Its glorious, glossy cover and format leads one to believe that it will be a photo-heavy "movie star" tribute. Unfortunately, its author, George Perry (Richard Schickel wrote only the preface) doesn't seem to be any fan of Bette Davis, which would seem to be crucial to what presents itself as a tribute book. His writing is poor in the extreme; confusing, humorless, overweening, and sour. He seems to believe that being critical is the best way to display his superiority. I mean, do we really need to hear someone else complain that Bette Davis smoked? I literally slammed the book shut when Perry began complaining that George Brent's character in "The Great Lie," after having been lost in the jungle, didn't discuss his probate will when he returned (!). Mr. Perry, dear, it's the same reason we didn't see him go to the bathroom. We're talking about a MOVIE here. And Perry doesn't seem to like very many of Bette Davis'.
I hope Running Press continues this lavish series. The Lana Turner entry (penned by her daughter, Cheryl Crane) is absolutely terrific. And I'll probably buy the Lucille Ball book in the series. But this book, sadly, is a DUD, despite the fine photographs inside (few of which seem to be very rare) I can not recommend it.