Me and Jezebel: When Bette Davis Came for Dinner -- And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And ... [Paperback]

Elizabeth Fuller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1992

A star-struck fan recounts the story of how her dream came true when Bette Davis came to dinner and had to stay in her suburban home for four weeks due to a hotel strike in Manhattan.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After meeting Fuller ( Everyone Is Psychic ) and her family through a mutual friend, in 1985 Bette Davis requests the hospitality of their suburban Connecticut home during a New York City hotel strike. The arrangement, which was to have lasted only days, stretched into weeks. With a Hollywood legend as the author's houseguest, the reader anticipates an intimate interlude, or at least a revealing glimpse or two. However, Fuller tells us little more about Jezebel herself than that she eats Carnation Instant Breakfast, reads the Daily News and smokes Vantage cigarettes by the carton. Davis's fans won't be surprised by her abrasive and distant manner. But they may tire of hearing the star shrieking, "Kee-ryst!" while smashing out cigarettes wherever she pleases, over and over again. Fuller's account of her brush with greatness is punctuated by efforts to construct an unlikely parallel between Davis's visit and her own self-discovery: "Was our meeting predestined? . . . what was the lesson I was supposed to be learning?" The hopes the author shares about bonding with Davis are as embarrassing as the episodes when she tries to impress Davis with psychic abilities. Fuller has performed this book as a one-woman play.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When a major celebrity dies it's only natural to expect tell-all biographies. However, this particular effort is truly the last straw in the "I-knew-her-when" genre. If a fan can write a bio of a celebrity after an "intimacy" of 30 days, where does it all end? Author Fuller was a friend of a friend of Davis's, and she happened to put Davis up for a month in her New England home while Davis waited out a New York City hotel strike in 1985. The hook, of course, is that Fuller lived every fan's dream: having the star all to herself. There is a certain tongue-in-cheek, hindsight humor in the proceedings as Fuller tries desperately to ingratiate herself to Davis and "bond" with her idol. Eccentric handymen and a grouchy husband add to the affair, but despite the humor Davis remains no more than a two-dimensional stereotype. For the definitive account of her life, refer to Lawrence Quirk's Fasten Your Seatbelts: The Passionate Life of Bette Davis ( LJ 2/1/90).
- Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. System, Cal.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (May 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425132641
• ISBN-13: 978-0425132647
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #647,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be careful what you wish for: you may get it!, March 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Me and Jezebel: When Bette Davis Came for Dinner -- And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And ... (Paperback)

Hilarious and touching story of a lifelong Bette Davis fan's dream come true: her idol comes to dinner, and stays, and stays, and stays...for a MONTH! The story is touching because the REAL Bette finally comes across, thanks to the outhor's writing flair and love of her subject: Bette is presented here as vivid, vulnerable, smart, funny, terribly gifted and very lonely.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've read this 3 times.......If you like Bette Davis you'll have fun, December 8, 2006

By 

Troy J. Leong (Stratford, Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Me and Jezebel: When Bette Davis Came for Dinner -- And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And ... (Paperback)

I read one reviewer saying what a bad read this was and I just can't believe he/she would?!?!?!?!?! I have read this book 3 times and I think it gets better each time. I have also seen the play twice and enjoyed it both times. I have lent the book out to about 6 people and they all enjoyed it too. Its one of those books you don't have to really think about it. Its humourous airy fun..........its no Shakespeare, but just a damn good time. Bravo to Miss Elizabeth Fuller for allowing us into her time with Bette Davis. I know if I had this legendary star with me for a month I would have written something too. Its the only true way you really learn about the real person beneath the star facade.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A RARE INSIGHT., February 9, 2002

By 

"scotsladdie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Me and Jezebel: When Bette Davis Came for Dinner -- And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And Stayed ... And ... (Paperback)

This is a delightfully funny little book in which author/psychic Elizabeth Fuller shares her experiences with her legendary house guest - Bette Davis, who stayed with Fuller and her husband and small son for a month! Amusing episodes include Liz taking Bette to McDonald's (she promised her son a visit) and the attention Davis attracted. Bette and the author watched JEZEBEL together one evening as it aired on the telly. I liked the book because it gives us insight into the real Bette Davis, who could be very child-like and just as vulnerable as anyone. Well worth reading!