More Than a Woman: An Intimate Biography of Bette Davis (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While Bette Davis's fans in the 1930s thought of her as "a bedrock of Christian values," off-camera the willful, temperamental actress experienced abortion, adultery and sexual blackmail. In the 1950s Davis (1908-1989) and fourth husband Gary Merrill publicly presented a picture of domestic bliss, but Spada's irresistible, revelatory biography depicts the actress as an emotional wreck who drank heavily, unleashed anger and vitriol on her two daughters, staged mock suicide attempts and goaded her husband into violent quarrels. Beneath the grande dame image of the later years, we meet a sad, lonely, confused woman who had dalliances with young homosexual men whom she deluded herself into believing were her "suitors." Based on more than 150 interviews with friends, family and co-workers, this poignant bio bursts with film lore, gossip, countless affairs and family secrets. Spada, biographer of Peter Lawford and Grace Kelly, presents evidence suggesting that Davis accidentally pushed her alcoholic second husband Arthur Farnsworth to his death, then covered up the incident at the inquest. He limns a great actress while exposing the cruel, sadistic side of a woman "frantic with insecurity." Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This is a perfectly adequate biography of the complicated film star. It has enough sex and scandal to make it interesting and is even-handed enough to keep the reader balanced on the fence between despising Davis and admiring her. This well-researched effort includes recent interviews with many people involved in Davis's turbulent life. However, there is nothing new here, which is not surprising considering the quantity of material already published. This account does not have the "Bette Dearest" sleaze of B.D. Hyman's (Davis's daughter) book My Mother's Keeper (Morrow, 1985) nor the intimacy of Davis's memoirs. It is on par with Barbara Leaming's Bette Davis ( LJ 4/1/92), which has the benefit of a complete list of Davis's credits. Lawrence J. Quirk's Fasten Your Seatbelts ( LJ 2/1/90) still leads the pack. Purchase only where there is interest. Photos not seen. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/93.
- Sherle Abramson, Williamsburg Regional Lib., Va.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 514 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; 1St Edition edition (August 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553095129
• ISBN-13: 978-0553095128
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,919,020 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive Account of the Great Davis, November 24, 1997

By	[e-mail] (New Hope, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: MORE THAN A WOMAN (Mass Market Paperback)

Readable, detailed and persuasive, this serious biography of Bette Davis offers a balanced, engrossing account of her colorful life. The author clearly recounts her dogged rise to screen stardom, her stormy marriages, and her often contradictory actions and statements. Many of the murkier incidents in the actress's life (namely the mysterious death of her second husband) are closely examined. Davis' acting, and the relative worth and importance of her many films get short shrift, but as a standard biography of a film star, Spada's book is quite solid. It's probably best read in tandem with Davis' autobiography, "The Lonely Life", and the memoir "Mother Goddam" to which she contributed notes and addendum. A more entertaining account of Davis, with better analysis of her films, is Lawrence Quirk's fan-oriented "Faster Your Seatbelts: The Tempestuous Life Of Bette Davis." Now, that book is truly a joy to read!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will understand the tortured woman that was Bette Davis!, October 21, 1998

By A Customer

James Spada has written a thoroughly detailed, well-researched novel about the life of one of the movies' most enduring stars. He spares no punches to Bette Davis, but, at the same time, offers better understanding of her motives in many situations. The chapters dealing with the last four years of her life were enough to bring tears to my eyes, as I could just imagine this wonderful woman hurting so badly from the betrayal of daughter B.D. Bette's son Michael, however, proves to be a loyal, forgiving son to her. The last line really sums it up when it says something to the effect of.....and she would be happy to know that her fans miss and respect her despite the fact that she was less than a perfect human being. This is a GREAT biography!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT..., April 22, 2007

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This is a well-written and exhaustively researched book about Bette Davis. The narrative of her complex life is always entertaining and is presented in chronological fashion. Her career serves as the backdrop for this analytical recounting of her colorful life. The focus, however, remains on Bette Davis, the woman, and her story is skillfully told.

The portrait of Ms. Davis that emerges from the pages of this book is a sympathetic one, despite the author's presentation of Ms. Davis as a flesh and blood woman with many issues. It is a biography that will keep the reader turning its pages, as it is so eminently readable. Moreover, the black and white photographs that are included in the book serve to augment the reader's enjoyment. Fans of Bette Davis, as well as those who appreciate well-written biographies and memoirs, will find much to like about this book.