Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis

By Ed Sikov

Book Overview

The legendary Hollywood star blazes a fiery trail in this enthralling portrait of a brilliant actress and the movies her talent elevated to greatness ? She was magnificent and exasperating in equal measure. Jack Warner called her "an explosive little broad with a sharp left." Humphrey Bogart once remarked, "Unless you're very big she can knock you down." Bette Davis was a force of nature - an idiosyncratic talent who nevertheless defined the words "movie star" for more than half a century and who created an extraordinary body of work filled with unforgettable performances. In Dark Victory , the noted film critic and biographer Ed Sikov paints the most detailed picture ever delivered of this intelligent, opinionated, and unusual woman who was - in the words of a close friend - "one of the major events of the twentieth century." Drawing on new interviews with friends, directors, and admirers, as well as archival research and a fresh look at the films, this stylish, intimate biography reveals Davis's personal as well as professional life in a way that is both revealing and sympathetic. With his wise and well-informed take on the production and accomplishments of such movie milestones as Jezebel , All About Eve , and Now , Voyager , as well as the turbulent life and complicated personality of the actress who made them, Sikov's Dark Victory brings to life the two-time Academy Award-winning actress's unmistakable screen style, and shows the reader how Davis's art was her own dark victory.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805075488
• ISBN13: 9780805075489
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 479 Pages
• Weight: 1.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

"An Excellent Bette Davis Biography"

There are virtually dozens of Bette Davis books that have been released over the years, especially since her death. "Dark Victory" is one of the best. Not only does author Ed Sikov give the reader a nice overview of her life in pictures, but he also goes into great detailed discussion about her personal life. If you have never read a book on Bette Davis before, or simply have just discovered her through her films, this book...

Most Wonderful Bette Davis Biography

After reading so many biographies on the sensational Bette Davis, I have finally found the one that provides a fascinating balance between her life and her roles. The author succeeds most when he relates the events surrounding each of her movies, without going too much into details of the plot. He balances the narrative with quotes and facts pertinent to the moment that Davis is living at the time. I love the fact that he...

The right balance - at last

At last a biography that strikes the right balance on the life of Bette Davis. Ed Sikov has written a detailed life of the great actress, covering all the familiar points but without sensationalism and emphasis on irrelevant issues such as that dumb feud with Joan Crawford. (In fact, he deals with this particular issue with superb wit). Everyone knows that Davis was difficult, a control freak with a lightening fuse - she admitted...

Terrific book!

This biography of Bette Davis is smart, funny, well-researched and beautifully written. But what I like best has to be its emphasis on Davis as an artist. Yes, we all know she was a difficult, driven, often unhappy woman, but she was also a great actress and that's what Ed Sikov writes about. We see her building great role after great role: in OF HUMAN BONDAGE, in JEZEBEL, in ALL ABOUT EVE, even in WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY...

Best Book Yet On Bette Davis

I consider myself to be the world's biggest Bette Davis fan, so I've been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book. It arrived on Thursday and I just finished reading it cover to cover. IMHO, it's the best Davis book yet, and here's why: it's got all the starry stories and bitchy gossip from the golden age of cinema, but it presents them in the context of Bette's movies. If you love Bette, as I do, because of her work...