Fasten Your Seat Belts: The Passionate Life of Bette Davis

Rating:
Summary: MORE THAN A BIT OF BETTE...
Review: As a big Bette Davis fan, I looked forward to reading this biography of her, particularly as it had been written by an individual who had also been a film critic. I was not disappointed. This is a very well researched, extensive book of the life of Bette Davis, her relationships, and her body of work. The author takes the reader through her early beginnings in Lowell, Massachusetts to her last breath in Paris, France. It is evident that for the author this was a labor of love.

Given the author's own connection to the film world, as well as the fact that he, himself, is a big fan of Ms. Davis, much of his writing is peppered with interesting insider information. It is the culmination of an amazing forty three years of research. Being a member of the cognoscenti, the author provides a great deal of colorful background that fleshes out her life, grounding it in the context of the time in which she lived and developed as the great star that she eventually became. He does this through extensive interviews of the people who had played a role in her life, news clippings, film reviews, and his own interviews of Ms. Davis.

The author takes the reader through her relationships, many of which were rocky, with her family, her fellow actors, directors, writers, producers, and studio heads. The author discusses her marriages, of which there were a four, and her lovers. It is, however, when discussing her films, her highs and her lows, that the author's knowledge really comes to the forefront. Having seen most of the films of which he writes, I especially enjoyed and was totally fascinated by all the background information, skullduggery, and behind the scenes hoopla that went on in the making of these films. I will definitely go back and see some of these films again, as they are now couched in a new light.

This fascinating book is, without a doubt, the definitive biography of Bette Davis, warts and all. The author succeeds in painting a three dimensional portrait of a feisty, determined woman, who brooked no nonsense when it came to her craft, but who also had a softer side, wanting to love and be loved. This is a woman who asserted herself and refused to countenance anyone who would try to make her be something that she wasn't. While this may not have made her very popular with those who lived or worked with her, this quality shone through in her films, making her one of the most popular and enduring superstars of all time. Bette Davis eventually became more than the sum of her parts. She became a legend.

Rating:
Summary: Good reading for Bette Davis fans
Review: As an avid fan of Bette Davis, I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of this book because I'd been told it was one of the best biographies about her. The author (himself a film critic) takes you through her life, step by step, taking time to focus on the films (good and bad), the men, and the events that defined her career. From her outstanding performance as Mildred in Of Human Bondage to her slightly campy double role in Dead Ringer, the author covers them all. The book is impressive in the amount of research and personal interviews the author conducted with former co-stars and other Hollywood notables that helped frame this book. Bette had no shortage or enemies or admirers, that's for sure! Before I read this book, I always believed that Bette and her mother Ruthie were very close because that was merely the nature of their relationship; in reality, Ruthie was one of Bette's many hangers-on. I'd expected to hear more about Bette and B.D.'s relationship - or lack thereof - but it wasn't there. Bette cut her only natural child out of her will, and it was even mentioned that B.D. would have been prevented from attending the funeral (she wasn't going anyway). It would've merely added to the book to have heard more about B.D., but the author devotes only a few passages to her. This book represents a total of 43 years of researching, interviewing, and writing, and the author makes it clear how much admiration he has for Bette, as he frequently uses the first person and interjects his feelings about a film or an event. Bette Davis was a fireball on and off screen, and this book does good justice in illustrating that. Because of the author's comments about some of Bette's lesser-known films, I will be heading out to the video store in search of more Bette. Great book.

Rating:
Summary: A difficult read
Review: I bought this book several years ago, and only just got around to reading it. I am a big fan of Bette Davis' and have read her autobiographies. I was dissapointed by this book. The writing isn't great, and the author goes into the lives and other movies of other actors and actresses too much. He goes movie by movie, and it does get tedious after awhile. While it is nice to read the behind the scenes info of each movie she was in, exhaustively going through each and every movie gets old.

I would have liked to have known more about her life with each husband, and with her sister, mom, and children. But the author seems to focus more on the films, rather than her personal life.

If you want to know about Bette Davis, best to read the books she wrote herself.