Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Bette Davis Eyes



Music video tribute to Bette Davis filmed with Super 8 camera with Kim Carnes hit "Bette Davis Eyes" :


Bette Davis is a cinematic icon and a personal hero of mine. As a child I first saw Bette in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane". In this psychological drama Bette plays Baby Jane Hudson, an alcoholic former child star who feels feels responsinsible for putting her more successful sister, Blanche, in a wheelchair. The two sisters live alone in a large gothic home in Hollywood. Jane resents her sister for having success as an adult actress, and for the burden of taking care of her. She starves her sister as an outlet for her envy. Her rage was palpable. At the time I was frightened by her sadism, yet still empathized with her running unfettered through all the stages of oncoming insanity.

In the 6th grade, for Women's History Month (March) my class had to do book reports & oral presentations on Women who were our heros. I chose Bette Davis. For my presentation I used a shoe box to recreate the scene where Baby Jane buries her dehydrated sister in the sand at the beach - to die. Bread crumbs glued to the shoe box simulated sand, and I drew my own Baby Jane & Blanche Hudson paper dolls. I got an A.

Bette Davis as baby Jane Hudson in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?":

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