The Bette Davis Project (and set your recorders!)

cabin-fussed-withBefore I get to the meat of the post, I want to do tell you that “Cabin in the Cotton” will be on TCM on June 7th at 4:30 AM Eastern time. This is a very hard to find movie, one that was released on VHS years ago but hasn’t been seen much since. I requested the film sometime last year, and every time TCM shows a movie I requested, I pretend they’re doing it just for me. So nice of them! But that’s Stacia World talk. For those of you in the Real World, just remember that TCM will be showing this in a couple of months. Set your recorders!

If 2009 is the year of anything for me, it will be the year of movie projects. The first project I have started on is The Bette Davis Project, inspired by my 20 Favorite Actresses post and posted today because it is Bette’s 101st birthday – Happy Birthday, Bette! You’ve been gone 20 years and are still scaring the shit out of men who can’t handle strong women!

My project is simple: Watch every Bette Davis movie I can find, including the made-for-TV ones if I can grab a copy somewhere. Here is a text-only list of the films I have yet to see along with my own notes on where to get a copy. Don’t read the list unless you’re deeply curious. If the film isn’t on the list, that means I’ve already seen it. A few of those left on the list are movies I think I’ve seen but am not entirely sure, as well as movies I’ve forgotten so much of I need to re-watch them anyway.I’ll be blogging about a few movies at a time in small synopses/reviews.

For those of you who read these posts as “Blah blah blah OOH PICTURES!” here is a little gallery of some Bette pics I’ve grabbed over the last few months.

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28 comments

  1. If I could set my DVD-R two months in advance, I’d set it for Cabin in the Cotton tonight!

  2. If I could set my DVD-R two months in advance, I’d set it for Cabin in the Cotton tonight!

  3. I’ve requested Bridge to the Sun bunches of times, but I ain’t seen on TCM yet. You probably have majic.

  4. I’ve requested Bridge to the Sun bunches of times, but I ain’t seen on TCM yet. You probably have majic.

  5. I don’t know if you can private message me but send me an email or something. I can certainly help you acquire copies of many early Davis titles.

  6. I don’t know if you can private message me but send me an email or something. I can certainly help you acquire copies of many early Davis titles.

  7. Hey, you’re Blog of the Month at “If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger,
    There’d Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats”

  8. Hey, you’re Blog of the Month at “If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger,
    There’d Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats”

  9. Well, youre “Blah blah blah OOH PICTURES”-pictures are beautiful! I really love Bette Davis but than I do like strong women…wish I could watch the movie on TCM but unfortunately we don’t have it over here :(

  10. Well, youre “Blah blah blah OOH PICTURES”-pictures are beautiful! I really love Bette Davis but than I do like strong women…wish I could watch the movie on TCM but unfortunately we don’t have it over here :(

  11. Sam, I don’t think it’s my terrific powers of sorcery as it is coincidence :) They haven’t shown “The Wrong Box” again and I’ve been requesting it for 2 years.

    Vanessa, I feel for you. I don’t think I’d be very happy without TCM. I’m utterly dependent on it.

  12. Sam, I don’t think it’s my terrific powers of sorcery as it is coincidence :) They haven’t shown “The Wrong Box” again and I’ve been requesting it for 2 years.

    Vanessa, I feel for you. I don’t think I’d be very happy without TCM. I’m utterly dependent on it.

  13. wow i just saved every single one of these photos to my inspiration folder! thank you what a fantastic post! :D
    xo

  14. wow i just saved every single one of these photos to my inspiration folder! thank you what a fantastic post! :D
    xo

  15. Doesn’t seem THAT “simple” of a project! I’m really curious about this. Beautiful pictures! Saved them all.

  16. Doesn’t seem THAT “simple” of a project! I’m really curious about this. Beautiful pictures! Saved them all.

  17. First visit to SBBN—quite nice, Stacia!

    Speaking of relatively rare BD features, I haven’t seen “A Stolen Life” in a long while (still have it on Laserdisc somewhere) but remember it as one in a series of great mid ’40s Davis pictures. Still not available on DVD? Seems odd.

    Anyway, wonderful batch of photos of an amazing gal. I did sound on a couple of interview pieces with Bette toward the end, and found her a complete hoot. The last one she keep fidgeting with her lavalier mic just to be annoying/playful, so I ended up booming the whole thing. They did indeed break the mold after they made Ruth Elizabeth Davis!

  18. First visit to SBBN—quite nice, Stacia!

    Speaking of relatively rare BD features, I haven’t seen “A Stolen Life” in a long while (still have it on Laserdisc somewhere) but remember it as one in a series of great mid ’40s Davis pictures. Still not available on DVD? Seems odd.

    Anyway, wonderful batch of photos of an amazing gal. I did sound on a couple of interview pieces with Bette toward the end, and found her a complete hoot. The last one she keep fidgeting with her lavalier mic just to be annoying/playful, so I ended up booming the whole thing. They did indeed break the mold after they made Ruth Elizabeth Davis!

  19. I’m glad you all like the pictures!

    Tom, what an amazing story. How lucky you were to meet Bette! I have seen “A Stolen Life” a couple of times and I really liked it. “Dead Ringer” done 18-odd years later reminds me a lot of “A Stolen Life”, and I find it just as good, with the exception of Peter Lawford.

  20. I’m glad you all like the pictures!

    Tom, what an amazing story. How lucky you were to meet Bette! I have seen “A Stolen Life” a couple of times and I really liked it. “Dead Ringer” done 18-odd years later reminds me a lot of “A Stolen Life”, and I find it just as good, with the exception of Peter Lawford.

  21. I’ll be studying abroad when Cabin In The Cotton airs, but I’ll be sure to send my parents a postcard reminding them to tape it for me.

    Bette Davis is by far my favorite actress. I can’t wait to see this project of yours play out.

  22. I’ll be studying abroad when Cabin In The Cotton airs, but I’ll be sure to send my parents a postcard reminding them to tape it for me.

    Bette Davis is by far my favorite actress. I can’t wait to see this project of yours play out.

  23. hey stacia,
    you can view madame sin on-line only through netflix. i also have at least six of the hard to find titles you need on vhs. i’ll send you an email with my list. i’m pretty sure i can make copies for you.

    take care,
    m.

  24. hey stacia,
    you can view madame sin on-line only through netflix. i also have at least six of the hard to find titles you need on vhs. i’ll send you an email with my list. i’m pretty sure i can make copies for you.

    take care,
    m.

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