Issue Date: April 16, 2006
Lasting legacy
As a documentary on screen icon Bette Davis debuts, four actresses share why she still sizzles.
By Gayle Jo Carter
"Bette had something nervy, edgy, some would say bitter. I'd say pluck."
|
Bette Davis, of the legendary grit and eyes, is a Hollywood icon, no doubt. She's also the subject of a revealing new documentary narrated by Susan Sarandon, Stardust: The Bette Davis Story, debuting May 3 on TCM (8 p.m. ET). For the occasion, we rounded up four very different actresses of different ages whose unlikely bond is Bette: Virginia Madsen, 42, Annabeth Gish, 35, Zooey Deschanel, 26, and Caitlin Wachs, 17. Here's what they told us about the glam 20th-century movie star -- and why she matters to them, and us, today.
Go to top
Virginia Madsen
Biggest screen credit: Oscar nomination for 2004's "Sideways"
Next: "A Prairie Home Companion "
Capturing Bette: "She was so specific with her physical actions, even if she was funny -- the way she would close a cigarette box, shut the blinds or set the phone down slowly."
Her strength: "Even in "Now, Voyager," where she was so delicate, she had inner strength."
Bette's screen gems: "'Jezebel.' 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' And 'All About Eve' is a perfect film. One of the immortal lines came out of that film: 'Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night.' "
What makes a legend: "A woman who knows her personal power and is able to express it or wield it."
Unsung old-Hollywood actress: Rosalind Russell. "Her and Cary Grant -- one of the greatest pairings ever."
Legend of tomorrow: "Charlize Theron. She's got that womanly passion, a fire, [like Greta] Garbo."
Go to top
Zooey Deschanel
Latest credit: "Failure to Launch"
Capturing Bette: "She is able to say lines that, if you saw them on a page, you would go, 'What is this?' [but she would] make them sound important."
Bette's screen gems: "Dark Victory," "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "The Petrified Forest"
What makes a legend: "She wasn't afraid of anything. And she had those amazing eyes."
Unsung old-Hollywood actress: "Carole Lombard. She could do anything. But she died when she was so young [33], and so the problem is, a lot of her films are black and white with poor sound."
Live and learn: "Looking back can really enrich what we have today. If you want a repertoire, stuff to draw from, it's just as important to read Shakespeare ... you don't want to just be looking at 'Star Wars.'"
Legends of tomorrow: Bryce Dallas Howard, Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon
Go to top
Caitlin Wachs
Biggest screen credit: Plays Geena Davis' daughter on TV's "Commander in Chief"
Capturing Bette: "She's the epitome of strength. And she's not afraid to take risks, even in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?," where she allowed herself to be seen as the aging movie star."
Bette's screen gem: "The Petrified Forest"
Missing today: "I would love to see more risk-taking. It's OK to be the girl with problems. You don't have to be perfect. [Felicity Huffman] in "Transamerica" -- she did it. She took a major risk."
What the greats taught her: "Taking the job and committing to it 100%. Leaving everything at the door by becoming that character completely."
Legend of tomorrow: Keira Knightley. "A classic movie star, someone not afraid to take risks and have fun -- the missing ingredient in a lot of younger actresses."
Go to top
Annabeth Gish
Latest credit: Portrays the eldest daughter of another TV president on "The West Wing"
Next: "The Celestine Prophecy"
Capturing Bette: "Bette had something nervy, edgy, some would say bitter. I'd say pluck. She was paving a way [with her] temerity, bravado, yet she was still sexy. I think of her red lipstick, her nails, smoking a cigarette. Women spend their entire lives trying to re-create that. ... It's hard to be a dame."
Bette's screen gems: "All About Eve," "The Little Foxes," "Jezebel" and "Now, Voyager"
What makes a legend: "Not staying safe, going out on a limb and revealing themselves entirely, but with pluck."
Missing today: "The parts aren't as ground-breaking, as iconic. We're best friends, wives, supporting characters."
Live and learn: "Future actresses need to study from people who came before us. It behooves me to look at women who came before, to see what they did and how they did it, so I can carry it forward."
More classic must-sees: "The Women," "The Birth of a Nation" and "Bringing up Baby"
Unsung old-Hollywood actress: Jennifer Jones
Legends of tomorrow: Dakota Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett. "[Cate's] got glamour, gravitas, chutzpah, fortitude."
Every Wednesday in May, TCM will air a 24-hour Bette Davis movie marathon.
|
