“I am just too much”, Bette Davis once said. And she was not exaggerating. Over a career spanning six decades, the blue-eyed beauty single-handedly took on the big studios, commanded respect from males and females alike, and above all remained true to herself whilst doing it.

Bette Davis was born Ruth Elizabeth Davis in 1908, in Massachusetts, USA. Her parents, Ruth Augusta and Harlow Morrell Davis, separated in 1915, leaving both Bette and her younger sister Barbara to attend boarding school. In 1921, both moved to New York City with their mother, a portrait photographer. Bette had wanted to act after seeing Mary Pickford in 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' in 1921. However, it was in 1926, upon seeing Peg Entwistle in a production of 'The Wild Duck', that Bette knew that she had to act. So it was settled.

Despite her beauty and determination, it wasn't all uphill from there. Davis was rejected from one academy after appearing 'insincere', and was only begrudgingly given a place in George Cukor's stock theatre company, where she received her first paid assignment. After several performances, she was spotted by a talent scout, and was whisked away to the bright lights and glamour of Hollywood. Or so she thought.

Her first impressions of Hollywood were far from glamorous. After a failed screen test and several embarrassing encounters, Davis landed her first on screen role in 'The Bad Sister' in 1931. Both this and her following film, 'Seed', did badly, but overtime Davis became well known for never shying away from playing unsympathetic roles, such as the vicious Mildred in 'Of Human Bondage' in 1934.

Bette knew that she wasn't what Hollywood considered 'beautiful', and gained confirmation of this after over-hearing a member of production saying that she had 'about as much sex appeal as Slim Summerville', a male co-star in 'The Bad Sister'. But she refused to compromise herself, and once said 'Hollywood wanted me to be pretty, but I fought for realism.'

Yet Bette was certainly beautiful. With those large, sultry eyes and soft brown hair, Bette was by no means dull. Bette dressed for herself, and was seen wearing charming polka-dot shirts and formal blouses when off set. On set, she looked equally as dazzling in long, flowing gowns, as she can be seen wearing in the 1950 film 'All About Eve'. This stunning dress revealed Davis' slender neck and shoulders, and dipped into a daring and delicate 'V' at the back. This dress was designed by much loved and respected costume designer Edith Head, who won eight Academy Awards over her career; more than any other woman in history. Head was a favourite of many Hollywood stars of the '30s and '40s, such as Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck, and also designed Davis' trendy New Look clothes in the 1948 film 'June Bride', where Davis played a fashion editor.

Bette Davis set a very high standard for all female actors. She could hold her own both on screen and in her personal life, against man or woman, as she showed in her famous feuds with both actress Joan Crawford and major film studio, Warner Bros. She was a strong woman who always put her career first, and knew herself thoroughly. Besides, any woman who says 'I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make-up box' and sticks to it is someone to be admired, and remembered, forever.