Bette Davis of the thirties and into the forties", achieving notability for the variety of her characterizations and her ability to assert herself, even when her material was mediocre. Individual performances continued to receive praise; in 1987, Bill Collins analyzed "The Letter" (1940), and described her performance as "a brilliant, subtle achievement", and wrote: "Bette Davis makes Leslie Crosbie one of the most extraordinary females in movies." In a 2000 review for "All About Eve" (1950), Roger Ebert noted: "Davis was a character, an icon with a grand style; so, even her excesses are realistic." In 2006, "Premiere" magazine ranked her portrayal
Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud Bette Davis, notorious for refusing to bow to the studio bosses, were two of the biggest Hollywood stars of their time. Their rivalry exploded during their work together on the horror film "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and became a public feud that lasted the rest of their lives. Based on interviews the author conducted with both actresses and more than a decade of research, the book shows the hard-drinking, hard-fighting, and fading stars at their best and worst. The Crawford-Davis rivalry is the inspiration for the 2017 Ryan Murphy TV series "Feud." Crawford is played by Jessica Lange