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 Davis Eyes the studio on the first take. Bette Davis, then 73 years old, wrote letters to Carnes, Weiss, and DeShannon to thank all three of them for making her "a part of modern times," and said her grandson now looked up to her. After their Grammy wins, Davis sent them roses as well. The song was ranked at number 12 on "Billboard's" list of the top 100 songs in the first 50 years of the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. Cleopatra Records released a re-recording of the song as a single in 2007. The video, directed by Australian film director Russell Mulcahy,