She ruled as queens and empresses, she was the tempestuous heart of love triangles, and she didn’t balk at playing an older character or a nasty woman — that’s right, she’s Bette Davis, and her historical costume movie roles are legendary. With her trademark pencil-thin eyebrows and those piercing eyes, Davis made her mark on screen.
Julie Marsden in Jezebel (1938)
Davis’ black & white alternative to Gone With the Wind.
Louise Elliott in The Sisters (1938)
One of a trio of sisters in 1900s Montana.
Carlota of Mexico in Juarez (1939)
The Austrian Empress of Mexico, crowned as part of Napoleon III’s attempt to invade the country.
Charlotte Lovell in The Old Maid (1939)
This Civil War-era romance doesn’t go well (hence the movie title).
Queen Elizabeth in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
Regal as QEI.
Henriette Deluzy-Desportes in All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
1840s governess, 1940s eyebrows.
Regina Giddens in The Little Foxes (1941)
So very foxy.
Fanny Trellis Skeffington in Mr. Skeffington (1944)
She’s a fabulous portrait of herself.
Miss Lilly Moffat in The Corn Is Green (1945)
Looking older than her years for a serious role.
Queen Elizabeth I in The Virgin Queen (1955)
Again as QEI, just as magnificent.
Empress Catherine the Great in John Paul Jones (1959)
Forever ruling.
Mrs. Van Schuyler in Death on the Nile (1987)
Totally glam 1930s for this Poirot murder-mystery.
What’s your favorite Bette Davis historical costume role?
QEI by far—both times.
All About Eve!
I’m with MoHub on this. QEI. Although her Julie in Jezebel was terrific and Oscar winning and I prefer it over GWTW, it and the Old Maid are my seconds. But IMHO you can’t go wrong with MS Davis.
Her ‘modern’ film favourites of mine are Now Voyager and All About Eve.
I love Jezebel, so it is may top favorite, but she was great in The Old Maid too and in all the other holes. Ah, and just a correction, Carlota was married to as Austrian prince, but she was from Belgium.
Oh Lord! There is so much to choose from! I’ll have to go with the following:
Julie Marsden in Jezebel
Queen Elizabeth in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Henriette Deluzy-Desportes in All This, and Heaven Too
Regina Giddens in The Little Foxes
Mrs. Van Schuyler in Death on the Nile