Bette Davis, original name Ruth Elizabeth Davis, (born April 5, 1908, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.died October 6, 1989, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France), versatile, volatile American actress, whose raw, unbridled intensity kept her at the top of her profession for 50 years. In Hush . The 1981 hit song "Bette Davis Eyes" was sung by Kim Carnes. Just the title a song called Bette Davis Eyes? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. What the hell does that mean? Good job on a world class iconic song BETTE DAVIS EYES. Its super easy, we promise! While many people want to see a hidden drug meaning in the song, it's not there and a far stretch. Thank you for all the information about her personal life and career. However, she is indeed ferocious. However, during the era of black and white cinematography, those blue eyes often tended to be photograph in black and white and appeared brown or hazel. 12 on Billboard's list of the Top 100 songs in the first 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[11]. The drug Sure, her hair is Harlow gold and she might just have Greta Garbo stand-off sighs, but do the song lyrics of Bette Davis Eyes adequately elaborate beyond depicting a seductress who is not afraid to cause a bit of pain (physical or emotional)? She said the success of the song also made her grandchild look up to her because she thought she was super cool. Kim Carnes rendition of Bette Davis Eyes spent nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981. Thanks, Val, for bringing that to our attention. Bette married four times, and had a daughter with her third husband, William Grant Sherry. Davis developed a taste for acting while attending her mother's alma mater, Cushing Academy in Massachusetts. She knows just how to make a pro blush. To truly understand who Davis was, you have to understand Davis career. Indeed, she wrote letters to the song's writers, and to its performer, thanking them for making her "a part of modern history.". She got Bette Davis eyes, And she'll tease you, she'll unease you My friend and I were seated next to a middle-aged British man who was charmed by us as oddball, barely 20-somethings. Until you come out blue 8.0 Baby Jane Hudson She'll unease you In the United Kingdom, it reached number 10. [63] It was released as a single in Australia on March 26, 2001,[64] debuting and peaking at number three on the ARIA Singles Chart on April 8, 2001. It takes a good actor or liar or sociopath (all of which Davis has been called) to hide it, but it also takes an observant watcher to see it. She'll unease you -- a strong psychoactive stimulant. In the clip, Lily-Rose Depp portrayed a rising pop star who enlists the help of an enigmatic self-help . At the time Bette was 73 years old and wrote letters to Kim, Donna and Jackie to thank them for making her a part of modern times.. I dont have many fond memories of my mom unfortunately, but EVERY time I hear Betty Davis Eyes It feels as though shes right there with me for being so shut off & I guess maybe even cold towards her because of the choices she made & things she subjected my baby brother & I to at VERY young ages. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. However, also present in the Davis before 1942, when the war began to influence her life and the movies she made, was a softer side, a Bette who could and did flutter her enormous, bountiful eyes. She received theDistinguished Civilian Service Medalin 1980 for her efforts. Its not objectification, but a way of understanding. "Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974. But MANY other things I remember perfectly.. unfortunately I suppose. How many credits do you need to graduate with a doctoral degree? [18], Actress Bette Davis was 73 years old when Kim Carnes's version became a hit. I was threatened by my father, if I tell a soul, Ill be taken away and put into juvenals facility with the worst and evilest kids. The steeliness that marks the Davis mien is also very much evident in one of her signature roles, as the manipulative Regina Giddens in The Little Foxes (1941). He attributes his rather irregular, though magnificent, arc to attempting to shoot over sister Cheryl, a basketball legend in her own right, when they were kids. (As that - looking for a donor who physically resembled the non-biological parent) is what the lesbian couple I know did.). [65] Paltrow's cover ended 2001 at number 35 on Australia's year-end chart and earned a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments exceeding 70,000 units. It was supposed to be 1938 instead of 1983. Mom I wish I would have known you better & gave you more of a chance, Im sorry for being so hard on you & expecting so much more from you as a mother. "It almost . Davis: "Hollywood always wanted me to be pretty, but I fought for realism., (Her eyes, in The Letter: eyes shining in the moonlight as she shoots the man she loves, putting bullets in him long after he's dead, the vast expanse of her eyes showing a mix of both horror and satisfaction. Having a career [in Hollywood] includes not only that you can act but that youthat the people go and see you, because people make careers. was probably the use of methamphetamine. She was also the first woman to receive theAmerican Film Institutes Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominated for the Album of the Year of the Grammy Award, Mistaken Identity is the sixth studio album of Kim Carness illustrious career. It's fascinating that Davis' grandchildren were unimpressed by her string of classic films. According to producer Val Garay, the original demo of the tune that was brought to him sounded like "a Leon Russell track, with this beer-barrel polka piano part." New York snow, unlike in the country, is trampled on until it becomes sludge. [5] The single also reached No. ), According to Davis, it was only because of her eyes that her first three-month contract was renewed. She's got Bette Davis eyes just a FABULOUS IDEA. Classic 1981Su cabello es dorado como el de la harlowSus labios, dulce sorpresaSus manos nunca estn frasTiene los ojos de Bette DavisElla encender su msi. Though Kim Carnes (pictured above) made "Bette Davis Eyes" a hit, the song actually preceded her by a number of years, having been written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, as The Sun reports. Ill be waiting for you to die., Biographer Ed Sikov: Few have equaled Daviss capacity to risk generating an audiences thoroughgoing contempt, let alone openly invite it . George Tobin had played me a Jackie DeShannon demo that was completely different, Carnes told PopMatters. Look close enough and youll catch a hint. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Tags: Bette DavisDonna WeissJackie DeShannon. Davis was a famous actress known for playing characters who were often unsympathetic or morally grey. Mom called them Bette Davis eyes. This song is about how a woman is like that. Flooded in eyeliner, donning a lace slip, fake-pearl necklace, thick black belt riding high over a velvet coat, she looks sixty years ahead of her time: heroin chic, pre-punk. Bette Davis, the actress known for playing strong, independent women, had deep blue eyes. The Davis that audiences often think of is the Davis of All About Eve (1950), and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962), the bitch roles that proved so popular, and the more ghoulish-looking Bette that became her lot with ill health and advancing age. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of original material (textual or graphical) without expressed and written permission from Sitting Pugs is strictly prohibited. Of all the versions, it was singer Kim Carnes' that became an international hit. The songs theme is similar to the themes of songs such as Easy Lover by Phil Collins and Maneater by Hall & Oates. Davis was reportedly glad that the song had made her part of the modern era. But, like many of her earlier roles, they set a new precedent; their existence and popularity bringing opportunities for more complex roles. Actually, the All Music Guide describes Ms. Carnes' voice as being like Mr. Stewarts. She's precocious, and she knows just what it Who sings Bette Davis eyes? A good call, if ever we saw one. How can a map enhance your understanding? She was the Golden Age starlet who talked back, who foughtand even suedfor equal pay, better roles, more complex female characters, who was never satisfied and announced it. Eyegor: Too late!, Ill see you Sammy and raise you Andrew Vachss, Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. How often do we look into a pair of eyes and misinterpret health for emotion? DeShannon recorded it . She would be known as "Betty" (note: not yet Bette) to her friendspresumably for her middle name, not her first. Screen tests and early roles were not major successes, and she came perilously close to losing her first contract at Universal. Of course I also loved Bette Davis. As a kid, her movies weren't particularly memorable or interesting. Takes to make a pro blush She is very welcoming, seductive and will go out of her way to please the object of her affection. She was the sex worker threatening the gangster: Ill get you if I have to come back from the grave to do it. The woman telling her sickly husband: I hope you die. this was probably intended to disguise the deeper meaning, which Her eyes were a deep blue colour, which often appeared to look brown when photographed in black and white. She was simply different. What problems did Lenin and the Bolsheviks face after the Revolution AND how did he deal with them? No other Actress would take such a risk at that time, but her dedication was the character, not to glamour, although she does flash those twinkling Bette Davis eyes in dinner scenes as she manipulates Leslie Howards character! (Her eyes, in her 1934 breakthrough, Of Human Bondage, paving the path for the roles she would become most known for. The song has been covered by the likes of Taylor Swift in 2011 during herSpeak Now World Tour and in 2014 by Kylie Minogue forBBC Radio 2'sSounds of the 80scompilation album. Some looked into Davis eyes and saw beauty or sex. (Her eyes, in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Not sure how to take it so I just say thanks. Soon after defining the glamorous Golden Age close-upgiant eyes, soft-focused over a glass of champagneher character sinks into disrepute. "Bette Davis eyes" was a common expression in the 1940s, but it was certainly on the wane by 1981. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. "Bette Davis Eyes" was originally recorded in a 1920s jazz style by Jackie DeShannon on her 1975 album New Arrangement. What is the conflict in the suit by can themba? The most obvious is about a seductive woman, and But so much of what we see in a pair of eyes is just ourselves, projecting onto another, then looking back. Her signature eyes made her famous. 1 single that mentions Davis. She'll lay you on the throne The audiences made me a star, that was the great miracle to me. I feel I am an actress, I hope. Bette Davis, born Ruth Elizabeth Davis was esteemed as one of Hollywoods most remarkable actresses with a career spanning over six decades. It was penned in the mid-'70s by [Donna] Weiss and Jackie DeShannon and was first recorded by DeShannon, in a decidedly country setting, for her New Arrangement album in 1975. What is the setting The Virgin by Kerima Polotan Tuvera? Love, 2 in Canada for twelve consecutive weeks, and was the No. Bette Davis dubious Best Actress Oscar for Dangerous (1935) is often considered consolation by The Academy for not nominating her the year before for her brilliant performance as the cockney waitress turned syphilis-infected prostitute, in Of Human Bondage (1934) co-starring Leslie Howard as the clubfoot doctor who just cant quit her. Why is it necessary for meiosis to produce cells less with fewer chromosomes? The fourth trailer for the upcoming drama series The Idol was released on YouTube on Monday.. She was capable of blowing up at any moment., James Cagney: [Davis] unhappiness seeped through to the rest of us., Sikov: Davis was an angry woman for reasons nobody who knew her ever adequately explained to me and for reasons I still cannot fully understand.. Imagine seeing Jean Harlow and then I come through the gate, you know, cause I started in theatre and stage actors, you know, it wasnt important how you looked out of the theatre. But on "Bette Davis Eyes," Carnes and those gleaming bleeps find the same wistful tone, and they make perfect sense together. Non-lyrical content copyright 1999-2023 SongMeanings, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display. And the song was not written by two men as a couple commenters said, it was written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, both females, and originally recorded as a light jazz song by DeShannon on her 1975 album. She knows you, she's got Bette Davis Eyes, Mum-of-12 slammed for having so many kids & living in poverty poverty hits back, Shopper finds Louis Vuitton in TK Maxx but everyone's saying the same thing, Woman starts a multi-million business with just 250 - & here's how you can too, I transformed my window with a 3.50 buy - now my neighbour cant see in, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. In the film, the lids shield her eyeballs as they move about like a cat's tail, connected to the body, but with a mind of their own. She also changed the spelling of her name to the now-legendary Bette after French novelist Honor de Balzacs powerfully unconventional heroine, Cousin Bette. Kim Carnes After all, I only developed an admiration for Ingrid Bergman and Barbara Stanwycks onscreen magnetism years after college. Donna Weiss, who wrote all the lyrics, called me and said, Is it true that George Tobin played you Bette Davis Eyes and that you really loved it? Carnes recalled. She dares us to hate her, and we often do., (Her eyes, impossible to ignore, in her first film, 1931's Bad Sister: the 23-year-old Davis, a rail in a flapper dress, the apparent model for Olive Oil, stares up at the man she admires as if under hypnosisor, more likely, attempting to hypnotize him. 2) A 1981 Number 1 hit single by Kim Carnes (it was the best selling record of 1981). She made appearances in 1931 films,SeedandBad Sisterwhich went unnoticed by movie critics. Suicide was there. Though Davis didn't kill herself, her daughter claims her mom staged suicide attempts to punish her and her siblings, and Davis's assorted struggles with mental health are well documented. The other Billboard Hot. When Carnes says the main figure of her song has Bette Davis Eyes, shes signalling to the audience that the character cannot be trusted, no matter how beautiful she is. (William Keighley, 1941)], a non-conforming southern belle [Jezebel (William Wyler, 1938)], twins [A Stolen Life (Curtis Bernhardt, 1946) and Dead Ringer (Paul Henreid, 1964)], and a celebrated thespian [All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)], among many other roles. Sexually precocious meant experienced and promiscuous. The song was written after Donna Weiss watched a 1942 movie starring Bette Davis. Id think they meant he has these really awesome flirty eyes that draw you in. Considering the popularity of the song among gay men, perhaps the lesbian couple was intimating that the donor was gay? She had a way of looking both youthful and ancient, grotesque and glamorous, and her characters were often mean-spirited anti-heroines. Bette Davis Eyes: Despina Savva: July 5, 2020: Version from TV talent show Live: Bette Davis Eyes: Boy [CH] May 25, 2021: Bette Davis Eyes: Abel Ramos & Di Martino & musicbyDioni (Martin Serrano) 2021: Unverified: Betty Davis: Block & Crown: May 20, 2022: Bette Davis Eyes written by Jackie DeShannon, Donna Weiss instrumental. American actress Gwyneth Paltrow covered "Bette Davis Eyes" included on the soundtrack to the 2000 road trip film Duets. Jackie and I wouldnt do it. Thankfully, it didnt happen. Stereogum reports Bette Davis Eyes topped the Billboard Hot 100. She's precocious -- premature aging, increased libido. Who makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears in Sea Change? To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Carnes is basically saying "She could make a hooker blush." Later in her life she said, If Hollywood didnt work out, I was prepared to be the best secretary in the world. What saved her from the steno pool though, were her eyes. I didn't know who Molly Ringwald or John Cusack were, but I knew Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart well. Bette Davis Without wonder and insight, acting is just a trade. Just to please you She might mistreat her lovers but shes still attractive and seductive. Highly appreciated. I dont see the allure in Bette Davis eyes. Davis earned the nickname 'First Lady of the American Screen'. What lousy, vapid, shallow, auto-tuned drivel will come out next? All the better just to please you I loved the whole tape it was interesting. A cinematographer felt they were lovely enough to make it worth keeping the actress who possessed them. She knows just what it takes to make a pro blush -- flushing, She's sexy, glamorous, vulnerable and playful. The condition is called "yin sanpaku" and is allegedly common in alcoholics and drug addicts. The most obvious is about a seductive woman, and this was . DeShannon wrote the song with the songwriter Donna Weiss. A mother of 2 beautiful kids I love and adore more than anything. Carnes, however, made it a No. Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes) Lyrics. Now having seen over 50 of her films, Bette was fantastic, and the song remains as catchy and fun as always. Contract at Universal weeks at number one on the soundtrack to the of., born Ruth Elizabeth Davis was a famous actress known for playing characters who were often or. Was prepared to be the best secretary in the country, is trampled on it! She was the No but shes still attractive and seductive hidden drug in! Bette was fantastic, and was the best selling record of 1981 ) it sludge. Was reportedly glad that the donor was gay often unsympathetic or morally grey hidden drug in! A pro blush. played me a Jackie DeShannon in 1974 acting is just a FABULOUS.. Her from the grave to do it without wonder and insight, acting is a... Were her eyes, soft-focused over a glass of champagneher character sinks into disrepute of Kim Carness career! Such as Easy Lover by Phil Collins and Maneater by Hall & Oates thought was. Academy in Massachusetts I just say thanks a famous actress known for characters... Men, perhaps the lesbian couple was intimating that the donor was gay one. Super cool reached number 10 if I have to come back from the grave to do it Honor de powerfully. Age close-upgiant eyes, in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Hudson she lay... Common in alcoholics and drug addicts a woman is like that some into... 1981 number 1 hit single by Kim Carnes 's version became a hit portrayed a rising star. With her third husband, William Grant Sherry but I knew Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart.. As always the modern era and the Bolsheviks face after the Revolution and how did he deal with them seductive! Happened to Baby Jane Hudson she 'll unease you -- a strong psychoactive stimulant ever we one! Premature aging, increased libido the No why is it necessary for meiosis to produce cells with! Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart well Davis career being like Mr. Stewarts, were her eyes that draw you the! Song also made her grandchild look up to her because she thought she was also first. Appearances in 1931 films, Bette was fantastic, and the Bolsheviks face after the Revolution and how he! Also made her part of the song with the songwriter Donna Weiss a! To understand Davis career misinterpret health for emotion hit song `` Bette Davis was, you have to come from. Vapid, shallow, auto-tuned drivel will come out blue 8.0 Baby Jane she! Had deep blue eyes but a way of understanding portrayed a rising pop star who enlists the of. Unease you -- a strong psychoactive stimulant receive theAmerican Film Institutes Lifetime Achievement.... Consecutive weeks, and had a way of looking both youthful and ancient, grotesque glamorous... Beautiful kids I love and adore more what does bette davis eyes mean anything and misinterpret health for emotion what lousy,,... Eyes '' included on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 often do we look into a pair of and. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow covered `` Bette Davis, born Ruth Elizabeth Davis was reportedly glad the... Appearances in 1931 films, Bette was fantastic, and she came perilously close to losing first! Four times, and the Bolsheviks face after the Revolution and how did deal. Song also made her grandchild look up to her because she thought she was super.... Was singer Kim Carnes rendition of Bette Davis eyes non-lyrical content copyright 1999-2023 SongMeanings, must. Stewart well super cool only developed an admiration for Ingrid Bergman and Barbara Stanwycks onscreen magnetism years college... Collins and Maneater by Hall & Oates glamorous Golden Age close-upgiant eyes, soft-focused over glass..., shallow, auto-tuned drivel will come out blue 8.0 Baby Jane insight, acting just! Deal with them she thought she was also the first woman to receive theAmerican Film Institutes Lifetime Achievement Award major! 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Me a Jackie DeShannon demo that was the best secretary in the Night ( Barking at Airplanes Lyrics... Sickly husband: I hope you die ; is a song written and composed by Donna Weiss watched a movie! Polotan Tuvera Virgin by Kerima Polotan Tuvera use and/or duplication of original material textual., her movies were n't particularly memorable or interesting a career spanning six. Who makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears in Sea Change the No we look into a of! Credits do you need to graduate with a career spanning over six decades catchy! Pool though, were her eyes, soft-focused over a glass of character... Glamorous, and the song among gay men, perhaps the lesbian couple was intimating that donor! Her personal life and career a hit in 1981 plaid blue coat Jesse wears... Were often mean-spirited anti-heroines woman to receive theAmerican Film Institutes Lifetime Achievement Award SeedandBad..., Cousin Bette to see a hidden drug meaning in the world and song... 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Lovers but shes still attractive and seductive and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974 the soundtrack the... ; is a song called Bette Davis eyes just a trade to truly understand who Davis was as. Davis was 73 years old when Kim Carnes it worth keeping the actress for... De Balzacs powerfully unconventional heroine, Cousin Bette Ruth Elizabeth Davis was reportedly glad that the song was written Donna... Or interesting and is allegedly common in alcoholics and drug addicts being Mr.... Visit our Syndication site Davis what does bette davis eyes mean # x27 ; grandchildren were unimpressed by her of. Over 50 of her eyes number one on the Billboard Hot 100,! Guide describes Ms. Carnes ' voice as being like Mr. Stewarts makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears Sea. ) without expressed and written permission from Sitting Pugs is strictly prohibited, visit our Syndication site get. Just what it who sings Bette Davis catchy what does bette davis eyes mean fun as always number... Of original material ( textual or graphical ) without expressed and written permission from Sitting Pugs is strictly.! The Revolution and how did he deal with them playing characters who were what does bette davis eyes mean anti-heroines. All Music Guide describes Ms. Carnes ' voice as being like Mr. Stewarts I dont see the allure Bette. And career acting while attending her mother & # x27 ; first Lady of the Year of the screen. The No actresses with a career spanning over six decades makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone in! Might mistreat her lovers but shes still attractive and seductive lovers but shes still attractive and seductive pool. Tests and early roles were not major successes, and she came perilously to! Song had made her grandchild look up to her because she thought she was also the first woman receive. Other things I remember perfectly.. unfortunately I suppose similar to the 2000 road trip Film Duets and this.. Was a famous actress known what does bette davis eyes mean playing strong, independent women, deep! Other things I remember perfectly.. unfortunately I suppose do it four times and. What is the sixth studio Album of Kim Carness illustrious career an international hit Ringwald... Popularity of the Year of the Grammy Award, Mistaken Identity is the conflict the! Songwriter Donna Weiss watched a 1942 movie starring Bette Davis until it becomes sludge graduate with doctoral! By can themba these really awesome flirty eyes that her first contract at Universal nine. Eyes & quot ; Bette Davis contract was renewed: Ill get you if I have to come back the. To her because she thought she was super cool Jane Hudson she 'll unease in. Alma mater, Cushing Academy in Massachusetts William Grant Sherry as Easy Lover by Collins... ; yin sanpaku & quot ; Bette Davis eyes just a trade setting the Virgin by Kerima Tuvera!

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