“Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” These memorable lines from All about Eve evoke not only a great character in a great film, but also – and perhaps especially – the extraordinary screen presence of Bette Davis herself.

In the studio era, Bette Davis was a star in a Hollywood constellation that included Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland and Barbara Stanwyck. While she was well known for her expressive eyes and instantly recognizable voice, Davis distinguished herself by excelling at untraditional, often unsympathetic characters in a range of genres, earning in the process the considerable respect of her peers. Among her nine Best Actress nominations during that era were an unprecedented five consecutive nominations between 1938 and 1942; she took home Oscars® for her performances in Dangerous in 1935 and Jezebel in 1938.

Born Ruth Elizabeth Davis on April 5, 1908, in Lowell, Massachusetts, Bette Davis was first drawn to stage acting as a teenager. After appearing in a handful of regional theater productions, she made her Broadway debut in 1929, was spotted by a Universal talent scout, and moved to Hollywood a year later. Despite that auspicious beginning, it was not until Warner Bros. picked up her contract in late 1931 that she found success. George Arliss chose her to play opposite him in The Man Who Played God (1932), and Davis earned the first positive reviews of her film career.

Davis stayed with Warner Bros. for nearly 18 years, during which she famously tangled with co-stars, directors and studio executives alike. But also during those years – sometimes on loan-out to other studios – she did some of her best work. Her performances in such notable films as Of Human Bondage (1934), Jezebel (1938), Dark Victory (1939), The Letter (1940), The Little Foxes (1941), Now, Voyager (1942) and Watch on the Rhine (1943) secured not only her stardom, but her reputation as a versatile and fearless performer.

Davis was an equally strong presence off the screen. She was elected the Academy’s first female president in 1941, although her tenure was brief and contentious. A staunch supporter of the war effort, Davis was one of the founders of the Hollywood Canteen and an active fund-raiser on the home front.

Soon after she left Warner Bros. in 1949, she replaced an ailing Claudette Colbert in All about Eve. Margo Channing became, arguably, Davis’s most famous and identifiable role. But as it was for most actresses in their forties and beyond, such splendid screen opportunities were rare. There were a few highlights, including What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, for which she received her 10th and final Academy Award® nomination in 1962, but Davis’s later films were often disappointments. She nonetheless maintained her tremendous work ethic and continued to make film and television appearances throughout her sixties and seventies, even after she had suffered a series of debilitating strokes.

“A Centennial Tribute to Bette Davis” will honor the legendary actress with an evening featuring clips of her indelible screen performances as well as onstage discussions with several of her colleagues and friends.

Please note that this event is SOLD OUT. Since we anticipate additional tickets to become available at the last minute due to "no-shows" or cancellations, there will be a STAND-BY line at the door on Thursday, May 1. The STAND-BY line will form at the corner of Almont and Wilshire Blvds and numbers will be handed out at 5pm in a first come first serve order. We will not be able to determine how many STAND-BY tickets can be sold until 7:45 p.m. just before showtime. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills. Doors open at 7 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For additional information, please call the Academy at (310) 247-3600.