[14] In this original incarnation, the track is performed in an 'R&B lite' arrangement,[1] featuring a prominent uptempo piano part, as well as flourishes of pedal steel guitar and horns. Some looked into Davis eyes and saw beauty or sex. Did inspiration for the song at all come from Bette Daviss appearance on The Dick Cavett show in 1971(Nov 17th) which you can find on YouTube? Friends ask what draws me in, fascinated with my fascination, and I tell them, to their dissatisfaction: Im curious about everyone elses curiosity. But MANY other things I remember perfectly.. unfortunately I suppose. "Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'remodelormove_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_23',166,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'remodelormove_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_24',166,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0_1');.mobile-leaderboard-1-multi-166{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}These lenses can give you an unnatural purple eye color, although it is important to remember that they are not permanent and require regular biannual removal and cleaning. Shimmering. Wants steady employment in Hollywood. With tender hands, Eddie reached up to caress the curve of Steve's hips. Who famously got most of her exercise by putting her foot down.. Its not objectification, but a way of understanding. Jane Fonda:Just watching Bette Davis on the screen was empowering to women. It may be unthinkable today, but the actress whose allure was celebrated in the Grammy Award-winning song "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes in 1981 wasn't considered a screen beauty in her . Lids slowly bobbing, lashes long, pupils giant, eyeballs overcoming their sockets, seemingly ready to leave the skull.). In addition to its success on the pop charts, Bette Davis Eyes also won Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1982. The song Bette Davis Eyes gives a shoutout to the iconic American actress Bette Davis, and she acknowledged the composers of this song for such. Then came "Bette Davis Eyes." DeShannon, a writer, hitmaker and performer since the turn of the 1960s, had written the song that namechecked one of Hollywood's most famous stars for . She achieved great success being a finalist for eightBest Actress Academy Awardsand winning two of them. With her left covered by a patch, shes unwittingly kicking off another film trope: the bad-ass woman with an eyepatch, decades before Daryl Hannah, before Angelina Jolie, before Rachel Weisz. Davis' supporters suggested that "My Mother's Keeper" was nothing more than a cynical "cash-in. The ad has been described as a satirical joke by some biographers, as Davis' career was actually in fine health in the early '60s. 2 hit of 1981 in that country after "Stars on 45". Nelson filed for divorce from Davis in 1938. She gives the curious feeling of being charged with power that can find no ordinary outlet" (via "More than a Woman"). Warner Bros. offered to lend Davis to MGM, the studio producing "Gone With the Wind," but insisted that the role of O'Hara's love interest Rhett Butler be played by another of their actors, Errol Flynn. Is Bette Davis eyes a compliment? (The Academy has never confirmed this as the source of the nickname.). It was only with her follow-up, 1935's "Dangerous," that Davis' talents were finally recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Indeed, she wrote letters to the song's writers, and to its performer, thanking them for making her "a part of modern history.". 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 . Having Bette Davis Eyes is definitely a compliment! The song was written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, the latter of whom recorded the song that same year on her album New Arrangement. As for Davis herself, at the time the song was all over the radio in 1981 she was about 73 years old. Bette Davis, 1981. It was on an airplane fifteen years ago that I first considered Bette Davis as more than an image, more than a Mid-Atlantic accent or a symbol of movie nights at my grandparents's house. [17] Keyboardist Bill Cuomo came up with the signature synth riff, using the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizer, which now defines Carnes's version. Bette Davis, born Ruth Elizabeth Davis was esteemed as one of Hollywoods most remarkable actresses with a career spanning over six decades. Another screen test involved her hitching her skirt higher and higher, so the studio could see she was not hiding "some deformity." How often do we look into a pair of eyes and misinterpret health for emotion? 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. . Furthermore, the video for Bette Davis Eyes featured actress Margie David impersonating the star, further leading viewers to make the connection. But biographers still do it today; Im doing it right now: defining this woman by her bodyeven just a single part of her body. Davis' third husband was William Grant Sherry, an artist of little success who at 30 was seven years younger than Davis at the time of their meeting, but whom Davis admired for his dedication to his art. Her life-long feud with Joan Crawford is one of old Hollywoods most-told stories; a battle grand enough to fill up a 500-page book and be made into a high-budget, star-studded 2017 television series. THAT would be great. [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. The biggest song of the year was "Bette Davis Eyes", sung by Kim Carnes. But the future icon who was also well-respected in her own lifetime as a campaigner for war veterans, earning a Distinguished Civilian Service Medal for her work with the Hollywood Canteen (via Biography) didn't have an easy route to Hollywood stardom. Bette Davis at the BFI the eyes have it Hollywood's queen of mean remains so magnetic, you barely notice her co-star drones as an upcoming film season reminds us Bette Davis in 1949's. She was also the first woman to receive theAmerican Film Institutes Lifetime Achievement Award. 2 in Canada for twelve consecutive weeks, and was the No. It was the only year of the entire 1940s that Davis did not star in a movie, according to Stacker. She was married six times throughout her life, but never had any children. Her eyes are beautiful - she has Bette Davis eyes. Davis reacted with a new memoir of her own, "This 'n That," in 1987, which included an open letter to her estranged daughter describing the pain the memoir had caused her, as well as a number of letters from friends and critical reviews disparaging B.D. The doctors recommended that Margot be taken to an institution where she could receive round-the-clock care, but Merrill resisted, hoping that he could provide his daughter with a normal life in the couple's New York home. In the lie her character tells of the shooting, the man's unwanted advances began with him saying, You have very pretty eyes.). Her eyes, the eyes that became famous: lake-water blue, appearing hazel on black-and-white film. When Carnes says the main figure of her song has "Bette Davis Eyes," she's signalling to the audience that the character cannot be trusted, no matter how beautiful she is. What does each person see? 1981. Apple Music Kim Carnes Bette Davis Eyes . (Her eyes, in her 1934 breakthrough, Of Human Bondage, paving the path for the roles she would become most known for. At the beginning of the interview they discuss the word precocious referring to one of the characters shes played and it hit me that it was in the song She precocious and she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush. Its Baby Jane and Sweet Charlotte that are, perhaps rightfully, the most remembered and discussed Davis films today. The production was already highly anticipated after the success of the 1936 Margaret Mitchell novel on which the film was based. Not sure how to take it so I just say thanks. My friend and I were seated next to a middle-aged British man who was charmed by us as oddball, barely 20-somethings. Our brand new app is here! So revered is "Baby Jane" that in 2021 it was one of the 25 films selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. He's currently working on a book about eyes, vision, and blindness. That eyeso alive, so active. A number of prominent songwriters worked alongside Kim on this album. The track was produced by American record producer Val Garay. (Her eyes, in her final film, Wicked Stepmother: lackadaisical, often bordering on closed, a purposed lethargy, bored by the terrible script, the awful cast surrounding her, her eyes doing more work than anyone on set.). But tragedy caused Davis to become more unreasonable on set than ever before. Sat Jul 17 2021 - 06:00. Throughout the history of popular music, multiple songs have been about real people. Davis lost the case, and was forced to return to the U.S. and resume her work with Warner Bros. Everyone get what they deserve, thats Karma. Its like: this is whats possible; this is the range and depth that is possible for a woman., Meryl Streep: Bette Davis seemed willing, she even had an appetite, for parts that were conventionally unappealing. There are, depending on how you count them, over a dozen biographies about her, recounting the bottomless drama of her personal and professional life, all while trying to crack the mystery beneath Daviss hard exterior. So said the critic Rex Reed in 1968, by which time Davis was a renowned Hollywood legend whose idiosyncrasies were such that she was in danger of becoming a parody of herself. Following her parents divorce in 1916, she, together with her younger sister, Barbara would frequently move with their mother who was a photographer at the time, through New England. The other was The Petrified Forest, in which she featured alongside Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart. During her lifetime, she was honored with multiple prestigious awards, including two Academy Awards for Best Actress. "At her best, she is devastating at her worst, she is merely the best Bette Davis caricature out of all the other stars doing Bette Davis caricatures." It was then that I got her name stuck in my head, then that I started watching her films intentionally, trying to see what they revealed. Davis was so affected by Entwistle's performance that she immediately told Ruthie that she wanted to become an actress. As a kid, her movies weren't particularly memorable or interesting. According to Snopes, the actress, who was growing impatient with the lack of roles afforded to middle-aged women in the film industry, published a classified ad in the Hollywood Reporter, which, under the title "Situation Wanted, Women" and alongside a classic Davis headshot read: "Mother of three 10, 11 & 15 divorce. They tended to blend together in my mind, but Davis herself stuck out. It was supposed to be 1938 instead of 1983. Under their made-up layers theres a hardness, a meanness, a true dissatisfaction impossible to fake. Theyre not only public, but we believe they hold secrets, answers. The original of these versions was recorded in 1974. It also reached No. loved the song since the 80s when I didnt know much about Bette Davis except that she was an actress. Another great trauma to Davis during these years was a tell-all memoir by her daughter B.D., titled "My Mother's Keeper." document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Tags: Bette DavisDonna WeissJackie DeShannon. According to James Spada's "More than a Woman," his 1994 biography of Davis, the actress' win is believed to have been motivated by Academy members feeling that Davis has been snubbed in her earlier role. She made appearances in 1931 films,SeedandBad Sisterwhich went unnoticed by movie critics. Her brows were often curved in a straight line, her lids were sloped at an angle, and her eyelashes were incredibly long. Bette Davis Eyes: Despina Savva: July 5, 2020: 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. "The kid might be all right in certain roles but what audience would ever believe that the hero would to get her at the fade-out?" Bette Davis Eyes was written by Jack Segal and Donna Weiss, and released by Kim Carnes in 1981. In Hush . 2) A 1981 Number 1 hit single by Kim Carnes (it was the best selling record of 1981). She said the success of the song also made her grandchild look up to her because she thought she was super cool. Carnes has continued to produce music, tour, and collaborate with other artists over the past few decades, most recently working with her daughter, Kira Small, on a new version of Bette Davis Eyes. The song was #1 for five weeks, interrupted for just one week by "Stars on 45" before it returned to the top spot for another four weeks and became Billboard's biggest hit of the year. 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. Where are songs like this now? Love Karaoke? The two enjoyed a calm and loving marriage until 1943, when Farnsworth died suddenly, the result of an undiagnosed blood clot. The song has since been celebrated for its catchy and infectious chorus, as well as its clever amalgamation of rock and new wave influences. Updated April 30, 2021. Davis considered the song a compliment, and Carnes gave her the platinum and gold records, which Davis hung on her wall. Ostensibly in a role of servitude, but clearly holding the power.). I should have just excepted you for who you were. I could remember back when Kim Carnes sing the song, I went and bought an 8 track tape. No, "Bette Davis Eyes" is not a compliment. Kim Carnes was not a '60s-vintage rock star, but she may as well have been. At some point, I asked him about the book face-down on his lap. Because of this, Davis could have taken the song as either an insult or a compliment. Davis was known for playing women with a strong sense of independence and determination, often portraying characters who flouted social conventions and acted in ways considered bold or unconventional for the time period. It was one of the biggest hits of the year, winning both a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1982. American record producer and engineer Val Garay, handled the albums production. Some saw ugliness, disdain, even some form of evil. However, in 2017 a new book written by Davis' assistant Kathryn Sermak forwarded the theory that their feud was charged with sexual tension: that Crawford in fact had a huge crush on Davis, and that from her side, at least, it was more of a love-hate relationship than a purely hateful one (via Vanity Fair). Looking to the ground, lids heavy, having struck down her enemies once again.). When the same frustrations emerged with the productions "The Golden Arrow," "Satan Met a Lady," and "God's Country and the Woman," Davis accepted work in the United Kingdom, which was against the terms of her contract. TheWarner Brothers Studiosigned a long-term contract with her which resulted in her being featured in most of their low-quality films. Bette had earned a name as the highest paid female in America by 1942. He told me how he read past some of the personal dramas to see her solely as a force who changed historya woman who took on the male-dominated power structures of Hollywood from a young age and never stopped pushing to get what she wanted. She was the first daughter born to lawyer Harlow Morrell Davis and Ruth Favor Davis, given the name Bette which she chose to use in her career. He flipped it over to reveal Davis, staring directly at me, smiling but not soft. The song was recorded in the studio on the first take. : 3:48. . [12], Record World called it a "haunting pop-rocker" and said that Carnes' "earthy vocal rasp & guitar chimes are unforgettable."[13]. In 2019, Carnes underwent vocal cord surgery and has now made a full recovery. The songs theme is similar to the themes of songs such as Easy Lover by Phil Collins and Maneater by Hall & Oates. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'remodelormove_com-leader-3','ezslot_17',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-leader-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'remodelormove_com-leader-3','ezslot_18',164,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-leader-3-0_1');.leader-3-multi-164{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Although she was brought up a dancer and kept fit by taking ballet classes throughout her life, Crawford never pursued a career as a professional dancer. Betty Davis was one of the most well-renowned African American women of her time, becoming a huge influence in the world of entertainment. She's got Bette Davis eyes, Carnes croons, her voice filled with apparent passion and meaning, but saying almost nothing. Narrowing, muscles tensing, then relaxing, hinting at an understanding reached, a plan for revenge coursing down into the body. 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! 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. When are eyes windows to the soul and when are they windows to the body? She later revealed in an interview that she had developed a benign vocal cord tumor in her throat, which required surgery in order to remove it. Nevertheless, she soon established herself in Hollywood, taking roles in six movies for Universal Pictures before signing a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. in 1932. According to Bette Davis' memoir "The Lonely Life," the birth of her acting ambitions can be traced to a single evening in 1926, when she was just 18. They were powerful and captivating, and this is why having Bette Davis eyes is seen as such a compliment. According to James Spada, another great attraction was the fact that Sherry apparently had no idea who the world-famous Hollywood actress was. Sometimes, the weirdness works. Free shipping for many products! The photographer Diane Arbus once said she wished she could have photographed the suicides on the faces of Marilyn Monroe and Hemingway, because, she claimed, It was there. Davis: It has been my experience that one cannot, in any shape or form, depend on human relations for any lasting reward. 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