Jonathan Stone for Art-Sheep
Apart from her famous eyes, Bette Davis had a breathtaking screen presence that used to steal the hearts of millions of fans and result to raving reviews by the critics.
The Massachusetts native starred in classic movies like Dark Victory and Now, Voyager while her great work of the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s and the ’60s got her 2 wins and 10 Academy Award nominations. The electrifying movie star used to captivate every single viewer. Her performance in, Of Human Bondage, made LIFE’s writer Noel F. Busch say her Mildred Rogers was “probably the best performance ever recorded on the screen by a U.S. actress.”
The photos featured below are taken by LIFE photographer, Alfred Eisenstaedt, at Davis’ home in Beverly Hills. Published in the magazine’s 1939 cover story on the actress, these photos don’t show a powerhouse diva of the silver screen, but capture the beautiful, interesting personality of the Hollywood actress.
