Bette Davis

George Hurrell
Bette Davis
Gelatin silver print, 1938, printed 1979-1980
Portfolio I, edition 47 of 250
20 x 16 1/8 inches
Gift of Susan Rathbone
1980.120.004
© HurrellPhotos.com

Bette Davis was committed to being a dramatic actress and told Hurrell that she wasn’t interested in “some glamour girl stuff.” This photograph was taken the year before the release of her favorite film, Dark Victory, for which Hurrell shot several portraits. He said that during these sittings he saw “a special kind of beauty in her face.” Of Hurrell, Davis said: “A sitting with this master photographer is an absolute joy—one never knows when the pictures are being taken. . . . Hurrell was—and is—a true artist.”