BETTE DAVIS ENTERTAINMENT MEMORABILIA - Thursday 19 July 2001 - Christie's, New York, 10.5 x 8.3-inch very well-bound PB with semi-stiff card stock covers, 106 pp. printed on quality white glossy stock; strong VG+ condition (clean and tightly bound, bright covers and pages; tiny upturns at tips of corners, most notably upper rear one; never sold retail, distributed to those who attended the pricey auction on a weekday in July)

Bette Davis was born in Lowell, MA in 1908 (and died at her French home in 1989). She gave up her initial interest in dance for the stage. After graduating from The Cushing Academy, she became the star pupil at John Murray Anderson's Manhattan Civic Repertory. She debuted off-Broadway in 1923, and became a star in a 1929 Broadway Show. Her first film was released in 1931 and led to a 7-year Warner Brothers contract She was one of Hollywood's most Oscar-nominated actresses and appeared in 124 films through the year she died. Her breakout came in the 1934 RKO film OF HUMAN BONDAGE, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress Academy Award..Other nominations include DARK VICTORY, THE LETTER, THE LITTLE FOXES; NOW, VOYAGER; ALL ABOUT EVE, THE STAR, and WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?. Her other Oscar wins were for DANGEROUS (1935) and JEZEBEL (1938). Her strong suit was playing formidable, complex characters, a natural skill as she was famously tempestuous and assertive, and one of the first stars to challenge the studio contract system.

Her entertainment collection reflected her passion for fellow Hollywood stars, many of them co-stars and friends, including Bogey, James Dean, Monroe and Elvis. She also collected items from favorite films, including CASABLANCA, BLADERUNNER, STAR WARS, SUPERMAN, and GLADIATOR. Her JEZEBEL Oscar is the highest valued item in the auction at over $500,000. She also was a sports fans and had an elite collection of signed baseballs and early football and baseball cards. And, or course, her clothing, hats and jewelry were elegant.

There's are no other copies on eBay, which has Christie's one catalog each for Marlon Brando (2005, VG+, $194.97 + $ 6.99, Doris Duke (2004, looks fine, $249.99 with free shipping, and Marilyn Monroe (1999 HB, fine, $125.00 + $18.00 shipping.

My Buy-It-Now price of $34.00 includes shipping with very stiff cardboard backing in a padded envelope via media mail insured, which takes around 7 days with tracking.