Joan Crawford and Bette Davis’s rivalry was a historical one in Hollywood as both actresses let professional and personal resentment get in the way of their relationship. Aside from their feud, the famous stars were connected by shocking similarities.
The talents of Joan Crawford and her arch-rival Bette Davis were beyond doubt, but it was their rivalry that marked out their lives and career.
They were always in a fight and had similar stories about their tragedies. The Long-standing war between both silver-screen icons was sparked by both professional and personal resentment.
Both stars wanted to be loved and worked hard, but they had one another. Davis and Crawford had some similarities, but their feud was not the only thing that connected them.
THEIR FEUD
Crawford was already a star in Hollywood by the time Davis made it her Hollywood debut. With Davis’s arrival, Hollywood seemed refocused on the new star and began many decades of rivalry.
Davis’ movie was made in 1933. “Ex-Lady” Warner Bros and the media planned a major publication, until Crawford’s announcement of her divorce from her husband the following day. Davis was left to deal with the pain of being ignored as the media concentrated its attention on the juicy divorce story.
THEY WANT THE SAME MALE
Franchot Tone, an actor Davis was in a relationship with, was one of the personal battles that both actresses waged. Both stars were seen in the movie. “Dangerous,” Davis admitted that she was in a relationship with the man both professionally and privately.
Davis was unable to bear the bitter truth when Crawford married her. Davis recalled the event more than 50 years later.
While “Dangerous” Crawford and Tone were being filmed when they announced their engagement. Davis described the pain of watching Crawford with Tone while she was filming, which she said made her feel infatuated with her rival.
Bette Davis, in a promotional photograph for the 1950 film”All About Eve”
ABORTIONS
According to reports stresses who wanted to save their careers used to be able to have abortions. At that time, studios felt having children would be distracting for their stars so secret abortions were always an option.
Crawford, who was then pregnant, had a child in 1931 that many believed belonged to Clark Gable. Crawford decided to have a secret abortion in order not to impact her career.
Douglas Fairbanks Jr., her husband at the time, explained to her that she fell on the deck of a boat while filming Rain on Catalina Island and lost the baby.
Davis on the other side chose to have an abortion to save her career. The iconic actress was the breadwinner in her family and knew the price she had to pay for the fame.
DANGEROUS DAUGHTERS
As a shared experience, both Crawford and Davis had ungratifying daughters. Although Davis was sympathetic to Crawford’s adoption of her daughter, Christina called Crawford abusive.
Later, Davis’s daughter B.D. In a book titled Hyman, Hyman made a strong attack on Davis’s mom. “My Mother’s Keeper, “Where she described her mom’s selfishness and emotional abuse.
Joan Crawford assists her daughter Christina in her piano lesson in the United States, July 25, 1947.
BOTH STARS WERE MARRIED FOUR-TIME AND ADOPTED CHILDREN
Both Davis and Crawford were wed. four times and adopted children. Both stars also lost their partners in marriages and had to deal with infidelity rumors.
According to Reports Crawford was unable and unwilling to have children, so she adopted five children: Christina (1940); Christopher (1942; he was reclaimed his birth mother), Christopher (1942), Christopher (1942), another boy Christopher (1943); and twin girls Cynthia (1947).
Bette Davis (later B.D. Hyman), circa 1965
Davis, however, was certain to Omit her only biological child from her will following their irreparable relationship. Crawford and her mutual connections to Crawford prove that they were not completely different