*Dark Victory* (1939), *The Letter* (1940), *The Little Foxes* (1941), *Now, Voyager* (1942)—these are the films that define the middle period of Davis’s reputation, the work that established her as the pre-eminent dramatic actress of her era and the benchmark against which other performances in that tradition would be measured. She did not win again for any of them; the Oscar eluded her despite the nominations. But the accumulation of work was undeniable.
She was also, in these years, a figure of considerable institutional standing. In 1941 she was elected the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—a position she resigned after clashing with the board over what she felt was the organization’s unwillingness to take creative risks. She co-founded the Hollywood Canteen in 1942, the legendary wartime service organization that brought studio stars into direct contact with servicemen passing through Los Angeles.
She was difficult and she was excellent, and for about fifteen years those two things coexisted productively within the Warner Bros. system.
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THE UNCOMFORTABLE COEXISTENCE AT THE SAME STUDIO
When Joan Crawford joined Warner Bros. in 1943, she and Bette Davis found themselves under the same contractual roof for the first time. The studio attempted to exploit this by casting them in projects together. They resisted, separately and on different grounds.
Crawford’s arrival at Warner Bros. produced almost immediately the role that changed her career trajectory: Mildred Pierce (1945). Based on James M. Cain’s novel, directed by Michael Curtiz, the film cast Crawford as the eponymous waitress-turned-restaurant-owner whose ferocious maternal ambition is rewarded with betrayal. The role had reportedly been considered by, or offered to, other actresses—including Davis. The specifics of how the offer was routed vary depending on which account you read, but the documented outcome is clear: Crawford played Mildred Pierce, and the performance won her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946.