# In 1935, Bette Davis made the “most dreadful” movie of her career. She won an Oscar for it

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1935-bette-davis-made-the-most-dreadful-movie-of-her-career-she-won-an-oscar-for-it/
- Published: 2026-10-24T19:40:01+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:12:13+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1935-the-academy-disrespected-bette-davis-with-an-oscar-win/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Davis said her first Oscar recognised the wrong film.
- Public complaints followed her omission for *Of Human Bondage*.
- She considered her later *Jezebel* win deserved.

## Summary

Bette Davis won the 1936 Best Actress Oscar for *Dangerous*, but later called it “the most dreadful movie” and said she deserved the award for *Of Human Bondage* instead. The win reflected an attempt to make amends after her acclaimed 1934 performance was left off the Oscar nominations, highlighting how awards decisions can be shaped by controversy as well as acting.

Davis’s portrayal of Mildred Rogers in *Of Human Bondage* drew strong reviews, and public complaints led the Academy to add her as a write-in candidate, though she did not win. The following year, she beat Katharine Hepburn for *Dangerous*, a film the article describes as a weaker vehicle for Davis. She later said her second Best Actress Oscar, for *Jezebel* three years afterwards, was an “honest win”.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.