We lived in Pullman, Washington and, young students, we had a little hand-me-down black and white Zenith TV set. One year in the late 1970s a local TV station played a different Bette Davis movie every weekend. At that time, many of her movies were already 30 to 40 years old, and they took the viewer back to the early history of film making. Most were in black and white, so we didn't miss anything by watching them on our TV (a portable in a wheeled metal wire cart). The settings and plots hinted at the nature of the decades before I was born, and were fascinating from a somewhat Hollywoodized historical perspective. A number were period pieces (the old south - still raw from the effects of the Civil War - was popular) and addressed the history of the times. But what intrigued me is what our parents' generation had considered entertaining, and what social mores were evident in these productions. (Ahem - they didn't exactly match what was being reported at that time about the righteous life before rock and roll!)

Bette Davis was an extraordinary, versatile actress, playing a range of interesting characters. There were cruel, domineering vixens, and those that were softer and fragile. She wasn't beautiful in a classical Miss America way, but, with flashing, bulging eyes, was visually arresting. The energy of her personality was arresting. In interviews, she was clever, amusing and sometimes caustic. I had formerly thought of her as a Hollywood creation - a human being that was kind of dressed up for show. But once I saw a few of her movies ('Dark Victory' is the only one I recall at the moment) I understood. Her depth and presence captivated the audience, and carried them on unexpected journeys of human experience. She was an actress of high caliber.

At that time, the concept of rental movies was in its infancy. Movie rental was not yet available in Pullman. We had no home equipment to play videos! So to see this series on locally broadcast TV was a special treat, entertaining and educational, an inspired offering from the small town station.