Miss D & me : life with the invincible Bette Davis / Kathryn Sermak with Danelle Morton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sermak, Kathryn, author.

Morton, Danelle, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Davis, Bette, 1908-1989.

Davis, Bette.

Sermak, Kathryn.

Motion picture actors and actresses--United States--Biography.

Motion picture actors and actresses.

United States.

Local Subjects:

Motion picture actors and actresses--United States--Biography.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

viii, 278 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Miss D and me

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Hachette Books, 2017.

Summary:

The legendary actress's personal assistant recounts their time together, discussing the renaissance of Davis's career in her later years and the public betrayal that nearly killed her.

"A deeply personal account of Bette Davis's harrowing but inspiring final years--from the woman who knew her best of all. Miss D & Me is a story of two powerful women--one at the end of her life and the other at the beginning--and how they changed each other forever. As Bette Davis aged, she was looking for an assistant, but she found something more than that in Kathryn Sermak: a loyal and loving confidante, a co-conspirator in her jokes and schemes, and a competent worker whom she trained to never miss a detail. But Miss D, as Kathryn called her, had strict rules for Kathryn about everything from how to eat a salad to how to wear her hair--even changing the spelling of Kathryn's name (she added the y). For ten years, Kathryn was at Miss D's side--first as an employee and then as her closest friend. Throughout their time together, Kathryn had a front-row seat to Davis's late-career renaissance, as well as to the humiliating public betrayal that nearly killed her beloved boss and benefactor. Miss D & Me is an intimate account of the last years of the unique and formidable Bette Davis--a tale of extreme kindness, unfailing loyalty, breathtaking style, and the beautiful friendship that endured through it all."--Jacket.

Contents:

Preface: July 22, 1985, Paris : "Don't be afraid to face your fears; they won't go away until you do"

I have a hunch about you : June 8, 1979 : "Instincts exist for a reason

follow them"

On the set in London : August-October 1979 : "Discretion is the better part of loyalty"

The Pygmalion year : October 26, 1979 : "Standards matter"

Family reunion : July 1982 : "Looking for praise breeds disappointment"

All for love : April 1983 : "Love is worth pursuing"

Gigi's return : June 1983 : "Vigilance is rewarded"

The battle begins : July 1983 : "There are no shortcuts in life"

Back in California : November 1983 : "Reliance on another is built on trust"

Pierre's visit : February 1984 : "Loyalty is irreplaceable"

The breakdown in San Ysidro : April 12, 1984 : "Love means sometimes having to say you're sorry"

On the beach in Malibu : July 1984 : "Beauty always shines through"

A farewell from Bede : October 22, 1984 : "Chaos can breed clarity"

Road trip: day one

Biarritz to Bordeaux : August 3, 1985 : "Sometimes you have to get lost to find your way"

Road trip: day two

Bordeaux to Poitiers : August 4, 1985 : "True friendship is forever"

Road trip: day three

Poitiers to Orléans : August 5, 1985 : "Only a real friend can tell you the truth"

Road trip: day four

Orléans to Paris : August 6, 1985 : "Friends make each other stronger"

Afterword: Dénouement in San Sebastián.

ISBN:

9780316507844

0316507849

OCLC:

1002417470

Publisher Number:

99973873098