Bette Davis was not only an iconic actress, but apparently she also fancied herself an advice columnist. Dear Abby, eat your heart out.
In a June 1943 issue of Photoplay, Davis answered letters from readers for her column "What Should I Do?"
In the column Davis advises a soldier against pursuing a woman who "thinks the only way to enjoy life is by constant spending," convinces an insecure young man that his "mottled" teeth won't stand in his way if he wants to be an actor, tells a girl in love with two men that only she can decide which one to carry on with, and urges a woman thinking about divorce to consider how it would affect her young son.
Perhaps her most entertaining response is to Mona L., who writes that she has never had a date and is worried about becoming a spinster at the ripe old age of 25. Davis suggests that Mona take a correspondence course that allegedly takes insecure and traditionally "plain" women and trains them to be "attractive, popular and happy persons." Hmm... okay then, Bette Davis.
Click over to the Lantern archive to read the full issue of Photoplay, and see what other advice Davis had to offer.
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