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BETTE DAVIS won BEST ACTRESS in 1935 as a CONSOLATION PRIZE for not being nominated in 1934 for her outstanding performance in OF HUMAN BONDAGE. No other actress in Hollywood had the courage to play the female lead. YET BETTE DAVIS WAS NOT NOMINATED. NORMA SHEARER initiated a WRITE-IN campaign to insist that BETTE DAVIS be MADE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE BEST ACTRESS. Bette lost that year to CLAUDETTE COLBERT for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. So, the following year the ACADEMY WAS DETERMINED TO NOMINATE AND AWARD BETTE DAVIS BEST ACTRESS 1935. That effectively FREEZES OUT some very deserving actresses like GRETA GARBO for ANNA KARENINA, MIRIAM HOPKINS for BECKY THATCHER, JANET GAYNOR for THE FARMER TAKES A WIFE and JEAN ARTHUR for THE WHOLE TOWN’S TALKING. To name a few. WATCH THIS!