I Killed Bette Davis

Larry Cohen was a one-of-a-kind filmmaker—a writer, director, and producer with a lifelong refusal to play by Hollywood’s rules. I Killed Bette Davis is his wildly entertaining confession from inside the guerrilla trenches of filmmaking, where stolen shots, enraged studio heads, and impossible stars were all part of a day’s work. From sneaking cameras into FBI headquarters to igniting chaos atop the Chrysler Building, Cohen turned low budgets into high drama and left a trail of scorched earth—and unforgettable films—behind him. This fast-paced, irreverent memoir is the definitive insider’s look at the life and mind of one of cinema’s great originals, tracing Cohen’s journey from his Bronx childhood through his groundbreaking television work and his wildly inventive run as a fiercely independent auteur.