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Bette Midler: Movies Of My Life

The Divine Miss M shares stories from her favorite films.

By Jordan Runtagh in People

ette Midler has moved millions of viewers with her emotional performances in films like The Rose and Beaches. And she counts herself among those who have needed to keep the Kleenex close. Asked if she's affected by her own work, the legendary singer and actress, 78, replies with good-natured theatricality, "Oh my God, are you kidding? Of Course!" she says. "When you're making these things, you're sort of standing outside yourself in a funny way. And then when you see it, it's moving."

Her new movie The Fabulous Four will also induce tears -- but likely from laughter. Like many of her other films (Outrageous Fortune, Big Business, even Hocus Pocus), the comedy showcases the complexity of female friendships. Midler plays self-centered widow Marilyn, who gets engaged following a whirlwind romance and reunites with her longtime friends (played by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Megan Mullaly and Susan Sarandon) for her wedding in Key West, Fla. In the movie, their bonds are tested. But in real life, the only testing that happened was of the tasting variety when the quartet dined out in Savannah, where they filmed. "I can't say enough about them. I thought they were all superb," Midler says of her costars.

As the comedy hits theaters July 26, Midler -- who has four Golden Globes, three Emmys and two Tony Awards -- reflects on some of her key films in a career that spans six decades.

The Rose (1979)

Midler was an established singer when she landed the lead in the musical drama loosely inspired by Janis Joplin, the rock and roll legend who died of an overdose at age 27 in 1970. As the film's tragic heroine, Midler belted out songs, broke down in tears and bared her soul. (The title song went to No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1980.) "When actors get to chew the scenery, they're never happier," she says. "So when you get a chance to be as bold as that, you grab it." She was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, but lost to Norma Rae's Sally Field. "Sally robbed me!" she jokes. "When I see her, I say that."

Ruthless People (1986)

The Divine Miss M showed offer heavenly comedy skills as Barbara, an heiress and housewife whose abductors mark down her ransom when her scheming husband (Danny DeVito, whom Midler calls "a doll") refuses to pay. ("I've been kidnapped by K-Mart!" Barbara cries.) The costumes and sets were pure Reagan Era excess -- shoulder pads, gold lamé, pop art -- which is what Midler remembers most. "It was such a send-up of this '80s crap," she says. "Absolutely nutty. It was really fun."

Beaches (1988)

It's one of the most popular tearjerkers of all time with an iconic theme song: "The Wind Beneath My Wings." But Midler had no idea either the movie -- about the lifelong bond between buttoned-up lawyer Hillary (Barbara Hershey) and free-spirit singer C.C. (Midler) -- or the chart-topping soundtrack single would resonate so deeply with so many. "We didn't know what we had," says Midler, who adds that critics initially "dismissed" the female-focused movie. Speaking of friendship, Midler and Hershey keep in touch -- and had dinner last year. It was, she says, like "old times." That's the glory of love!"

The First Wives Club (1996)

For many, the picture of Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton wearing white brings to mind the comedy's finale, when the trio of friends who got revenge on the men who wronged them sing and dance to "You Don't Own Me." Midler remembers being concerned about staying clean. "It had rained, the cobblestones were wet, and I was afraid we were going to h ave to get the mud off our clothes," she says. The sequence was stressful, and Midler takes the blame for it: "It must've been coming from me because I'm such a perfectionist."  

Bob Newhart 1929-2024

Farewell to a comedy legend who kept people laughing for over 60 years.

By Scott Huver and Colleen Kratofil in People

hen Bob Newhart was filming his eponymous sitcom in the 1970s, a producer asked if he could tighten up his deadpan delivery. Newhart recalled his refusal in his 2006 memoir: "This stammer bought me a house in Beverly Hills."

Indeed, Newhart's signature speech pattern -- frequent, uncertain pauses while attempting to rationally navigate outrageous situations -- was what struck a chord with audiences and propelled him to stardom. He became a celebrity nearly overnight in 1960 when his first record shot to the top of the charts. "I marvel at it daily," he said of his rapid rise. Throughout his success in TV and film, he remained a down-to-earth family man -- a father of four and husband of 60 years -- and worked steadily until his death on July 18 at age 94 after a series of short illnesses. "Comedy has given me a wonderful life," he said.

Born George Robert Newhart in 1929 in Oak Park, Ill., he graduated from Loyola University with a degree in business management. After serving two years in the Army during the Korean War, he worked as an accountant and later an advertising copywriter. To ease his boredom, he exchanged phone calls with a coworker improvising absurd scenarios; he later developed the concept into comedy routines. In 1959 Newhart gave himself one year to make it in show business. "It was back to accounting if comedy didn't work out," he said.

Newhart's tapes caught the ear of an executive at Warner Bros. Records. When he was asked to record his next nightclub stand-up act, Newhart had a problem: He had never performed a nightclub gig. It took six months to find a venue, but on Feb. 10, 1960, Newhart recorded his debut album, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart. It became a pop sensation, the first comedy recording to top both Billboard charts and earn the coveted Album of the Year title at the 1961 Grammy Awards, beating Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte and Frank Sinatra. "The record came out and went crazy, and now I had to learn the art of stand-up from the top," he told People in 2019.

Newhart made it work and soon shifted into television, headlining a short-lived but Peabody- and Emmy-winning variety series, The Bob Newhart Show, in 1961. He was a popular recurring guest on top TV variety programs like The Dean Martin Show and The Tonight Show and forayed into non-comedic roles in films like Hell Is for Heroes and Catch-22.

During his ascent in Hollywood, Newhart was introduced to Virginia "Ginnie" Quinn by fellow comic Buddy Hackett; the couple were married in 1963 until her death in 2023 and had four children -- sons Robert, 60, and Timothy, 57, and daughters Jennifer, 53, and Courtney, 46 -- as well as 10 grandchildren. "It's all about your friends and family. That's it," he said in 2019. "If you don't have that, then I don't care how successful you are."

In 1972 Newhart led The Bob Newhart Show, a ratings sensation for six seasons that grafted his trademark deadpan persona onto Chicago psychologist Bob Hartley, who was "85% me, 15% TV character," Newhart wrote in his memoir. Four years after that show's conclusion, Newhart landed another hit sitcom with Newhart, where he adapted his image to play rookie Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon. The show made TV history with its closing moments, when the entire eight-season run was revealed to be a dream had by Newhart's previous sitcom character Hartley. It's widely considered one of the all-time best TV series finales -- and an idea he credited to Ginnie.

Newhart headlined two more sitcoms, Bob and George & Leo, that did not enjoy the same longevity. "I kept on thinking, 'Oh, please let this go on. This is too much fun,'" George & Leo costar Judd Hirsch tells People. Still, Newhart's career as an actor flourished, with guest stints on projects like Murphy Brown, ER, Desperate Housewives and The Librarian. His turn in 2003's holiday movie Elf endeared him to a new generation of fans. "I got a lot more mail in crayon," he quipped. Newhart's return to the sitcom format with his recurring role on The Big Bang Theory finally earned the actor, at 84, his first Emmy win in 2013.

Newhart continued to do stand-up into his 80s and guest-starred on Young Sheldon in 2020. "I get this question a lot: 'Why do you still do comedy?'" he said in 2019. "Why would you ever get tired of making people laugh?" The Peabody Board ascribed Newhart's appeal to his "gentle satire and wry and irreverent wit." Notes Jay Leno: "He never talked over anybody's head, never had jokes that were based on anything unkind. There were no gimmicks. He was just a wonderful guy."

When asked how he wanted to be remembered, Newhart had a simple answer: "People come up to me and they say, "Thanks for all the laughter,' and I say, 'It was my pleasure.' And that's the truth."  

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