DVD set eyes Bette Davis' best

DVD box sets can be dodgy affairs. Some truly assemble an actor's greatest hits, while others mix a few classics in with the clunkers people would never buy separately. And don't get me started on franchise box sets, which ask you to pony up for, say "Alien: Resurrection," just to own the great "Alien" and its first sequel.

"The Bette Davis Collection," out April 8 for the modest retail price of $49.98, can't include all the two-time Oscar winner's hits. What set could? But as boxed sets go, this one offers some prime examples of the late, great star. The five films -- "All About Eve," "The Virgin Queen," "Phone Call from a Stranger," "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" and "The Nanny" -- showcase Davis' range and ability to endure over decades. And fans have been clamoring for some of the five to finally hit DVD.

The set allows me to catch up on films I should have seen decades ago. Just watched "The Nanny" (1965) a jangly thriller which would undergo a major facelift were they to remake it today. Davis stars as the titular nanny, who watches over a young couple and their emotionally disturbed son. The boy (William Dix) thinks their nanny is out to kill him, and the untimely death of his little sister is all the proof he needs. But Davis' nanny merely wants to restore some family harmony. Or does she?

Smart, provocative storytelling, if a bit slight in the end, but Davis' cool performance won me over.