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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
            ________________________________________________________
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
            ________________________________________________________
                           BEVERLY ENTERPRISES, INC.
                     (FORMERLY NEW BEVERLY HOLDINGS, INC.)
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its CHARTER)


                                                                                          
             DELAWARE                            5111 ROGERS AVENUE, SUITE 40-A                      62-1691861
 (State or Other Jurisdiction of                  FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS  72919                     (I.R.S. Employer
 Incorporation or Organization)                                                                 Identification No.)

          (Address of Principal Executive Offices Including Zip Code)
            ________________________________________________________

                           NEW BEVERLY HOLDINGS, INC.
                         1997 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)
            ________________________________________________________

                             ROBERT W. POMMERVILLE
                           EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,
                          GENERAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY
                           BEVERLY ENTERPRISES, INC.
                         5111 ROGERS AVENUE, SUITE 40-A
                          FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS  72919
                    (Name and Address of Agent For Service)
            ________________________________________________________

                                 (501) 452-6712
         (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)
            ________________________________________________________

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



   TITLE OF SECURITIES          AMOUNT TO BE         PROPOSED MAXIMUM        PROPOSED MAXIMUM           AMOUNT OF
     TO BE REGISTERED            REGISTERED           OFFERING PRICE            AGGREGATE            REGISTRATION FEE
                                                         PER SHARE            OFFERING PRICE
                                                                                             
    COMMON STOCK, PAR          10,000,000(1)             $12.44(2)             $124,400,000              $36,698
   VALUE $.10 PER SHARE


In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act") this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this
"Registration Statement") also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to
be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described in this
Registration Statement. (3)

(1)  This Registration Statement registers the issuance or transfer of:  (i)
     10,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $.10 per share (the
     "Shares"), of Beverly Enterprises, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
     "Company"), presently reserved for issuance under the New Beverly
     Holdings, Inc. 1997 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), (ii) additional
     Shares that become available under the Plan in connection with certain
     changes in the number of outstanding Shares because of events such as
     recapitalizations, stock dividends, and stock splits, and (iii) any other
     securities with respect to which the outstanding Shares are converted or
     exchanged.

(2)  Pursuant to Paragraphs (c) and (h) of Rule 457 under the Securities Act,
     the Company has determined the proposed maximum offering price per Share
     to be $12.44.  This price is the average of the high and low prices for a
     Share on December 4, 1992, a date within five business days before the
     filing of this Registration Statement.  Pursuant to Paragraph (h) of Rule
     457, the Company does not owe a separate registration fee with respect to
     the Plan interests.

(3)  These Plan interests may include awards of restricted stock, incentive
     stock options, non-qualified stock options, performance shares,
     performance units, or other stock unit awards.

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                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

                 The information requested in Part I of this Registration
Statement is included in the prospectus for the Plan, which the Company has
excluded from this Registration Statement in accordance with the instructions
to Form S- 8.

                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

                 The following documents previously filed with the Commission
are hereby incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

         1.      The Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed with
                 the Commission on June 4, 1997, as amended, under which the
                 Company registered Common Stock under the Securities Act of
                 1933, as amended.

         2.      The description of the Shares set forth in the Company's
                 Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Commission
                 on October 15, 1997, under which the Company registered the
                 Shares under Section 12(g) of the Securities and Exchange Act
                 of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").

         3.      The Company's report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
                 September 30, 1997.

         4.      The Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
                 1996, the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
                 1997, the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
                 1997, the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September
                 30, 1997 and the current report on Form 8-K dated April 15,
                 1997, each filed by Beverly Enterprises, Inc., a Delaware
                 corporation and predecessor of the Company ("Old Beverly").
                 The Company is incorporating by reference the documents listed
                 in this Item 4 because the Company succeeded to all of the
                 business of Old Beverly, other than its institutional and mail
                 service pharmacy business.

                 All reports and other documents that the Company subsequently
files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") pursuant
to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing
of a post-effective amendment indicating that the Company has sold all of the
securities offered under this Registration Statement or that deregisters the
distribution of all such securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to
be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement from the date
that the Company files such report or document.  Any statement contained in
this Registration Statement or any report or document incorporated into this
Registration Statement by reference, however, shall be deemed to be modified or
superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a
statement contained in a subsequently dated report or document that is also
considered part of this Registration Statement, or in any amendment to this
Registration Statement, is inconsistent with such prior statement.  The
Company's file number with the Commission is 1-9550.



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ITEM 4.          DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

                 Inapplicable.

ITEM 5.          INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

                 The validity of the Common Stock has been passed upon for the
Registrant by John W. MacKenzie, its Deputy General Counsel and Assistant
Secretary.  Mr. MacKenzie owns approximately 29,758 shares of Common Stock and
options to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock equivalent to those
Options previously held  by Mr. MacKenzie to purchase 23,000 shares of the
former Beverly Enterprises, Inc. Common Stock, as adjusted pursuant to the
terms of the Employee Benefit Matters Agreement relating to the Distribution
and Merger, as defined and as described in the Proxy Statement issued by the
former Beverly Enterprises, Inc. dated October 20, 1997.  It is currently
anticipated that Mr.  MacKenzie will be eligible to participate in the Plan.

ITEM 6.          INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

                 The Delaware General Corporation Law, the Company's
certificate of incorporation and bylaws, and the Company's indemnification
agreements between the Company and its officers and directors provide that the
Company will indemnify them to the full extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law for liabilities and expenses that they may incur in
their capacities as directors and officers of the Company.  Generally, the
Company will indemnify its directors and officers with respect to actions taken
in good faith in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the
best interests of the Company.  With respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, the director or officer must also not have had any reasonable cause
to believe that his or her actions were UNLAWFUL.

ITEM 7.          EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

                 Inapplicable.

ITEM 8.          EXHIBITS.



EXHIBIT NO.                            DESCRIPTION
- -----------                            -----------
               
       4.1        Beverly Enterprises, Inc. 1997 Long-Term Incentive Plan
       5.1        Opinion of John W. MacKenzie, Esq.
       23.1       Consent of John W. MacKenzie, Esq. (contained in Exhibit 5.1)
       23.2       Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

ITEM 9.          UNDERTAKINGS.

                 A.       RULE 415 OFFERING.  The undersigned Registrant hereby
undertakes:

                          (1)     To file, during any period in which offers or
                 sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this
                 Registration Statement: (i) to include any prospectus required
                 by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act, (ii) to reflect in
                 the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective
                 date of the



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                 Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective
                 amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                 represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in
                 the Registration Statement, and (iii) to include any material
                 information with respect to the plan of distribution not
                 previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any
                 material change to such information in the Registration
                 Statement, provided, however, that clauses (i) and (ii) do not
                 apply if the information required to be included in a
                 post-effective amendment by those clauses is contained in
                 periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by
                 the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange
                 Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration
                 Statement;

                          (2)     That, for the purpose of determining any
                 liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective
                 amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
                 relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering
                 of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
                 initial bona fide offering thereof; and

                          (3)     To remove from registration by means of a
                 post-effective amendment any of the securities being
                 registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
                 offering.

                 B.       FILINGS INCORPORATING SUBSEQUENT EXCHANGE ACT
DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of
the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                 C.       REQUEST FOR ACCELERATION OF EFFECTIVE DATE OR FILING
OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8.  Insofar as indemnification for
liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors,
officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing
provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion
of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in
the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                         [SIGNATURES ON THE NEXT PAGE]




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                                   SIGNATURES

                 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Fort Smith, State of Arkansas, on this 5th day
of December, 1997.

                                       BEVERLY ENTERPRISES, INC.

                                       By:   /s/  David R. Banks              
                                          ------------------------------------
                                       Name:    David R. Banks
                                       Title:   Chairman of the Board,
                                                Chief Executive Officer and 
                                                Director


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

                 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.  Each of the directors and/or officers of
the Registrant whose signature appears below hereby appoints Robert W.
Pommerville and John W. MacKenzie, and each of them severally as his or her
attorney-in-fact to sign his or her name and on his or her behalf, in any and
all capacities stated below, and to file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this
Registration Statement as appropriate, and generally to do all such things in
their behalf in their capacities as officers and directors to enable Registrant
to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, and all
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.



                  NAME AND SIGNATURE                                  TITLE                           DATE
- -------------------------------------------           ---------------------------------         -------------------
                                                                                          
/s/  David R. Banks                                   Chairman of the Board, Chief              December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------           Executive Officer and Director
David R. Banks                                        

/s/  Boyd W. Hendrickson                              President, Chief Operating Officer        December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------           and Director                                                          
Boyd W. Hendrickson                                   

/s/  Scott M. Tabakin                                 Executive Vice President and Chief        December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------           Financial Officer                                                          
Scott M. Tabakin                                      

/s/  Pamela H. Daniels                                Vice President, Controller, and           December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------           Chief Accounting Officer 
Pamela H. Daniels                                     



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/s/  Beryl F. Anthony, Jr.                     Director                                     December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------                                                                 
Beryl F. Anthony, Jr.

/s/  James R. Greene                           Director                                     December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------                                                                 
James R. Greene

/s/  Edith E. Holiday                          Director                                     December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------                                                                 
Edith E. Holiday

/s/  Jon E. M. Jacoby                          Director                                     December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------                                                                 
Jon E. M. Jacoby

/s/  Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D.              Director                                     December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------                                                                 
Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D.

/s/  Louis W. Menk                             Director                                     December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------                                                                 
Louis W. Menk

/s/  Marilyn R. Seymann                        Director                                     December 5, 1997
- -------------------------------------------                                                                 
Marilyn R. Seymann



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                                 EXHIBIT INDEX



   EXHIBIT NO.                                     DESCRIPTION                                      PAGE NO.
              
       4.1       Beverly Enterprises, Inc. 1997 Long-Term Incentive Plan
       5.1       Opinion of John W. MacKenzie, Esq.
       23.1      Consent of John W. MacKenzie, Esq. (included in Exhibit 5.1)
       23.2      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP