(1962)
"Sister, sister, oh so fair, why is there blood all over your hair?"
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford portray sisters with a history of competitiveness with each other: Davis is Jane Hudson, or "Baby Jane" Hudson, as she was known when she was a child vaudeville star. Crawford is her sister Blanche, who became famous as an acclaimed actress while Jane's star went down. Jane, who was bratty and selfish as a child star, makes an even worse adult, much less a drunken, nasty, kabuki-makeup wearing, slovenly, crazy old woman.
Having suffered a mysterious car accident years before, Blanche's career as an actress was ended, and Jane takes care of her. Well, not really.
Blanche: (calmly) You wouldn't be able to do these awful things to me if I weren't still in this chair.
Jane: (screeching) But ya AAH, Blanche! Ya AAH in that chair!
A melodramatic combination of dark comedy, camp, and thriller, "Whatever Happened To baby Jane" is one of the all-time classics of camp horror.
The legendary hatred and competitiveness between the two stars is well-documented, and the film used it well, also rejuvenating the careers of both stars. Crawford insisted that a doll be used as a stand-in for the scene were Davis kicks her. Crawford's hatred of Davis was not lessened by Davis' nomination for Best Actress for her role (her 10th nomination). The image of the aged and horrific "Baby Jane" dressed in a childlike dress, performing "I've Written A Letter To Daddy" is probably one of the creepiest images in film. Footage from one of Davis' own early film flops is shown in a scene meant to illustrate how lousy an actress "Baby Jane" becomes as an adult.
Maidie Norman as maid/helper Elvira gives a great performance in a supporting role, and the classy Anna Lee (best known in later years as Lila Quartermaine on the TV soap "General Hospital"} portrays the sisters' gracious and inquisitive neightbor.
The film received five Academy Award nominations including Best Actress (Bette Davis), Best Supporting Actor (Victor Buono, in his screen debut), Best B/W Cinematography, and Best Sound, with one win for Best B/W Costume Design.
2 comments:
I gotta say, Billie, this is one of my most favorite movies of all time.
That scene at the beach where Joan Crawford is laying on the beach while Bette Davis was buying ice cream and they were only minutes away from being found by cops was especially haunting and suspenseful for me
Hey Bam, yeah, me too, it's one of my favorite thrillers. Bette Davis in that film is one of the SCARIEST monsters-on-earth EVAH!
I also thought she was scary in "The Nanny"...ever seen that?
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