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Directed By
Robert Aldrich
Written By:
Lukas Heller, Henry Farrell
Cast:
Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Anna Lee, Maidie Norman, Marjorie Bennett, Bert Freed, Dave Willock, Russ Conway, Maxine Cooper, Robert Cornthwaite, B.D. Merrill
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Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
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Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962), directed by Robert Aldrich who also brought us movies as The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), and The Dirty Dozen (1967), is a very unique horror classic and morbid psychological thriller. Unlike many modern horror films that endlessly seem to depict some indestructible sociopath hacking up young virgins as in Friday the 13th (1980) or underdeveloped storylines and characters with a senseless plot of death tortures as in Hostel (2006), this movie uses a solid plot with a mix of brutal cruelty and mental illness to terrorize the audience.
Robert Aldrich's moral pessimism, shock tactics, and readiness to display a twisted mind suggest parallels with Alfred Hitchcock, while his focus on human cruelty, domination, and decay may be compared to Rob Reiner's movie, Misery (1990). With the exception of Psycho (1960), Strait-Jacket (1964), and a few others, this movie is among those first of the thriller genre to examine a twisted human psyche while giving birth to the true "psychological" thrillers and clearing a path for such movies as The Shining (1980), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and Seven (1995) to name a few.
Without depleting any suspense, the plot unfolds in present day 1962 when Blanche Hudson (Joan Crawford) is completely confined and dependent on her sister, Baby Jane Hudson (Bette David). Years earlier in a suspicious accident Blanche was crippled by Baby Jane's car. Upon discovering Blanche's intentions to sell their home and commit her to an institution, Baby Jane's already fragile mental state further erodes into a perverse delusion in which she believes she will revive her child cabaret act complete with sugary songs, blonde curls, and childish demeanor.
Her drinking increases as she begins to plot unspeakable acts against Blanche. These acts of cruelty erupt into psychotic horror with unforgettable gruesome twists and a weird scene on the beach. The pathos created in this beach scene is strangely awkward, but thoroughly enjoyable. Robert Aldrich builds the tension with shocking suspense.
The black and white format is perfect as he creatively includes some old clips of Davis and Crawford much to the film's advantage. The acting is great and Joan Crawford's performance is not unexpectedly one that is overshadowed by Davis, but it is one that elicits a great deal of empathy. Bette Davis is magnificent and this picture is a perfect example of the great risk she was all too eager to take. In fact, the pale, thick make-up she wears magnifies her every wrinkle and presents a shocking image of her 1940 icon of Hollywood glamour. However, she captures the essence of this role as she effortlessly moves from absurd brutality to childlike innocence.
Bette Davis provides a brassy, over-the-top performance while Joan Crawford remains conservative with passive, understated acting. This difference is easily distinguishable and is exemplified in the memorably scene where Bette Davis sings, "I've Written a Letter to Daddy," in an impressionistic, girl-like voice (Debby Burton actually sings this song). And it was likely this risky, hysterical acting that apparently paid off, as it was she, and not Joan Crawford, who was nominated for Best Actress. Her performance in this movie was worthy of this nomination, but surprisingly the Oscar went to Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker (1962). If she had won this Oscar, she would have been the first three-time Best Actress winner. The competitiveness between Davis and Crawford no doubt added to their characters in this movie reinforcing best efforts in their acting. There is dislike, envy, and jealousy between the two sisters in this movie and these authentic off-stage feelings appear to add to the finesse of their acting as seen even in the most minor screen confrontations.
The rest of the cast is also good with Victor Buono stealing his scenes as Edwin Flagg, the broke pianist who is looking to cash in on a Baby Jane's delusions of returning to show business. This movie received 5 Academy Award nominations and a Best Costume Oscar for designer Norma Koch's imaginative garments which underscored the characters from Baby Jane's slatternly clothing to the bodacious child dresses she wears when she pathetically tries to revive her child star career.
If you are yet to seen this film, I highly recommend it. As for film collectors, buy the remastered Special Edition that was released on May 30, 2006. It provides some very interesting additions. Two weeks ago, I would have thought that the horror in this film would not translate well today to audiences under 25. I assumed this group would find the film dated and ludicrous. I was wrong as I recently read in a local newspaper that this movie, as well as other black and white psychological thrillers of this period, is silently shown on large, wall-mounted plasmas in several Atlanta Goth clubs.
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 | Zara
Apr 16, 2007 12:09 PM
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| This is by far my favorite movie that Bette Davis was in. I couldn't even clearly watch her other films after I saw her in this because it set a precedent in my young mind about who she was and I couldn't see her in any other role. |
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