Wednesdays Film Review - What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? 1962

What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? 1962

"What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?" is a thriller/horror film directed by Robert Aldrich and based upon a novel of the same name by Henry Farrell.

Main Cast:

"Baby" Jane Hudson: Bette Davis 

Blanche Hudson: Joan Crawford

Elvira Stitt: Maidie Norman

Elwin Flagg: Victor Buono

Young Jane: Julie Allred:

Young Blanche: Gina Gillespie

Dehlia Flagg: Marjorie Bennett

Mrs. Bates: Anna Lee

Liza Bates: B. D. Merrill

Ray Hudson/The father: Dave Willock

Singing voice of young Jane: Debbie burton

This is the chilling story of two sisters named Jane and Blanche Hudson. In 1917, Jane is a popular childstar with the stagename Baby Jane. She is her fathers favorite and very spoiled, while Blanche is completely ignored by the father. When Jane is on stage, Blanche and their mother watch from backstage. Blanche is angry and jealous of Jane, and the mother tells Blanche, that one day Blanche will be the star, and that she must remember to be kind to Jane, when that happends. The years pass and Blancche becomes an icredibly famous film star, while Jane becomes a has-been. Yet, Blanche has it written in her contract, that for every Blanche Hudson film which is produced, a film with Jane must be made. However, Janes films are not selling well and she begins to drink heavely. One night, after they have been at a party and Jane is extremely drunk, the two sisters drive home. One sister gets out to onluckthe gate, and the other tries to run her over.

Blanche is crippled and confined to a wheelchair.So is no longer able to have a carrier in the filmindustry.

Several years later they live together, and Jane takes care of Blanche. Their relationship becomes more and more tense, when the insane Jane learns that Blanche would like to sell the house and have Jane committed to an asylum. Jane is longing for her childhood and stardom and keep portraits of herself and her father everywere, plays her old signature songs, wears the same clothes (in larger versions) and keeps her hair in the same curls. Age has not been kind to Jane as it has to Blanche and Jane wears heavy makeup in an attempt to hide this. As their relationship becomes more hostile, Jane begins to psycologically torture Blanche and even becomes violent. Her obsession with her former life becomes deeper and she hires a pianist to help her revive her act even though nobody remembers her anymore. Blanche begins to fear for her life and tries to get help. But maybe Jane is not the only one with a dark side.

This film is a classic. And for good reason. It is absolutely epic. Unlike many other films of this era, which have a tendensy towards overacting, a huge part of this perfectly subtle. Even if this film is a black and white it surely could still scare children today. Bette Davis portrays the insane woman Baby Jane a finesse which grant the character multible faces. One minute she is a lost little girl in an old womans body - the next a grotesque abuser. Even if Davis and Crawford disliked each other to the point of sillyness, it certainly dosn't affect their acting, as the parring on screen has an amazing result. Joan Crawford is able to give Blanche such dimensions and makes her agony so believable, that it is heartbreaking.

My final tribute must go to the two childactresses, Julie Allred and Gina Gillespie, who, dispite that they are only present in the first part of the film, are doing and incredible job. They imbody all they agonies to come in their performance - especially Gine Gillespie whose performance as young Blanche is impressive.

 I give this five black cats.