Star Rating: 3Length of Film: 134 minutes
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Wesley Addy, Julie Allred, Anne Barton, Marjorie Bennett, Bert Freed, Anna Lee, Maidie Norman, Dave Willock, William Aldrich, Ernest Anderson, Russ Conway, Maxine Cooper
Oscar: Norma Koch (costume)
Oscar Nomination: Bette Davis (actress), Victor Buono (actor in support role), Ernest Haller (photography), Joseph d. Kelly (sound)
In 1917, Baby Jane Hudson (Julie Allred) was a child star, singing and dancing, most popular for her singing, "I've Written Letters to Daddy". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1WJACsystI She was such a cute little girl, with blonde curls, and big bow on top of her head. She was such a doll, that they actually made a replica of her, as a doll. After the performance, Baby Jane threw a huge fit when daddy told her she needed to take a nap, and she ordered ice cream. Being a spoiled brat as she was, she got her way. When Baby Jane was throwing her tantrum, the camera switched to older sister Blanche, who was not happy that her baby sister, was getting all the attention.
18 years has passed, and Blanche becomes a huge star in Hollywood, and so has Jane, but all of her movies have flopped. Being the star once upon a time, and then not being in the spotlight, caused Jane to start drinking. The director was actually really clever, because they showed clips of movies that Joan Crawford and Bette Davis was in, in the 30's, not worrying about casting another Blanche and Jane. The two sisters were in the car, (you cannot see their faces), they pull into the driveway, the sister in the passenger seat, gets out of the car, to open the gate. The driver, puts the car in drive, and rams into the gate, smashing into the sister.
It flash forwards to the present, 1962, where both sisters are aged. Jane, played by Bette Davis was 54 at the time, and Blanche, played by Joan Crawford was 57. The sisters live in a mansion, where Jane is taking care of Blanche, who's in a wheelchair. They have a maid, Elvira (Maidie Norman) who's close friends with Blanche, and is uneasy around Jane. She truly doesn't trust her. The first hour of the movie is quite boring, but of course, we need to establish the characters and get a background of why the characters are, the way they are.
Jane decides that she wants get back into show business, actually re-doing her childhood act. She places a personal ad for an accompanist, and it is answered by Edwin Flagg (Victor Buono). He meets her at the Hudson house, they have tea, and then Blanche rings for Jane, she nervously excuses herself, goes into Blanche's room, and rips the bell right out of the wall. Edwin, sits down at the piano and starts playing "I've Written Letters to Daddy". Jane enters, sings along and goes into her old routine. Bette Davis did a great job transforming into a child, very playful, naive, and utterly creepy. Here's the movie clip of Bette Davis singing the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--RI7tlWuaM&feature=related
Edwin did a great job playing to Jane's need of compliments and acceptance, and Jane was so appreciative because she finally felt like she had a friend, and in return, she gave Edwin one of her beloved Baby Jane dolls.
Blanche defies Jane while she's out running an errand, and makes a phone call to Jane's doctor. The problem...the only telephone was downstair. Being in a wheelchair, Blanche had to use her upper body to drag herself down on the stairs railing. When she finally reached the phone, her face was terrifyed because at any moment Jane could walk in the door at any moment, which of course she does. Jane ends up kicking and beating her up, then drags her up the stairs. During the kicking scene, Bette Davis actually kicked Joan Crawford in the head, and the resulting wound required stitches. In retaliation, Crawford put weights in her pockets so that when Davis had to drag Crawford's near-lifeless body, she would hurt herself.
Anyway...the movie escalates and in the end, we find out what happens the night of the accident, and how Blanche got in the wheelchair. Bette Davis did a phenomenal job, and she played crazy very well. I will leave you with one last photo. Enjoy the movie, it's worth watching.
I like this film. And I especially like the scene where Baby Jane Hudson (played as a child by Julie Allred) says to her father Ray (Dave Willock), "I make the money, so I can have what I want!"
ReplyDeleteVery intriguing, as well as very well-written, too. And the 1917 prologue is pretty inspiring as well. :)