What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1962 Directed by Robert Aldrich
Synopsis
Sister Sister, Oh So Fair! Why Is There Blood All Over Your Hair?
Two aging film actresses live as virtual recluses in an old Hollywood mansion. Jane Hudson, a successful child star, cares for her crippled sister Blanche, whose career in later years eclipsed that of Jane. Now the two live together, their relationship affected by simmering subconscious thoughts of mutual envy, hate and revenge.
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“A homeless Greta Garbo moves across the street
The moonlight shining clearly through her skirt
A real life living legend, that no-one wants to meet
And that’s when being Garbo really hurts”
- The Sound of North America (The Beautiful South)The above quote is one of my favourite lyrics, to one of my favourite songs, by one of my favourite bands of all time. And whenever I hear it, it always reminds me of Baby Jane Hudson from Robert Aldrich’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. Those who’ve seen the film will surely understand why. A fascinating psychological thriller that examines the relationship between the Hudson sisters, childhood superstar Jane (Bette Davis) and world-renowned megastar Blanche (Joan Crawford)…
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Week 2 of Adapted April
This week I drew a movie I knew little about and to be honest I doubt would ever get round to watching, if it wasn't for this challenge.
It's the story of two sisters, both failed actresses. Baby Jane was a star when she was just a young girl with her father in vaudeville, but as they got older , it was Blanche, who became the finer actress, which Baby Jane still resents. But Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair through an accident Baby Jane believes she is to blame for. Now the two live together, with heated emotions simmering just waiting to come out.
Once I started this I could not take my… -
I don't feel like writing now, but I'll link a gif of a kitten to make up for the time you wasted reading this
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Bette Davis gives one of the greatest performances as unhinged former child star Baby Jane Hudson, she is growing increasingly bitter and deranged as she looks after her sister Maude a very sucessful film star who had to retire after an accident, Joan Crawford plays Maude, helpless to Baby Jane stuck in a wheelchair and confined to her bedroom.
The well documented fued between the two stars helped with the performances, and reading up on the hatred is fascinating.
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''Sister, sister, oh so fair, why is there blood all over your hair?''
Film #27 of The December Project
I entered 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane' expecting a 'Sunset Boulevard' type film, and it was just like that, it depicts the price you pay for fame, even at an early age. I don't think I really expected a film on the level of brilliance that 'Sunset Blvd' provides though, but it may have been just that...
Baby Jane Hudson was a famous dancer in her youth, but in her later years she was overshadowed in talent by her sister Blanche who became a successful film star. During the height of her fame, Blanche is injured in a car accident…
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Baby Jane becomes jealous of her sister...then tries to kill said sister. It's happened to all of us I'm sure. The beauty of this movie is that the descent into complete insanity is perfectly portrayed by the genius that is Bette Davis.
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Vor allen trumpht natürlich die großartige Bette Davis auf, aber die Inszenierung von Robert Aldrich wirkt reichlich altmodisch.
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Bette Davis is by far the best thing in this movie. One of the most disturbing performances I've ever seen.
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Bette Davis once said about Joan Crawford "I wouldn't piss on her if she was on fire." Their feud was the thing of legends, and it just really makes this movie something special.
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I don't feel like writing now, but I'll link a gif of a kitten to make up for the time you wasted reading this
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Its like "Sunset Boulevard" mixed with a TLC show
The perfect mix of legitimately disturbing, unintentionally hilarious, and chaotic as fuck.
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Adapted April Challenge: Week 3
Bette Davis is just straight up creepy in this. I've never wanted someone to get caught quite like I wanted Baby Jane to. The film did a great job making us feel just how helpless Blanche is, and how claustrophobic her world has become. Some very suspenseful scenes, and an interesting look at fleeting fame and sibling rivalry.
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Taken from a piece on my favourite films from 1962 for Failed Critics: failedcritics.com/2013/04/11/a-decade-in-film-the-sixties-1962/
“You mean all this time we could have been friends?”
A brilliantly dark and twisted tale of sibling rivalry, this film is positively Hitchcockian in terms of the tension it delivers, and the black humour of the central performance of ‘Baby’ Jane Hudson (Bette Davis). The film opens on a precocious Baby Jane Hudson entertaining the crowd in a music hall. After the show she reveals her spoilt brattish side, while bullying her older sister Blanche. As the years pass though, Blanche (Joan Crawford) becomes the toast of Hollywood and a fine actress in her own right, while Jane becomes increasingly paranoid and jealous of her…
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Week 2 of Adapted April
This week I drew a movie I knew little about and to be honest I doubt would ever get round to watching, if it wasn't for this challenge.
It's the story of two sisters, both failed actresses. Baby Jane was a star when she was just a young girl with her father in vaudeville, but as they got older , it was Blanche, who became the finer actress, which Baby Jane still resents. But Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair through an accident Baby Jane believes she is to blame for. Now the two live together, with heated emotions simmering just waiting to come out.
Once I started this I could not take my… -
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a fantastic film focusing on the manipulation of a child stars brain leading to her growing up to be an arrogant and frankly insane adult. Bette Davis completely steals the show here, stealing every single scene she is in even whilst Joan Crawford delivers a fantastic performance. Its Davis' completely creepy and warped performance of Baby Jane here which leads this film to success. The film is very well shot and paced as well, the house feels very claustrophobic and this feeling of entrapment is enhanced by the fact our 'hero', Blanche, is disabled and cannot walk. The music is great and is used effectively at points and overall the film is very well made. In conclusion, it is a fantastic film which is constantly creepy and questions the morals of children actors but it is Bette Davis' show and her performance is the real reason to watch this.