What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? [50th Anniversary] [DigiBook] [Blu-ray]

Director: Robert Aldrich

Overview

This modern Gothic horror story drips with psychological terror instead of relying on dripping blood. Jane (Bette Davis) is the deranged former child star who lives with her disabled sister Blanche (Joan Crawford). Once the darling of vaudeville, Jane's attempts to parlay her childhood success as an adult fails miserably. Blanche, who was nondescript as a child, blossoms into one of Hollywood's biggest actresses. Jane is offered bit parts in forgettable films only at the insistence of her sister. Blanche's career is ended by an auto accident that leaves her confined to a wheelchair in her upstairs bedroom. As Jane continues her downward spiral brought on by alcohol and delusion, Blanche plans to sell their house and have Jane put in an institution. Hearing Blanche reveal her intentions while eavesdropping over the telephone, the enraged Jane subjects her sister to psychological tortures. She serves her a cooked rat for dinner, ties her up in bed, and pulls out the telephone chord so Balance can't call for help. Their maid Elvira (Maidie Norman) discovers Blanche after many days confined to her bed, bound and gaged by her sister. While attempting to free Blanche, Jane kills Elvira in the only episode of physical violence in the film. The insane Jane places an add for a musician in an abortive attempt to revive her childhood success. Edwin Flagg (Victor Buono) is the heavy set man who is the only one who responds to Jane's advertisement. He quickly plans to use Jane as a meal ticket to cut the apron strings to his overbearing, overprotective mother. He eventually runs out on her when he discovers Blanche nearly dead in her bedroom prison. Jane takes Blanche to a nearby beach where she plans to bury her alive in the sand. Blanche confesses that the auto accident that ended her career was an attempt to kill Jane that backfired. Jane has felt responsible for her sister's condition for years and was driven to alcoholism and insanity by guilt and her inability to succeed as an adult actress. The maid's body is discovered and police trace the sisters to the beach. The police watch in disbelief as the now completely insane Jane dances her childhood vaudeville routine around her motionless, crippled sister on the public beach. Davis and Buono received Oscar nominations for their gripping performances. Both Crawford and Davis had their careers revived by the film. Ironically, the role of Blanche was to be played by Davis, who was none-to-pleased when the role went to Crawford.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/09/2012
UPC:	0883929242870
Original Release:	1962
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	2:13:00
Sales rank:	11,891

Special Features

Commentary by Charles Busch and John Epperson; Three documentary profiles: Bette and Joan: blind ambition, all about Bette (hosted by Jodie Foster) & film profile: Joan Crawford; Behind the scenes with Baby Jane; The Andy Williams Show (1962 excerpt featuring Bette Davis); Theatrical trailer; What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Dan-o-rama movie mix

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Bette Davis	Baby Jane Hudson
Joan Crawford	Blanche Hudson
Victor Buono	Edwin Flagg
Anna Lee	Mrs. Bates
Maidie Norman	Elvira Stitt
Marjorie Bennett	Mrs. Della Flagg
Dave Willock	Ray Hudson
Anne Barton	Cora Hudson
Barbara D. Merrill	Liza Bates
Julie Allred	Young Jane
Gina Gillespie	Blanche as a Child
Bert Freed	Producer
Wesley Addy	Director
William Aldrich	Lunch Counter Assistant
Ernest Anderson	Ice Cream Vendor
Don Ross	Police Officer #1
James Seay	Police Officer
Maxine Cooper	Bank Teller
John Shay	Police Officer #3
Robert Cornthwaite	Dr. Shelby
Jon Shepodd	Police Officer #4
Michael Fox	Beach Motorcycle Cop
Peter Virgo Jr.	Police Officer #5
Bobs Watson	Newspaper Clerk
B.D. Merrill	Liza Bates
Debbie Burton	[singing]
Russ Conway	Actor
Frank De Vol	Composer

Technical Credits

Lukas Heller

Lukas Heller	Screenwriter
Robert Aldrich	Producer
Don Steward	Special Effects
Kenneth Hyman	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

Feisty director Robert Aldrich paired up two of Hollywood's greatest ice queens, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a campy, gothic exercise in psychological terror. The public status of both actresses was in severe decline in real life, lending their characters an added element of eerie realism. The duo's hostility is palpable, and their reported on-set animosity only fuels the picture's shock value. As the crippled former star, Crawford basically plays it straight; it is Davis' scenery chewing that makes the picture worth seeing. Her demented, Academy Award-nominated performance is unforgettably courageous. Aldrich handles the eccentric material well, mixing the creepy with the humorous for an overall peculiar tone. Though Baby Jane has become a cult classic, it is still a skillfully made, well-performed nail-biter.