freakboy on film: WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962)

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This post is part of The 2nd Annual ‘Favorite Stars in B Movies' Blogathon, hosted by Brian of Films From Beyond! 

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I am not Baby Jane Hudson!  

Not me!

I just want to make that clear, even though my sister has always said I would be like Baby Jane if she ended up in a wheelchair, after an intentional car accident, and I was her primary caregiver.  It’s not like I was a mega-brat vaudeville darling who sang sweet songs about writing to a dead daddy as our father peddled creepy doll versions of me.  Unlike Blanche Hudson, my sister and our mother never watched unimpressed from backstage or as I demanded ice cream right NOW!  

Not my sister!

I don’t know if our mother ever promised my sister that her time to shine would come, but now that I think about it, people in our small town know my sister more than they know me, despite my book-signing event last year.  Anyways, that’s beside the point, it’s not like I’m trying to feed her unspeakable meals, even though our cat Laszlo has killed a couple of mice and a baby snake recently.  Well, in any case, I definitely do not drunkenly dance around the house with creepy doll me while imagining I’m still a fresh, young thing full of talent.  Never mind that I’ve been re-listening to an audio soap opera parody I created many years ago and may or may not dance to the music I used, but that’s not the same as Baby Jane!   

Still not me!

Anyhoo, when I think about Bette Davis, I don’t have to think twice.  My mind first goes to the classic 80’s hit, “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes.  Then I think of her all-in performance as Baby Jane Hudson.  Sure, I’ve seen some of Miss Davis’ earlier work, such as THREE ON A MATCH (1932), but she will always be the unhinged Baby Jane to me. 

Still not my sister!

Now, when I think of Joan Crawford, my mind immediately goes to Faye Dunaway as Crawford screaming, “No wire hangers ever!” in MOMMIE DEAREST.  Then I think about how a bartender once told me a Vodka-Pepsi is called a Joan Crawford.  Finally, I think of her sympathetic performance as Blanche Hudson.  Sure, I’ve seen some of Ms. Crawford’s earlier work, such as SUSAN AND GOD (1940), but she’ll always be Blanche in that chair to me.  

Elvira is tired of my antics…I mean Baby Jane’s antics!

While Bette and Joan are the combined reason to watch, there are a few notable supporting actors who add to the story.  Maidie Norman gives a no-nonsense performance as Elvira Stitt, Blanche’s housekeeper and only source of kindness.  Victor Buono is the comic relief as Edwin Flagg, the sketchy con-artist pretending to help Baby Jane jump start her career.  I must also mention Anna Lee as Mrs. Bates, the nice neighbor with a slight edge, because she portrayed the sweetly feisty matriarch Lila Quartermaine for years on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital.  Last, and probably least, Bette Davis’ daughter, Barbara Merrill, gives a stiff performance as the daughter of Mrs. Bates.  Was Christina Crawford not interested in the role or was she just too busy writing the first draft of Mommie Dearest? 

Coffee, tea or Edwin?

Watching WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE again for Brian’s blogathon made me wonder if it really is a ‘B’ movie.  I mean, I know the story treads into exploitation territory at times and some performances verge dangerously close to camp, but overall it is a legitimately entertaining film.  If you look beyond the lurid shocks and histrionics, there is a tragically sad tale of how fame can corrupt and destroy a person, especially a child.  There is also the emotional dichotomy of Blanche and Jane as they both deal with aging by either accepting the past is the past or clinging to what was, even though it will never be that way again.  Perhaps I’m trying to find a deeper meaning within the creepy-crazy spectacle through older and allegedly wiser eyes.   

directed by Robert Aldrich/screenplay by Lukas Heller, from the novel by Henry Farrell 

In conclusion…
Maybe the bright stars of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had faded when they signed up for this film, but they showed  they still had the ‘it’ factor with two gutsy performances that have been forever blazoned in the minds of film fans.  So, whether or not WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE is a ‘B’ movie, this black and white Hollywood gothic is worth experiencing!  Now, if you’ll excuse me, my sister and I simply must head to the beach because it’s the perfect weather for reliving memories, shocking revelations and ice cream. 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.  

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. click a pic to experience tales from blogathons past… 

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