Formerly "A Movie A Day" :/

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? - 1962 - Dir. Aldrich

I was initially learned of the film after I read a review of a script detailing the feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, two actresses who were famously... well... they were Divas. Baby Jane was the only movie they worked together on, during their autumn years, in an attempt to create press and attract attention while their careers floundered. I was already a fan of Aldrich, coupled that with the premise of two aging sisters who were once actresses living together in a house, one of which is mentally disturbed ex-child star, the other whose promising career as a legitimate actress was cut short by an accident leaving her stuck in a wheel chair. The two actresses situations and the premise of the film makes it all ironic enough that the film is given another level. Bette Davis is the villain of sorts. The movie has enough respect for its characters to pigeon hole either of them, but is is clear that Bette Davis is a dangerous psychopath, but I feel like she gets kicked a lot more respect towards her than you might expect. The film is touted as a horror and there's certain some horrific elements to it. Crawford is served dead animals and locked in her room and all that good stuff. I'm not sure what it is about Aldrich's directing though, he immediately makes things a bit more interesting and up in the air. Not an incredible film, but an interesting one that held my attention to the last shot.

It's the Old Little Girl from Akira and Joan Crawford!

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