Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Henry Farrell (screenplay) &
Lukas Heller (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 December 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't Tell Anyone What Happened In The Summer House!

Plot:

The arrival of a lost relative, engulfs terror upon an aging southern belle, forever plagued by a horrifying family secret.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Mansion | Southern Belle | Hallucination | Insanity

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 5 wins

Cast

Bette Davis	...	Charlotte
Olivia de Havilland	...	Miriam (as Olivia deHavilland)
Joseph Cotten	...	Drew
Agnes Moorehead	...	Velma
Cecil Kellaway	...	Harry
Victor Buono	...	Big Sam
Mary Astor	...	Jewel Mayhew
Wesley Addy	...	Sheriff
William Campbell	...	Paul Marchand
Bruce Dern	...	John Mayhew
Frank Ferguson	...	Editor
George Kennedy	...	Foreman
Dave Willock	...	Taxi Driver
Michel Petit	...	Gang Leader (as Michael Petit)
John Megna	...	New Boy

Also Known As:

What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:T | Germany:12 (nf) | West Germany:18 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #20791) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Associates & Aldrich Company, The

Trivia:

Bette Davis' trailer was parked at the front of the mansion but she was seldom there. She set up a huge mirror in the hallway of the house and she put on her makeup there. At lunchtime she had her meals outside, with the director and the grips.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Charlotte is telling Miriam off at the dining table ("Sounds pretty dirty to me!") she lifts her wine glass to her mouth; a split second later she is lifting it mid-air.

Quotes:

Charlotte: You're a vile, sorry little bitch!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tomorrow's Bacon (2001)

Soundtrack:

When the Saints Go Marching In

Memorable Characters, Song

It's tough to beat this for a good, deep cast: Bette Davsi, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorhead, Cecil Kellaway, Victor Buono, Mary Astor and Bruce Dern.

My favorite character in here was played by Moorhead. She was excellent as the eccentric (but very perceptive) housekeeper. I wish Kellaway's role had been bigger. It was interesting, too, to see such a young Dern. Davis looked really grotesque, but that was the idea. Kudos for her to not care about her looks.

Speaking of looks, the best feature in here might have been the cinematography. I have not seen this on DVD but I'd like to and wonder if it looks tremendous. It sure looked good on VHS. And that theme song! It is played throughout the movie and once you hear it, as I first did in the theater over 40 years ago, you never forget it.

My lone complaint is the length of the film. At 133 minutes, I think it would have been a lot tighter and better at about 110. However, even though there were definite lulls in the story, they were never that long in length.