- Cast aside by Hollywood, screen legends Joan Crawford and Bette Davis battle each other when they sign up for What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
- In two separate interviews in the late 1970s, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Blondell, in part, place the filming of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and the difficult relationship between its two stars, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, before, during and after filming into some context. Joan and Bette are known as two of the most powerful actresses of their time. Bette in particular is known for her fearlessness on screen, while Joan was more protective of the image she projected both in her acting and personal life. It's 1961. Past middle age which is a difficult age for actresses to get substantial leading roles, both Joan and Bette are past what would be considered their acting prime, with Marilyn Monroe the Hollywood "it" girl of the day. Joan's latest husband, Pepsi executive Alfred Steele, has just passed away. Although Pepsi no longer pays Joan, she is still flogging the brand to appear relevant. Although her absence from acting was partly to focus on her life with Al, it was also largely due to Hollywood not searching her out for work. She now wants to get back into the movie business, but her manager Marty informs her of the types of roles she would now be offered, largely in support of current bigger and younger stars. Following Marty's advice, she searches for material on her own, she stumbling onto the book, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" by Henry Farrell. She passes the idea of turning the book into a film to her old friend, director Robert Aldrich to write and direct, and to Bette to co-star, Joan believing Bette, who is currently appearing on Broadway in what is largely a supporting role in "The Night of the Iguana", needing a success as much as she does. While Bob also needs a success more than he would like to admit, Bette may be a more difficult sell if only because of their mutual dislike for each other. While both Bob and Bette come on board, finding a studio who would distribute the picture may be just as difficult a sell if only because of having aging stars like Joan and Bette without a younger current name on the marquee, and many long established studio executives, such as Jack L. Warner, having burned bridges with difficult Joan and Bette. Even with the production getting the eventual green light with Joan, Bette and Bob all on board, Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper is waiting in the wings to dish up any dirt on the production, any fireworks most-likely stemming from the animosity between Joan and Bette.—Huggo
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