What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

A former child star torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Henry Farrell (from the novel by), Lukas Heller (screenplay)

Stars:

Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Baby Jane Hudson
Joan Crawford	...	Blanche Hudson
Victor Buono	...	Edwin Flagg
Wesley Addy	...	Marty Mc Donald
Julie Allred	...	Baby Jane Hudson, in 1917
Anne Barton	...	Cora Hudson (as Ann Barton)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Dehlia Flagg
Bert Freed	...	Ben Golden
Anna Lee	...	Mrs. Bates
Maidie Norman	...	Elvira Stitt
Dave Willock	...	Ray Hudson
William Aldrich	...	Lunch Counter Assistant at Beach
Russ Conway	...	Police Officer
Maxine Cooper	...	Bank Teller
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Dr. Shelby

Storyline

In a tale that almost redefines sibling rivalry, faded actresses Blanche and 'Baby' Jane Hudson live together. Jane was by far the most famous when she performed with their father in vaudeville but as they got older, it was Blanche who became the finer actress, which Jane still resents. Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair and Jane is firmly in control. As time goes by, Jane exercises greater and greater control over her sister, intercepting her letters and ensuring that few if anyone from the outside has any contact with her. As Jane slowly loses her mind, she torments her sister going to ever greater extremes.

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Plot Keywords:

sibling rivalry | psychological horror | child star | abusive relationship | physical abuse | 

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Taglines:

Things you should know about this motion picture before buying a ticket: 1) If you're long-standing fans of Miss Davis and Miss Crawford, we warn you this is quite unlike anything they've ever done. 2) You are urged to see it from the beginning. 3) Be prepared for the macabre and the terrifying. 4) We ask your pledge to keep the shocking climax a secret. 5) When the tension begins to build, try to remember it's just a movie.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1963 (Peru)

Also Known As:

¿Qué pasó con Baby Jane?

Filming Locations:

172 South McCadden Place, Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$980,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,000,000, 31 December 1963

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Associates & Aldrich Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Glen Glenn Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bette Davis was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in this movie. Had Davis won, it would have set a record number of wins for one actress. According to the book "Bette & Joan - The Divine Feud" by Shaun Considine, Davis and Joan Crawford had a lifelong mutual hatred, and a jealous Crawford actively campaigned against Davis winning Best Actress, even telling Anne Bancroft that if Bancroft won and was unable to accept the Award, she would be happy to accept it on her behalf. According to the book, on Oscar night Davis was standing in the wings of the theater waiting to hear the name of the winner. When it was announced that Bancroft had indeed won for The Miracle Worker (1962), Joan marched past Davis with barely an "excuse me" and swept onstage to accept Bancroft's Oscar.

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Goofs

Both scenes where we see Jane carrying a body in the wheelchair through the kitchen side door (once the maid, then her sister), have obviously been shot at a very short interval : we see two mops on the staircase rail exactly at the same place. In both scenes, on the first shot when she goes down the few steps, the mops are next to each other, then seconds later when seen from inside the car, the mops are separated by a few inches.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Toy Salesman: Want to see it again little girl? It shouldn't frighten you.

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Crazy Credits

The Warner Bros. logo does not appear at the beginning of this film.

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Alternate Versions

The original British release was cut in two places: in Reel Four, where Jane kicks Blanche only once instead of multiple times, and Reel Six, which eliminated some shots of Blanche tied up to the bed and writhing. Both cuts were mandated by the BBFC in order to receive an "X" certificate. Subsequent reissues restored the footage.

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Connections

Features Parachute Jumper (1933)

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Soundtracks

I've Written a Letter to Daddy
Music by Frank De Vol
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Performed by Bette Davis
Also performed by Julie Allred (dubbed by Debbie Burton)

User Reviews

The Resurrection Of The Hudson Sisters

Ryan Murphy's series "Feud" in which Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon play Joan Crawford and Bette Davis at the time of Baby Jane and beyond. I got so engrossed the series that I had to see What Ever Happened To Baby Jane again. Wow! Now, it all feels slightly different, less campy more poignant. Joan Crawford as played by Jessica Lange - the best performance by an actress in many, many years - is a totally recognizable person, crazy or not. When George Cukor tries to convince Joan not to be so vindictive "you're better than this Joan" to what Crawford/Lange replies: "No George, I'm not" Fantastic! Like another user already mention, I agree What Ever Happened To Baby Jane and Feud will be feeding each other keeping each other alive for generations to come.