Review of Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) by Sausages M — 20 May 2014

What works well in one film (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane) will not necessarily work well in another, as this one proves. Bette starts off heartbreaking, but her 'crazy old lady' act actually gets very tiring. Too much shrieking and screaming. Olivia de Havilland starts out a bit too stiff but relaxes into her character once she's allowed to show some depth, however one can't help but wonder what it would have been like had Crawford not allowed herself to have been so tormented by Davis that she left the production. Despite being another shrieker, Agnes Moorehead absolutely steals the film away from the both of them, with her brilliant portrayal of the white trash housekeeper. Mary Astor and Cecil Kellaway also deserve a mention for their beautifully understated parts as well.

The direction is good, but the story is silly and the twist a bit convoluted and daft but it's a fun film too watch. It's just not "..Baby Jane" fun.