Review of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) by Kevin S — 22 Jan 2008

"The best time I ever had with Joan Crawford was when I pushed her down the stairs in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" -Bette Davis.

It's a simple fact of life that you will meet people who are likable and those who are not. In most circumstances when an actor or actress is asked about someone they dislike they will just refuse to comment. Its called "taking the high road". I've seen this time and time again. Debra Winger hated Richard Gere so much that after the filming of An Officer and a Gentleman had wrapped she refused to appear with him on press junkets and talk shows. To this day Diane Keaton will not talk about her Godfather co-star Al Pacino, stating only that she disliked working with him. Herein lies one of the reasons why I love Bette Davis so much. If Miss Davis disliked you, and by all accounts she disliked a great number of people, the whole world knew it. Her feud with Joan Crawford is the stuff of Hollywood legend and the quotes that are attributed to Bette are priceless:

"Why am I so good at playing bitches? I think it's because I'm not a bitch. Maybe that's why Miss Crawford always plays ladies.".

Personally, I have never once watched a Bette Davis picture and been drawn out of the story by an awareness that she was acting. Her portrayals are nothing if they're not honest and sincere. I can't say the same for Joan Crawford. This holds true for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. There is a subtle but noticeable difference here between Crawford (the movie star) and Davis (the actress). In some cases this would be a detriment to the feel of the picture but, for this script, it works perfectly. Don't misunderstand me, I have enormous respect for Joan but, as an actress, I think she's a tier (or two) below Bette.

All told, this is a good film that becomes a GREAT film once you know the back-story.