Review of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) by Jeffrey L — 08 Nov 2010

A vintage horror/drama with two magnificent leads to mesmerize us to the 9th degree, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane serves as a long but thoroughly engaging film with enough suspense to last the entire way and beyond. As Bette Davis puts aside her good looks to play a seriously creepy character, it is no doubt that we will be playing guessing games from start to finish.

Starting off with some back-story on Davisâ(TM)s character (a child performer known as Baby Jane Hudson), we know soon enough how unhappy the poor girl is as she makes money for her family instead of having a regular childhood. Yet, it doesnâ(TM)t compare to how her sister, Blanche (Crawford) feels with her jealous rage which escalates to adulthood. After a mysterious car accident cripples Blanche (fowl play involved), baby Jane (now a middle-aged woman) takes her in to tend to herâ¦though the real terror is only about to begin as Jane becomes crazier as each day passesâ¦and never runs out of new ways to torture her sister.

The suspense level never eases as the story unfolds in a sick and twisted way, and the acting is first rate, to be sure. Davisâ(TM)s character looks grotesque enough to scare any squeamish viewer and her lunatic behavior makes for one of the most notorious characters ever known to cinema. Crawford also does a fine job of portraying Blanche, a cheery spirit looking optimistically at her new life after a close call with death. Though could all this be artifice?

A film still filmed in black and white, this technique emphasizes more edge to the film and therefore it is even spookier. The film drags in parts, but it ultimately it is a shocker, which will haunt the viewer for days following. Likely the biggest film of both starsâ(TM) careers.