STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH - Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?

For lunch: your pet goldfish Moby... on a cracker!

(1962)
With Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Maide Norman, Marjorie Bennett
Directed by Robert Aldrich
Black and White
Reviewed by JL

Grand Guignol filmmaking at its best, with Bette Davis as the delusional former child star who's taken to tormenting wheelchair-bound big sis Joan Crawford. Much was made back in '62 of the pairing of the two screen legends -- and just as much was made of their mutual animosity -- but the film itself is Davis's all the way. Never has there been a more garish, grotesque, chilling and outright looney screen character than Jane Hudson, and no actress other than Davis would approach the role with such courage and gleeful relish. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE was the film that launched the short-lived sub-genre of Aging Actresses in Peril flicks, and it was far and away the best of the lot. Great camp, great gothic horror, and lots of moments to make you go "Eew!" ½ - JL