A former child star torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.
Director:
Robert Aldrich
Popularity
3,580
( 215)
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Title: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Bette Davis | ... | ||
| Joan Crawford | ... | ||
| Victor Buono | ... | ||
| Wesley Addy | ... |
Marty Mc Donald
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Julie Allred | ... | |
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Anne Barton | ... |
Cora Hudson
(as Ann Barton)
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Marjorie Bennett | ... |
Dehlia Flagg
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| Bert Freed | ... |
Ben Golden
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| Anna Lee | ... |
Mrs. Bates
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| Maidie Norman | ... | ||
| Dave Willock | ... |
Ray Hudson
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William Aldrich | ... |
Lunch Counter Assistant at Beach
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| Russ Conway | ... |
Police Officer
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Maxine Cooper | ... |
Bank Teller
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Robert Cornthwaite | ... | |
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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 - Jane ran her over with the car while drunk, even though she has no memory of it - 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. Written by garykmcd
Taglines:
You'd better be shockproof before you dare find out! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
31 October 1962 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
¿Qué pasó con Baby Jane? See more »Box Office
Budget:
$980,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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See more »
Music by Frank De Vol
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Performed by Bette Davis
Also performed by Julie Allred (dubbed by Debbie Burton)
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Bette Davis found doing the scene in which the adult Jane sings her maudlin childhood signature song, "I've Written a Letter to Daddy," particularly memorable. "The old Jane gazing in the mirror from about twelve feet away looks pretty good," described Davis. "Then she walks forward. Ernie [the cameraman] had a high light, straight down, which is always bad for a woman. Especially me. When Jane finally gets up to the mirror, she sees herself as this decrepit, old hag, when in her mind, she's still young. I covered my face with my hands. [Robert Aldrich] had wanted a loud scream, but what came out was a hoarse cry - I'd been having laryngitis. It was right and we both knew it. [Aldrich] had tears in his eyes. 'You just won yourself an Oscar®,' he whispered. I went home that night singing, 'And the Angels Sing.'" See more »Goofs
A graphic after the credits identifies the film's main narrative as beginning "Yesterday", though the events appear to take place over the course of several days and nights. However, it has been debated that "Yesterday" can merely be a synonym for "in the past". See more »Quotes
Jane: I've written a letter to Daddy / His address is Heaven above / I've written "Dear Daddy, we miss you / And wish you were with us to love" / Instead of a stamp I put kisses / The postman says that's best to do / I've written a letter to Daddy / Saying "I love you" / Now when I'm very good, and do as I am told / I'm Mama's little angel and Papa says I'm good as gold / Now when I'm very bad and answer back and sass / Then I'm Mama's little devil, and Papa says I've got the brass / Now I wish that ...See more »
Crazy Credits
introducing Victor Buono See more »Soundtracks
I've Written a Letter to DaddyMusic by Frank De Vol
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Performed by Bette Davis
Also performed by Julie Allred (dubbed by Debbie Burton)
See more »
One of the great movies about the movies, (and great movies about the movies aren't reverential, they bite the hand that feeds them), and the best of Aldrich's 'women's pictures'. Detractors see it as a misogynist load of horse manure about a couple of self-loathing sisters hauled up together in a decaying Hollywood mansion, a too-close-to-home study of the real life rivalry between stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford or even as a veiled study of homosexual self-depreciation with the sisters as ageing drag queens. But these are the very things that make the picture great. It is precisely because it can be read in this way that makes it such a perversely enjoyable, subversive piece of work.
As the sisters, Davis and Crawford pull all the stops out and then some. What makes Crawford's performance great is that she is never sympathetic even when Davis is feeding her dead rat or quite literally kicking her when she's down, while Davis is simply astonishing. With her face painted like a hideous Kabuki mask and dressed up like a doll that's filled with maggots it's an unashamedly naked piece of acting, as revealing as her work in "All About Eve" and almost as good. Unfortunately the film's commercial success lead both actresses into a downward spiral of not dissimilar but considerably lack-lustre material. But this bitch-fest is the real McCoy.