What Ever Happened To Baby Jane [Blu-ray] [1962] [Region Free]

Saw it when it came out originally, need to watch it again

Sunday afternoon viewing if you love black and white films

People today probably could not appreciate the difficulties and the great feat it took to achieve the teaming up of these two great actresses who really did not like each other in real life. (Bette Davis & Joan Crawford) This was just one reason why this movie was so significant in its day. So successful was this movie, they were to be brought together again just two years later for the making of 'Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte', but Crawford found working with Davis again so impossible, she was to back out and was replaced at the last minute by Olivia de Havilland.We often hear how stardom affects child stars, and this is a story, whilst fictitious, is a great example at how disturbed a mind can become when that stardom has been taken away. Extreme though it might be, it does make one think of perhaps all those other less serious problems we do hear and read about when such stars lose their 'status'.'Baby Jane' was a child star. Whilst she's famous and remains a child, she keeps her family - including her one sister in a style they become accustomed to. However, when her childhood ends - along with her fame and fortune, her sister, as a one-time insignificant becomes a famous movie star. So good she is in fact, that it seems that her success is unstoppable - until that is, her cruel and disturbed sister appears to have put an end to it for good!This is certainly one of the greatest movies of the sixties, and despite being more than two hours long, is simply riveting with some great dialogue, suspense, and with some black humour thrown in for good measure!Every actor in this was well-chosen and every performance an award-winner. Great performances from the two leading ladies goes without saying of course, and in particular; Maidie Norman, Victor Buono, Marjorie Bennett and child star Julie Allred.Includes the singing voice of talented child singer Debbie Burton.Magnificent!

"Whatever happened to Baby Jane" was a film that was hoped to revive the careers of veterans Bette Davis & Joan Crawford,and it succeeded in doing so. The two actresses were not good friends in real life,to put it mildly, and the tension must have paid off here,as their dislike of each other seems so obvious.Bette Davis plays Baby Jane Hudson, once famous as a child star,but now nearly forgotten. Her housebound sister is played by Crawford. The nastiness of the way Davis treats her sister still has the power to shock,and the film will have you guessing till the end,as the outcome is never predictable. The moody black & white adds to the atmosphere of the mansion,where most of the film is set. The performances of the two leading ladies are brilliant. This film is a classic.This special edition is loaded with extras, including a 40 minute biography of Bette Davis,hosted by Jodie Foster,filled with clips from much of Davis's long career,and personal interviews spanning decades,up until near the end of her life in 1989. There is a lengthy BBC interview with Crawford, and a documentary from the time,on the making of Baby Jane, as well as a documentary on the rivalry between the two actresses, and a singing appearance by Davis,singing a tune from the movie,on the Andy Williams show. If you would like to learn more about these two fine actresses,then the extra features on this DVD alone will be an education.The film alone is worth the purchase price,but get this for the extras too,it will add to your appreciation and understanding of the film and the two legendary actresses.

I note that there are already many reviews of this movie, and so I shall try to keep this one relatively short and sweet. Or should I say short and sour? Since What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is so well known, I am not going to go over the entire plot, or set out its production history. Instead, I am just going to draw the reader's attention to one aspect of what I call "the downstairs story". Baby Jane (Bette Davis) is a former child star who once outshone all of the other children, including her sister, Blanche (Joan Crawford). Unfortunately for Jane, and this is a problem experienced by many child stars no doubt, over time Jane's looks began to fade, her voice to crack, and her fame to dwindle. After years of obscurity and heavy drinking, Jane decides that the time has finally come to revive her old act. Dressed up like a very frightening porcelain doll, complete with dangling locks and dancing shoes, Jane rehearses in the living room while her newly-appointed pianist bemusedly observes the spectacle. Spinning and twirling across the room, Jane sings the lyrics, "I've written a letter to daddy", with a twinkle in her eye and a wrinkle (or two) beneath. This scene is perhaps the most iconic of the film's many wonderful scenes, and certainly one of my favourites. It beautifully blends the comic and the tragic, and sums up Jane's character all at once - delusional, sentimental, and desperate. Every time I watch it I get shivers, which is quite remarkable given how many years ago the film was made. In summary, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? is essential viewing for all movie lovers, and is almost guaranteed to leave you wanting more...