Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Warner Brothers, 1962

Bette plays Jane Hudson, the sister of Blanche Hudson, played by Joan Crawford. We come in on the present where the two aged sisters are living alone in their Hollywood home. Blanche is a retired top film star who was paralyzed by a car accident long ago and is taken care of by her sister Jane, who was once a child-star. Jane is not very stable and is, in fact, going mad. She overhears that Blanche is concerned about her condition and plans to sell the house and put her in a sanitarium. The story then evolves around the torment that Jane puts Blanche through by keeping her prisoner and trying to kill her.

A superb showcase of the two veteran actresses with a great script and well acted by both. Bette and Joan are known to have been arch rivals all through their careers, but during the making of this film that hostility was more then apparent. Definitely worth viewing.

Cast Includes:

• Bette Davis .... Jane Hudson
• Joan Crawford .... Blanche Hudson
• Victor Buono .... Edwin Flagg
• Wesley Addy .... Marty the Director
• Julie Allred .... Young Jane Hudson
• Anne Barton .... Cora Hudson
• Marjorie Bennett .... Mrs. Dehlia Flagg
• Bert Freed .... Producer Ben Golden
• Anna Lee (I) .... Mrs. Bates
• Maidie Norman .... Elvira Stitt
• Dave Willock .... Ray Hudson
• William Aldrich
• Ernest Anderson (I)
• Russ Conway .... Police Officer At the End
  

The following are my favorite Bette Davis films and have their own pages with additional information: