Movie Review - What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford

Directed by Robert Aldrich
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

I guess a film classified as "camp" doesn't get that classification until well after its theatrical release which would probably be why What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was actually nominated for five Oscars.  Don't get me wrong.  The flick is pure fun and an enjoyable romp, but it's a cheese-fest (which cannot be denied) with more scenery chewing from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford than you're likely to see in any other film.

The two leading ladies portray sisters, both washed-up actresses -- probably not unlike themselves at the time of the film's release.  In the late 1910's, Baby Jane Hudson was the star of the family, putting on a nice vaudeville show that raked in the dough.  However, she was a spoiled brat and by the late 1930s, Jane was pushed to the wayside in favor of her nicer sister Blanche who proved to be very popular in films.  After a party one evening in the driveway of their home, Blanche gets run over by her sister, leaving her paralyzed and crippled, thus ruining her acting career.  Cut to "Yesterday" as the title card puts it (which I would assume means 1962) and Jane and Blanche have aged quite a bit.  Jane (Bette Davis) finds herself waiting on Blanche (Joan Crawford) hand and foot and she resents it immensely.  Of course, Jane is living in the past, still believing at times that she is "Baby Jane Hudson," even going so far as to dress up in a ruffly white dress and throw her hair into childish pigtails.  You see (and this adds to the camp element immensely), Jane is certifiably nuts.  Blanche attempts to shield herself from this revelation, but as Jane's mental health slowly deteriorates, Blanche must confront the issue head on, much to the chagrin of Jane, and the two begin to battle each other for control.

Listen...this movie is fun.  Bette Davis is hilarious, but at the same time freakishly scary, as Jane.  She's nuts and we know this from the minute we see her onscreen.  There's no subtlety here, but that's what gives the film a jolt of energy.  Counter her schizo Jane to the subdued Joan Crawford's Blanche and the two actresses balance each other out quite well (which is surprising because the two ladies apparently despised each other on set).  The director allows the two of them to just act to the nth degree and they both pull out all the stops.  In the end, the over-the-top style plays to the film's advantage and essentially makes the movie better than it really deserves to be.  

Honestly, this is an immensely enjoyable one despite its kookiness, and if you haven't seen it and are a fan of classic cinema, it's probably well worth a look.  This is definitely one of those films that falls into the "so bad, it's good" genre that we all know and love.

The RyMickey Rating:  B