WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? [1962 / 2012] [50th Anniversary Edition] [Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook] [Blu-ray] As Close To Genre Perfection As One Is Likely To Come! Bette Davis Most Flamboyant Performance and One of Her Best!
Two icons from the golden age of Hollywood, Oscar® winners Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, take their famous feud on screen in Robert Aldrich’s newly restored thriller, in fierce, no-holds barred performance; Bette Davis portrays ageing ex-child Baby Jane Hudson and Joan Crawford plays Blanche, the crippled sister Jane Hudson torments psychologically. As the sisters descend into madness, the tension builds to a shocking ending in this unforgettable Academy Award® winning cult classic film.
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1963 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Costume Design in Black-and-White for Norma Koch. Nominated: Best Actress in a Leading Role for Bette Davis. Nominated: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Victor Buono. Nominated: Best Cinematography in Black-and-White for Ernest Haller. Nominated: Best Sound for Joseph D. Kelly (Seven Arts-Warner Bros. Glen Glenn Sound Department). 1963 Golden Globes®: Nominated: Best Actress in a Drama for Bette Davis. Nominated: Best Supporting Actor for Victor Buono. 1963 Cannes Film Festival: Nominated: Robert Aldrich [Palme d'Or]. 1964 BAFTA Awards: Nominated: Best Foreign Actress for Joan Crawford [USA]. Nominated: Best Foreign Actress for Bette Davis [USA].
Cast: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Wesley Addy, Julie Allred, Anne Barton, Marjorie Bennett, Bert Freed, Anna Lee, Maidie Norman, Dave Willock, William Aldrich, Russ Conway, Maxine Cooper, Robert Cornthwaite, Michael Fox, Gina Gillespie, Barbara Merrill, Don Ross, James Seay, John Shay, Jon Shepodd, Peter Virgo, Bobs Watson, Debbie Burton (Singing Voice), Murray Alper (uncredited), Ernest Anderson (uncredited), Steve Condit (uncredited), Norman Papson (uncredited), Mike Ragan (uncredited), Sammy Shack (uncredited), Michael St. Angel (uncredited), Jack Tornek (uncredited) and Ralph Volkie (uncredited)
Director: Robert Aldrich
Producers: Kenneth Hyman and Robert Aldrich
Screenplay: Lukas Heller (screenplay) and Henry Farrell (novel)
Composer: Frank DeVol
Cinematography: Ernest Haller
Video Resolution: 1080p [Black-and-White]
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, French: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish [Castilian]: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish [Latin]: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Português: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono and English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Italian, Spanish [Castilian], Spanish [Latin] and Português
Running Time: 134 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Seven Arts Productions / Warner Home Video
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? [1962] is so much more than a horror film and depending on whom you ask, it's a campy but deadly dark comedy, a chilling physiological thriller, or one of the most disturbing dramas ever made about the fringe of Hollywood fame. Part of the joy of watching the film again and again and again is deciding what kind of film it is, and what is really going on beneath the Hudson sisters many layers of psychological deception.
The two screen divas known for their outsized egos, mercurial temperaments and larger-than-life personalities, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were icons of their day. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? film exploited those notorious personalities and the equally infamous tension between the two screen legends. The pairing of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford was, by most accounts suggested by Joan Crawford herself, who had worked with Robert Aldrich on the film ‘Autumn Leaves’ [1956] and claimed she had always wanted to work with Bette Davis. Robert Aldrich saw the perfect vehicle for the two stars in Henry Farrell's novel about a bizarre tale that was a chance to resuscitate both actresses' flagging acting careers with a novel, publicity-generating concept.
The story begins in 1917, where Baby Jane Hudson is the darling child star of the vaudeville circuit doted on by her starry-eyed stage dad, while her stern sister Blanche is constantly ignored by him. Their mother promises young Blanche that someday it will be her turn in the spotlight, and when that time comes, she entreats her to forgive Jane her childish spite and spoiled brat antics and follows the melodramatic tale of two rival sisters clinging on to the remnants of the fame of their youth, played by Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Opening on a Vaudeville stage, we see the golden-curled starlet Baby Jane [Julie Allred], who draws in fans with her cutesy and later utterly terrifying rendition of “I've Written a Letter to Daddy.” Watching on from the wings is the begrudging young Blanche [Gina Gillespie], ever in the shadow of her sister's stardom.
Then, the narrative jumps to 1932, where Blanche is a major movie star and Jane has fallen out of fashion in part because of her drinking problem and temperamental nature. All of this is laid out in a lengthy scene by two studio executives, before the sisters head home for a fateful night that will shape them both forever.
Another leap in time takes us to 1962, where the Hudson sisters are cloistered in Blanche's mansion, where she is crippled from that terrible incident decades ago and depends on Jane for her every need. But years of resentment, recrimination, and lies have curdled any love between them into a rank and file of hatred that fuels a mind-bending game of cat and mouse. Both women fantasise about a life free from each other; Blanche looks into selling her house and essentially fleeing her sister, while Jane begins prepping costumes and song numbers for her envisioned comeback. However, their years of mutual isolation have inextricably entangled their fates.
The combined screen presence of Davis and Crawford is still one of the film's brightest draws, especially as each discards their typical grace and charm to create a gruesome portrait of sisterhood gone sour. Caked in ugly slabs of pancake make-up, Davis deftly and dramatically spins between Jane's feuding personas of coarse drunken hag and petulant, spoiled child. Hers is the showier role, but Crawford's restrained performance as the shuddering self-made martyr keeps Davis's menacing performance from veering into clownish. They work in tandem, keeping the balance between the heart-wrenching but theatrical drama and the blood-curling yet absurd horror.
Their caustic chemistry is so entrancing those scenes without one or the other feel frustratingly flat, especially because these are mostly filled with exposition-heavy dialogue and largely irrelevant characters talking about Blanche and Jane's backstory. These, plus some hammy supporting performances, cross fades, and awkward zooms date the film a bit. But Aldrich's directing sings in the scintillating scenes between Davis and Crawford that are so layered that each re-watching makes you question afresh what truth is and what a lie is. Ultimately, the film ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?’ is still an incredible tour de force drama that challenges audiences with its twisted game.
Despite mixed reviews in the press, ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?’ film was a box office hit, which eventually grossed $9 million and undoubtedly attracting audiences who relished the campy, extreme spectacle of two former screen diva giants, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, chewing the scenery in this unforgettably bizarre, gothic horror production. And yes, that is Bette Davis' daughter; Barbara Davis nicknamed "B.D." in the small role in the film as the teenage girl next door. In Bette Davis’s autobiography “The Lonely Life,” Bette Davis claimed "Joan Crawford and I got along famously much to the huge disappointment of the Hollywood press," most eyewitness accounts tell a different story. Even before filming was underway, the stars reportedly bickered over salaries and who would receive top billing. A great deal of friction was apparently also generated mid-production by Joan Crawford and Bette Davis's very different acting styles, which helped the film generate a big love and affection for this film and of course having it has a massive cult following of fans of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
Blu-ray Video Quality – Warner Home Video has once again brought us a stunning 1080p encoded black-and-white image, with an equally impressive 1.85:1 aspect ratio image. The black-and-white picture features inky black levels and impeccable contrast, giving cinematographer Ernest Haller’s beautiful light-dark imagery a great presentation. Though fine detail can be a bit limited in some wide and establishing shots, hair, skin texture and fabrics look incredibly well defined. The film’s native grain structure also appears uncompromised, with no evidence of excessive noise reduction measures. Some of the early title cards are unnecessarily window-boxed, but despite this, overall it is a very good presentation.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Home Video has presented us with a 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono sound track that is consistently clear, detailed and intelligible. The film score and sound effects are firmly centred with the front sound speakers, and the track exhibits a decent sound depth, and the audio recording has strong depth and dynamic range with no signs of strain or distortion. Special highlight is the composer Frank DeVol where the atmospheric music is especially highlighted, and his film music score employs elements of early rock 'n' roll and creepy harpsichords within a melodramatic framework, which really helps bringing the music to the forefront, making its impact even more noticeable, especially with the soothing, melodic, harsh and dissonant tones that nicely fill the sound experience, exuding a newfound fullness and depth. Though at times the music competes with the dialogue, it never overwhelms it and a key point considering the polished nature of the brilliant sharp script.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary by Charles Busch and John Epperson: Here we are introduced to the two acclaimed and legendary “LYPSINKA” Drag Artists performers to do the film audio commentary, which seems like a strange move on Warner Bros. part, the audio commentary track is actually not bad, at times anyway. The duo is prepared with various background facts and anecdotes, they have a working knowledge of the film industry, and, most importantly, they are of course great fans of the film, but now and again they do wander off in stuff that went right over my head. Die hard film fans probably will not get much out of the audio commentary, but anyone new to the film ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?’ should find this audio commentary well worthwhile listen. Charles Busch wrote and directed the Bette Davis tribute spoof “Die Mommie Die!” and John Epperson has performed brilliant drag shows for decades under the stage name “LYPSINKA” and who is the more chattier, more gossipy, and more trivia-laden audio commentary this reviewer generally prefers, but nevertheless it offers a fair amount of well-informed and intelligent history, background, and aesthetic information about the film, the process of making the film, and how it works to be both casually enjoyable for giggles, as well lots of gossip and is well worth listening to in its entirety for further knowledge and frame of reference towards this classic film. Charles Busch and John Epperson were very surprised when asked by Warner bros. to do this audio commentary, and they feel they are the NEW Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. They both praise the stunning black-and-white cinematography and especially the lighting and wished more films were made in this process, but they inform us that it cannot be done in black-and-white film stock today; instead films have to be filmed in colour and then turned into black-and-white in the laboratory. They also give great praise about the well-designed clothes, which I suppose is only natural with their business and also praise Bette Davis’s clothes, which were perfectly designed for that period. They talk about the famous camp lines spoken in many classic Hollywood films, which they relish in, especially ones by Bette Davis in this film. They also give great praise and love for the character actress Marjorie Bennett who was an Australian-born television and film actress, who worked mainly in Britain and the United States and is the fourth sister to Enid Bennett, Catherine Bennett and Alexander Bennett and also loved her British cockney accent and loved the films that Marjorie appeared in, especially in the Joan Crawford film ‘Female on the Beach’ [1955] playing Mrs. Murchison the house keeper to Joan Crawford. What really got on my nerves is their total obsession with Joan Crawford’s hands, whenever they did a close up shot of the hands and wondering if they were Joan’s real hands or someone else’s hands, to a point of total annoying obsession. As we come to the end of the film, the two commentators Charles Busch and John Epperson thank each other in enjoying watching this film together and hopefully will be asked back by Warner Bros. to do the audio commentary for the film ‘Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte,’ and they also hope we enjoyed watching the film with them and especially enjoying their camp and barbed comments in general, but of course I would have to leave that ball in your court, as I personally only liked half of their comments, as they tended to wander off into their own little world and talk about stuff that went right over my head.
Special Feature: Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition [2005] [1080i] [1.33:1] [29:50] This special feature documentary, features a very insightful look at the parallel acting careers of the two most iconic film stars, namely Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and how they altered their personalities over the many years with their acting careers. We also get lots of archival film clips, archival materials and interviews. This feature also creates a dual examination of the acting careers of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. It also looks into the early starts in their work and proceeds throughout their years in Hollywood and we hear all about the ups and downs of their careers and the bitter rivalry between these two iconic diva actresses. Contributors include Tom Toth [Film Historian], John Anderson [Film Critic for Newsday], Charles Busch [Actor and Writer], Boze Hadleigh [Author], John “LYPSINKA” Epperson [American Drag Artist/Writer], Charlotte Chandler [Biographer], Rudy Behlmer [Author/Film Historian], Dr. Drew Casper [Professor of Critical Studies in the School of Cinematic Arts at the USC], Carol Kane [Actress], Paul Clinton [Film Critic], June Springer [Spouse of John Springer: Publicist of Joan Crawford], Karen Swenson [Biographer], James Ursini [Film Historian/Critic] and Glenn Erickson [Film Writer].
Special Feature: Behind the Scenes with ‘Baby Jane’ [Vintage Short] [1962] [480i] [1.33:1] [6:39] Here we are presented with a very rare vintage black-and-white promotional film, with an interesting look at the moviemaking process for the film ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?’ and featuring rare on-set footage with director Robert Aldrich examining camera angles, composing shots, and shooting an exterior sequence with Bette Davis. Unfortunately the black-and-white video quality is very bad, but still very watchable for something of this very rare viewing experience and a really great insight into the filming techniques.
Special Feature: The Andy Williams Show [Vintage TV Clip] [1962] [480i] [1.33:1] [2:07] This is a very fun but very short TV and also equally a very rare one where we see a short excerpt featuring the actress Bette Davis on the American Variety Television Series “The Andy Williams Show,” and it is also equally impressive to be viewed in colour, where we get to see Bette Davis sings a cute ditty set to the rock 'n' roll theme that sporadically plays during the “Baby Jane” soundtrack, and nearly performs the Twist, which was the dance craze during the 1960s period. Despite it being far too short, it was still great to see this rare item on this Blu-ray disc.
Special Feature: All About Bette [1993] [1080i] [1.33:1] [48:12] Turner Pictures Presents an Ellen M. Krass Production of a special look at the career of actress and star Bette Davis and is hosted by the actress Jodie Foster, who focuses on the long career of the actress Bette Davis, and especially the multitude of films this well-seasoned actress has appeared in and spans the period from 1971 to 1987. We also get to view a few amusing outtakes from Bette Davis's Warner Bros. film career, and especially a very rare television commercial from the 1950s. We also get a 1981 interview with her son Michael and some 1971 statements from her sister Barbara on the “Ralph Edwards’s This Is Your Life” in 1971, as well as director William Wyler, and actors Paul Henreid and Olivia de Havilland. We also see Bette Davis on The Dick Cavett Show in 1969 and 1971 speaking about her life and times of her career in films. We also get to view some rare black-and-white funny outtakes. We also get to see Bette Davis in a rare scene from The American Film Institute Life Achievement Award in 1971, also Good Morning America in 1981. But we also get a pleather of film clips from the many films Bette Davis appeared in and there were far too many to list here.
Special Feature: A Film Profile: Joan Crawford [1967] [480i] [1.33:1] [28:37] American film actress and Hollywood star Joan Crawford discusses her 42 years in the film business with Philip Jenkinson [17th August, 1935 – 11th March 2012] who was an English cinema specialist, journalist, BBC television presenter and film collector and his collection was known as Filmfinders. Philip Jenkinson questions Joan Crawford, who still looked glamorous at age 63, and talks about her films, fellow actors including John Barrymore, Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor, and of course, the infamous diva Bette Davis, as well as the film industry in general. "You manufacture toys, you can't manufacture stars," snaps the regal diva actress Joan Crawford, who is alternately frank, charming, and oh-so-affected during the interview. Lengthy clips from 'Grand Hotel;' 'Mildred Pierce;' 'Humoresque;’ 'Possessed' and of course 'What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?' and reminds us what an impressive body of work Joan Crawford accumulated during her six-decade acting career. This feature is both a blessing and a curse, because while it is nice to hear so much from the actress, but doesn’t remotely approach any candour about the fellow actress Bette Davis. Joan Crawford throws out a few mildly interesting remarks about her performances and her co-stars. Despite such a short interview, it certainly packs in a lot of interesting anecdotes and information. As we get to the end of the interview, I loved the final comment by Ms. Joan Crawford in saying; “So much money to be made or lost, so much talent to be made or lost to,” which relates to a comment Philip Jenkinson says that when making a film in the 1960s era is almost at a committee level, with so many vested interest and such a lot of money to be made or lost, and there are so many people who want to have their little bit, who want to have their little say, it seems to me that this is a sort of diluting process. Too right!
Trailer No.1: [1962] [1080i] [1.78:1] [2:24] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?’ which incorporates some of the footage and generally a way of overselling the film's scary thrill factor, but done in a fun way. This is in fact the same item you witnessed in the special feature Behind the Scenes with ‘Baby Jane’ [Vintage Short] and featuring rare on-set footage with director Robert Aldrich examining camera angles, composing shots, and shooting an exterior sequence with Bette Davis. But of course this time you get to see it in its proper 1.78:1 aspect ratio and a much better quality black-and-white image.
Trailer No.2: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? [Dan-O-Rama Movie Mix] [2006] [480i] [1.33:1] [5:21] Here we get to view a very bizarre music video that enhances scenes from different Bette Davis and Joan Crawford films as well, that is done with very flashy video effects, with some colorization effects thrown in for good measure and sets them to a 1960s style “Baby Jane” rock 'n’ roll "remix" song. This particular Trailer is so totally over the top, gaudy, gimmicky done for the 2006 Special Edition DVD release that incorporates Bette Davis's most famous and worn-out sound-bites from the film and hearing the aforementioned singing duo Bette Davis and Debbie Burton and the only place in this package you can hear that sweet, odd bit of movie memorabilia, that is well worth a look, despite its total over the top silliness.
BONUS: Here we have a beautiful printed 38 page Limited Edition DigiBook, with massive amounts of printed material incorporated into the packaging includes an essay about the film in general, information the actors like Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, director/producer Robert Aldrich, also Trivia gems about all aspect of the film, a great deal of numerous gorgeous black-and-white photographs from the film’s production and rare promotional film posters from around the world.
Finally, ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?’ may be the last film ever made with the beautifully realised dreams of the Golden-Age Hollywood still stuck in its head; since it was conceived and shot in the early 1960s, well after the most glorious true coming of those dreams had last been tenable, it makes for a nightmarish, unhinged, disorienting, absolutely transfixing oddball nightmare of a film whose amusing, light conventional "horror" genre masks a disturbing, strangulating decrepitude and a truly shocking, genuine horror genre, particularly for any deep-down film lover who happen to find themselves in its grasp. Fans of classic Hollywood cinema will appreciate the fine details Warner Home Video have packed into this Blu-ray disc ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?’ and Warner Home Video delivers a fine presentation for Bette Davis and Joan Crawford’s late-career psychological thriller, especially ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?’ that had a blend of the old and new elements that attempt to honour Baby Jane's reputation as an incredible film as well as a totally over the top camp classic, and the Blu-ray disc's special features are ultimately a mixed bag, but totally fascinating. As to the awesome restoration of the film is done so masterfully and makes this Blu-ray well worth the price of admission. For first-time purchasers of the Blu-ray title, the 50th Anniversary Edition is the best choice available. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
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