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Post by naterdawg on Feb 16, 2017 17:48:45 GMT
The very first Bette Davis/Joan Crawford film I ever saw was "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane," way back in November of 1962. I was 10 years old, and Davis scared me shitless! I'd never seen anything like her--this crazy old lady spinning around while singing a truly atrocious out of key vaudeville song about her daddy. Brr.
Years later, I came home from church one Sunday and found my older sister watching Now, Voyager on TV. "What's this?" I asked. "An old Bette Davis film," she replied. Then I saw Davis and couldn't believe it was the same person from Jane! Right then and there, I was hooked on Bette Davis and still am.
Baby Jane isn't a great film, certainly not in the Now, Voyager category--but there's no denying the impact it had. The movie created a whole new phenomenon called the "horror hag" cycle, with Davis and Crawford leading the way. It revived their careers, Davis won a much-deserved Oscar nomination (she should've won the statuette, in my opinion), and it's still as entertaining today, in 2017, as it was 55 years ago.
My favorite scene is Davis at the newspaper office. It's just so laughably odd! "Maybe you remember me. I'm Baby JANE Hudson," she coos, flirting with the ad guy. He just says, "Uh, oh, yeah, Baby Jane...Hudson." Great acting on everyone's part, but the film belongs to Davis all the way. She was never better, though I loved her in The Nanny!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2017 17:53:26 GMT
Brilliant film. Robert Aldrich always was a very under rated director who moved from genre to genre with ease. And let's not forget the great, Oscar nominated supporting performance by comedic talent Victor Buono.
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Post by naterdawg on Feb 16, 2017 18:50:09 GMT
yes, Buono was incredible as Edwin Flagg. Love it when he reacts to Baby Jane grating out "I've Written a Letter to Dad-dee."
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tresix
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Post by tresix on Jul 29, 2017 13:05:16 GMT
The very first Bette Davis/Joan Crawford film I ever saw was "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane," way back in November of 1962. I was 10 years old, and Davis scared me shitless! I'd never seen anything like her--this crazy old lady spinning around while singing a truly atrocious out of key vaudeville song about her daddy. Brr. Years later, I came home from church one Sunday and found my older sister watching Now, Voyager on TV. "What's this?" I asked. "An old Bette Davis film," she replied. Then I saw Davis and couldn't believe it was the same person from Jane! Right then and there, I was hooked on Bette Davis and still am. Baby Jane isn't a great film, certainly not in the Now, Voyager category--but there's no denying the impact it had. The movie created a whole new phenomenon called the "horror hag" cycle, with Davis and Crawford leading the way. It revived their careers, Davis won a much-deserved Oscar nomination (she should've won the statuette, in my opinion), and it's still as entertaining today, in 2017, as it was 55 years ago. My favorite scene is Davis at the newspaper office. It's just so laughably odd! "Maybe you remember me. I'm Baby JANE Hudson," she coos, flirting with the ad guy. He just says, "Uh, oh, yeah, Baby Jane...Hudson." Great acting on everyone's part, but the film belongs to Davis all the way. She was never better, though I loved her in The Nanny! Then the ad man says to his co-worker "Who the Hell is Baby Jane Hudson?" I saw it as a kid as well. I remember tuning in just at the rat scene 😳! I also saw the made-for-TV remake with the Redgrave sisters. Needless to say, though they are/were talented, the sisters didn't measure up to Davis and Crawford. My main complaint was that Lynn played Baby Jane while Vanessa was Blanche, it should have been the other way around. I read the novel the day after the remake aired. Interestingly, the novel is told from everyone's perspective EXCEPT Baby Jane.
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tresix
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Post by tresix on Jul 29, 2017 13:07:42 GMT
The very first Bette Davis/Joan Crawford film I ever saw was "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane," way back in November of 1962. I was 10 years old, and Davis scared me shitless! I'd never seen anything like her--this crazy old lady spinning around while singing a truly atrocious out of key vaudeville song about her daddy. Brr. Years later, I came home from church one Sunday and found my older sister watching Now, Voyager on TV. "What's this?" I asked. "An old Bette Davis film," she replied. Then I saw Davis and couldn't believe it was the same person from Jane! Right then and there, I was hooked on Bette Davis and still am. Baby Jane isn't a great film, certainly not in the Now, Voyager category--but there's no denying the impact it had. The movie created a whole new phenomenon called the "horror hag" cycle, with Davis and Crawford leading the way. It revived their careers, Davis won a much-deserved Oscar nomination (she should've won the statuette, in my opinion), and it's still as entertaining today, in 2017, as it was 55 years ago. My favorite scene is Davis at the newspaper office. It's just so laughably odd! "Maybe you remember me. I'm Baby JANE Hudson," she coos, flirting with the ad guy. He just says, "Uh, oh, yeah, Baby Jane...Hudson." Great acting on everyone's part, but the film belongs to Davis all the way. She was never better, though I loved her in The Nanny! Also, did you watch the miniseries "Feud"? Very good, Stanley Tucci is probably the most deserving of an Emmy.
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Post by fangirl1975 on Jul 29, 2017 19:41:58 GMT
I've seen this film. Bette Davis was excellent playing a psycho- hag.
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