Feuding Sisters, Liars, and Killers: Bette Davis and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Actress Bette Davis once commented that the best time she ever had with actress Joan Crawford... "...was when I pushed her down the stairs in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" Any fan who recalls the life long feud between these legendary dames of film just has to muster a giggle two- especially if one knows the behind the scenes taunts and tricks the ladies played against each other during the production of the movie. Dating back to the 1930's, the women's' alleged hatred for each other was well known in Hollywood circles, culminating in the pairing the two aging actresses' in the 1962 psychological thriller. Bette Davis' grotesque and chilling portrayal of a sister gone mad is memorable for many reasons.

The premise of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, an over the top, bizarre comedy, filmed completely in black and white is ironic. It's the story of two aging sisters residing together in an old decrepit Hollywood mansion. Davis plays sister, Baby Jane Hudsen, ex-vaudevillian star turned terrible actress to Crawford's Blanche- a crippled former movie star being tortured by her envious and violent sibling. Baby Jane was a successful, spoiled child star, while Blanche was cast in the shadows. In later years after their parents death, Blanche becomes and actress whose fame far surpasses that of even her own sister. Jealousy, envy, hate and revenge emote between the two sisters interactions, with an ending as twisted as the premise.

This portrayal earned Bette Davis her 10^th Academy Award nomination, and is by far my favorite vehicle the actress ever portrayed. Bette's acid delivery, at times suggesting dark humor, clearly shows how the actress favored authenticity in her roles over glamour. This is most evident in her role of Baby Jane, and in the dark Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte! ( 1964). Who can forget Davis' echoing laughter when Crawford's Blanche lifts the lid to her dinner and finds a horrifying surprise?

Despite the blasphemous book her daughter would later write about her, her career setbacks, and personal tragedies, Davis maintained a career that lasted over 60 years until her death at age 81 on October 6, 1989 in France. She did it the hard way, people would say, but it was her way. Bette Davis achieved much, and her due was long in coming.

Twenty years after her death, let's take a moment to reflect on some of Davis' accomplishments outside of films. Within days of Pearl Harbor being bombed, Davis began selling War Bonds, and within a two day period sold a record 2 million dollars in bonds, along with a picture of herself in Jezebel (1938), for $250, 000. In 1942, she was the highest paid woman in America. In October of that year, she co-founded the Hollywood Canteen (1942-1945) - a place where soldiers could come and relax, be entertained, and meet a few famous faces nightly when they passed through Los Angeles. In 1980, she was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal- the highest civilian award given for running the Hollywood Canteen. Davis would say this was one of the few things in her life she was completely proud of.

In 1977, Bette Davis was the first woman to be honored by the American Film Institute with the Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also the first female President of the Motion Picture Academy of the Arts and Sciences. Singer Kim Carnes single "Bette Davis Eyes" became the biggest selling album of 1981. In 2008, on the 100^th anniversary of her birth, the United States Postal service honored Davis with her own postage stamp.

Davis' instincts in her film work, proved unmistakable most of the time, thus setting a precedent for women in film. Her roles were not always ones that other actresses would ever consider, but Davis was never afraid to play powerful, conniving, killers; sometimes older than she currently was....in white makeup if that's what it took to make the character "real". If you have never seen Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, find a copy of the movie, sit back and enjoy. It's the perfect time of year to enjoy the gothic classic!