Night 14: What ever happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
This is part of the ’31 Nights of Horror Classics’ series, which I’ll be doing for Halloween 2017. Every night of this month, I’ll be watching a horror film made before the 90s and I’ll be posting a short review here.
Sometimes the scariest of monsters is that which is born out of ambition… and revenge!
The Hudson sisters grow up in the difficult world of show business. As a child, Baby Jane (Bette Davis) is the star of the family. But later on, her sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) overshadows her. After an accident, Blanche is left crippled, and has to depend on Baby Jane for everything. However, as the shadows of the past begin to haunt her sister, Blanche’s life will be in terrible danger.
I had been meaning to watch this film for quite a while, but never got around to it. Finally, after seeing it in a list of great horror classics, I had my chance. And boy, do I regret not watching it sooner!
What ever happened to Baby Jane? is possibly my favorite of the fourteen classic films I’ve seen thus far. Like Les Diaboliques or Misery –and the association with Misery will be almost instantaneous!-, the horror in the movie has no supernatural origin. That famous quote by Stephen King –‘Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win’- comes to mind.
The slow-paced downfall of both sisters is gripping! The excellent acting of both Davis and Crawford demands you to pay attention to every gesture and every word spoken. You just can’t turn your eyes away. In their moments of emotional release, you feel their desperation, their pain and their fear. You root for them, feel for them, and watch entranced at the edge of your sit.
The supporting cast is also excellent. Elvira (Maidie Norman) and Edwin (Victor Buono) deserve special mentions. Both give great performances, and their characters are the catalysts for some of the greatest moments of the film.
Tension pours from every frame of the film. The atmosphere, the composition and the claustrophobic nature of the sets help create one of the most beautiful yet terrifying horror films I have ever seen.
And then there’s that twist!
Even without Blanche’s final confession, What ever happened to Baby Jane? would still be one of my favorite films from the batch. Still, there’s no denying that it’s a brilliant narrative turn.
For most of the movie, we are led to believe we have been rooting for the right person. Yet, Blanche’s gut-punching revelation turns you on your head. It successfully plays on the audience’s readiness to identify a victim and a villain. We are forced to wonder: if we had known from the start what we know by the end, would we still sympathize so strongly with Blanche?
In the end, I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t enjoy from this movie! If you’re not into gore or extreme violence, then this film might be right up your alley. If you’re not into horror at all, you might still enjoy it as well.
Grade: 10/10. Absolutely amazing!
Scare Factor: nail-biting tension.
Gore/Violence: nothing too graphic.
Nudity/Sexual Situations: none.
Previous Night: ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’ (‘32)
Next up: ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ (‘31)
