"What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" is a great picture from the early 1960s. The funny thing is that I've never ever liked Joan Crawford one bit but have always loved Betty Davis. This film is one of many Betty Davis movies that proves that she had no problem playing an unglamorous role. Here she's downright mean, nasty AND ugly! And if this picture had to star both Davis and Crawford, there's no way Crawford would ever have played "Baby Jane"! So what are my wrong reasons for liking the movie? Well, because of how poorly Davis' "Baby Jane" character treats Crawford's Sister Blanche character! I know it's just a movie, but I'm as big a Betty Davs fan as I am an "un" fan of Crawford's. Betty would do anything to look the part of whatever character she played. Sometimes that meant she was stunningly gorgeous, and sometimes, well, she looked like Baby Jane! My only complaint is with the makeup. While it really does a great job of appropriately making Davis' Baby Jane character one ugly woman, they could have backed off of the "white wash" a little. Shot in beautiful B&W, it looks far too much like they double-dipped Betty's face in a full bucket of white primer! Both stars are great here though. Crawford actually made me feel sorry for her, but my money's still on Betty. She should have won the Oscar that year, but legend has it that Ms. Crawford did her best to make certain that didn't happen . . . and whatever it was sadly worked. Anyway, Davis looks ugly and acts even uglier while Crawford's character is the sympathetic goody two shoes. And as a huge Betty Davis fan, it's what I call perfect role reversal!
Review of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
