Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? made old movie stars genuine box office attractions for the next couple of years, especially Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the two big drag queen icons. Apparently this was originally meant to star Joan Blondell and Crawford only replaced her after Blondell was injured, which sounds strange – Crawford was always a bigger name especially in this sort of movie. Maybe this fact was wrong.
Anyway, Joan gives a typical “Joan Crawford” star performance – eyebrows flaring, a bit over the top but totally committed and right for the role, professional and strong. She plays a lady who married a younger man who was cheated on her (Lee Majors!); she found out and chopped his head off and so was put away to the nut house for 20 years. The story gets going when she’s released into custody of her daughter (Diane Baker).
Crawford supposedly flexed her muscles behind the scenes on this film – Anne Helm was originally cast to play the daughter, but Crawford had her fired and replaced with Baker – but Baker was a better actor than Helm. (She specialised in pretty ingénues with dark sides who were outshone by the female star.) Also she allegedly insisted on a big close up after Baker’s break down at the end – but dramatically it was entirely right that she got a close up.
There’s long slabs of time when not much happens in this film – not uncommon in psycho biddy movies – but the shocks, when they come are good: Joan lopping off Majors’ head, Joan waking up to find heads in the bed next to her, the axe murders (one of a dodgy looking George Kennedy), the finale. There’s also plenty of camp value, with Joan either being insane or going insane in various scenes, Joan trying to seduce Baker’s boyfriend, Baker going nuts – plus Pepsi Cola product placement, and a performance by some old guy who was head of Pepsi Cola. Directed in so-so William Castle style. But fun.
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