A Classic Thriller!
"What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" is a dark and disturbing film starring Betty Davis and Joan Crawford. The film centers around two sisters: "Baby Jane" and Blanche Hudson. Both were aspiring movie stars whose careers took off in different directions: Blanche became a famous movie star while Jane fell through the cracks as a forgotten child star. A car accident, however, left Blanche crippled and ended her movie career. It was up to Jane, then, to care for Blanche. One day a local television station began airing Blanche's old movies, which leads Jane to flip out...you can guess what happens after that! This movie ranks with "Misery" as a frustrating and disturbing film centered around being trapped in a house with a mad woman. Although there is an important twist in the end, you begin to sympathize with Blanche as she is tortured by her jealous sister. This is sibiling rilvary at its best. What's even more important is the real-life rilvary between Davis and Crawford off the screen...and Crawford's real-life madness (remember the movie and book "Mommie Dearest"?)... Thumbs up!

MASOCHISM VS SADISM
MASOCHISM VS SADISM

FINALLY A PAIRING OF BETTE DAVIS AND JOAN CRAWFORD. IT TOOK OVER 30 YEARS! DAVIS GOT THE NOMINATION, BUT CRAWFORD MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS THAT THE AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS GOES TO ANNE BANCROFT FOR HER PERFORMANCE IN THE MIRACLE WORKER! BETTE NEVER FORGAVE JOAN FOR THIS, AND MADE LIFE SO MISERABLE FOR JOAN DURING THE FILMING OF THEIR NEXT EFFORT, HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE THAT JOAN HAD TO LEAVE THE SET! BETTE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS HAVING EVERYONE ON THE SET DRINK COCA-COLA INSTEAD OF PEPSI JUST TO SPITE TO SPITE JOAN, AS JOAN WAS STILL ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT PEPSI-COLA. FORTUNATELY, OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND WAS EXCEPTIONAL IN HER PERFORMANCE IN THIS FOLLOW-UP FILM TO BABY JANE.

A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE OVERLAY COMMENTARY THAT ACCOMPANIES THE FILM. GENERALLY, THIS IS DONE WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO EITHER WERE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THE PICTURE, OR A FILM HISTORIAN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TWO MEN PROVIDING THE COMMENTARY ON THIS DVD, SEEM TO ACTUALLY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE FILM, ADMITTING THAT IT HAD BEEN YEARS SINCE THEY HAD SEEN IT. THE COMMENTS ARE SUPERFICIAL, AND OFTENTIMES THEY ADMIT TO NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT THE FILM, OTHER THAN THEIR OWN REMEMBRANCES FROM A VIEWING SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER. A DEFINITE DISAPPOINTMENT, AS WITH FILM HISTORIANS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY ADD ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FILM, THIS IS NOT THE CASE HERE. YOU CAN BY-PASS THE COMMENTARY ON THIS ONE, AND JUST READ ANY ADDITIONAL HISTORY FROM THE FILM BOOKS. IT WILL BE MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN WHAT IS PRESENTED ON THIS COMMENTARY. THIS IS THE WORST COMMENTARY I HAVE EVER HEARD USED FOR THE ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ADDED TO DVD'S THESE DAYS. I WAS SURPRISED THIS COMMENTARY WAS APPROVED. IT SEEMS TO BE A LAST MINUTE EFFORT, WITH VERY LITTLE PREPARATION (IF ANY) IN WHAT IS SAID REGARDING THE FILM.

ONE OF THE STARS IN THE FILM IS ACTUALLY SEEING SCENES OF THE LOS ANGELES HANCOCK PARK AREA AND LARCHMONT VILLAGE, AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL WESTERN COSTUME BUILDING CIRCA 1962. MUCH HAS NOT CHANGED, BUT THE FEELING OF LIFE IN LOS ANGELES IS WELL REMEMBERED IN THIS FILM PRIOR TO THE ONSLAUGHT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND THE SUBSEQUENT DOWNHILL TREND IN SOME OF WHAT HAD BEEN LOS ANGELES MOST BEAUTIFUL AREAS, ESPECIALLY THE MACARTHUR PARK AREA AND THE MIRACLE MILE ON WILSHIRE BOULEVARD INCLUDING THE BULLOCKS WILSHIRE DEPARTMENT STORE BUILDING, WHICH IS NOW A COLLEGE.

MACARTHUR PARK IS NOW CRIME RIDDEN AND NO LONGER HABITABLE. AT THE TIME OF THIS FILM THIS PARK HAD BEEN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS OF ANY CITY IN THE WORLD. THE FAMOUS AMBASSADOR HOTEL, HOME OF THE FAMOUS COCOANUT GROVE, ALSO IN THIS AREA WAS JUST RECENTLY TORN DOWN FOR PRIMARILY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO HAVE A SCHOOL. GOOD THAT THIS FILM PRESERVES HOW BEAUTIFUL LOS ANGELES ONCE WAS PRIOR TO THE CURRENT DOWNHILL TREND, ESPECIALLY IN THE WILSHIRE. MIRACLE MILE DISTRICT.

ANOTHER STAR NOT GENERALLY MENTIONED IS THE CLASSIC LINCOLN CONTINENTAL CONVERTIBLE BETTE DAVIS DRIVES DURING THE FILM.
WHAT ELSE CAN ONE SAY? THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT CLASSIC FILMS OF LATER HOLLYWOOD, WITH TWO OF THE GREATEST WOMEN STARS EVER TO COME OUT THIS CITY'S LONG AND IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF ACTORS AND ACTRESSES. PROBABLY THE BEST THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN!
VIEWS OF LOS ANGELES WHICH NOW ARE NO LONGER THERE TO BE SEEN, AS WELL AS THE COMFORTABLE NATURE OF THE CITY IS SADLY LONG GONE. THE FILM DOES PRESERVE THIS WONDERFUL PERIOD OF TIME IN LOS ANGELES THAT NO LONGER EXISTS.

DVD Arrival
This item arrived in a timely fashion; it was once a favorite of my and I was happy to receive it.

Makes a great gift
My friend really likes this movie. Espeically when Betty Davis is being the ultimate b*tch.

Bette Davis Lover
The actress's name speak for it self. This is a classic, one to be cherished for years to come.