- Actors: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Wesley Addy, Julie Allred
- Directors: Robert Aldrich
- Writers: Henry Farrell, Lukas Heller
- Producers: Robert Aldrich, Kenneth Hyman
- Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
- Language English, French
- Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- DVD Release Date: 1 Oct 1997
- Run Time: 134 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
- ASIN: 0790732246
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 111,327 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
A cultish horror favourite, 1962's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? will make you think twice before hungrily unveiling a covered plate of food. Bette Davis stars as Jane Hudson, a onetime child actress and singer. As an elderly woman, she wishes to revive her vaudevillian career, but she has become a grotesque caricature of her former self. Over the years as her star faded, the star of her older sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) rose, outshining the career of the has-been Baby Jane. Jane was relegated to minor roles, which she only won when Blanche demanded that she be awarded them. The film opens years after a calamitous car accident leaves Blanche in a wheelchair, with no one to care for her except the increasingly insane and sadistic Jane and their servant, Norman. Trying to punish Blanche for her years of success, Jane tortures the house-bound woman, slowly trying to starve her to death, all the while attempting to recapture the fame of her youth. This dark drama also stars Victor Buono as the hefty pianist who answers Jane's ad for an accompanist, hoping to milk some money off the demented old woman. Both Buono and Davis were nominated for Oscars for their roles in this suspenseful and somewhat sick thriller that exploited well the real-life antagonism between Davis and Crawford, while at the same time rejuvenating both their careers. --Jenny Brown
From The Studio
The only film to unite arch rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford- two of the biggest divas in Hollywood- comes to DVD for the first time in What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Two Disc Special Edition. The film has been digitally restored on DVD and includes four documentaries about the film and its two stars.
Bette Davis plays former child star 'Baby' Jane Hudson who is taking care of her wheelchair bound sister Blanche (Joan Crawford), herself once a leading movie star whose career eclipsed her sister Jane when they became adults. Now both forgotten aging relics of old Hollywood, the sisters live together in a chilling atmosphere of bitter sibling rivalry and mutual distrust. Their relationship breaks down completely when Jane decides to relaunch her career as an entertainer and holds her sister prisoner in her own room. This much-loved claustrophobic thriller from director Robert Aldrich is based on the novel by Henry Farrell and remains a horror classic.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Whoa!Bette and Joan at their ultimate best. The key to the brilliance of this movie is Bette and Joan trying their best to outact each other, their real life hatred spilling over into this movie, the result- a classic macabre tale of jealousy and revenge, with superb performances from two of cinema's Golden girls. watch out for the twist in the tale!!!!! Perfect classic movie gold.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Thrilling from start to finish. Sinister portrayal of ageing actresses coming to terms with growing old. Added entertainment derives from the two actresses being sisters who have a deep and distant past neither wants to discuss with the other. As they tolerate and exploit each other's weaknesses, a chilling plot unfolds with an unexpected ending.
An edge-of-the-seat thriller playing on the fears of helplessness and lost youth. Truely gripping throughout.
Bette Davis gives a cracking performance as the once famous "Baby Jane" with Joan Crawford playing the vulnerable weaker sibling. The two are matched perfectly for such an entertaining story.
42 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Two legendary actresses finally paired in this classic Hollywood movie! The film speaks volumes in the way Crawford and Davis approach their roles. There is a definite spark between the two on screen which is more than merely acting.
The extras on this DVD fill in the background of the two stars' career in Hollywood, which is really informative. The commentary, though informative about aspects of the film, is a tad rambling. The documentary about Crawford and Davis could have been much improved by better editing. Why cut from one talking-head to another so quickly? Why cut from one film clip to another after just a few seconds? At one point my head began to spin.
However, the film itself is well worth watching again as a true classic!
The extras on this DVD fill in the background of the two stars' career in Hollywood, which is really informative. The commentary, though informative about aspects of the film, is a tad rambling. The documentary about Crawford and Davis could have been much improved by better editing. Why cut from one talking-head to another so quickly? Why cut from one film clip to another after just a few seconds? At one point my head began to spin.
However, the film itself is well worth watching again as a true classic!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Hollywood Classic!
I am only 17 but my Mum has a great taste in films so she recommended this classic to watch! What can I say, with an amazing duo of starlets playing off of each other Bette Davis... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Hayley Blondiee Shannon
Old classic!
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford at their best! Fantastic film. Never tire from it. A 'must have' for everyone's DVD collection.
Published 4 months ago by Ange
dvd
could not find this dvd in any shop but good old amazon
came to the rescue thank you once again
came to the rescue thank you once again
Published 6 months ago by mary
Crawford and Davis are at their best
This is a great film Crawford and Davis at their best, a film that shows the best of American cinema with excellent direction, script and acting to create an atmospheric thriller... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Reegster
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? DVD
I ordered this DVD after seeing Bette & Joan at the Edinburgh Festival which was brilliant. It arrived very quickly and a film evening was arranged with the friends that... Read more
Published 8 months ago by jenny b
Er... I think I'll Just Have Some Toast.
The menu goes into drastic decline in this macabre tale of sibling rivalry.
Director Robert Aldrich gives off-screen rivals Bette Davis & Joan Crawford a chance to act... Read more
Director Robert Aldrich gives off-screen rivals Bette Davis & Joan Crawford a chance to act... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Seatinthestalls
BETTE DAVIS
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane (2 Disc Special Edition) [1962] [DVD]A TRUE BETTE CLASSIC,BETTE MADE CLASSIC FILMS IN THE 1960;s THAT TENDED TO BE CYNICAL,NASTY,ELDERLY AND BITTER... Read more
Published 9 months ago by James Toner
Absolute bargain and a classic movie!
What more can I say? If you want a genuinely scary film, with some star performances by Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, buy this DVD. Read more
Published 10 months ago by chunkymuscles
The best film of the 1960's
Two of Hollywoods greatest actresses do battle in a tale of jealousy, madness and murder. Bette Davis looks like she is having the time of her life playing opposite Joan Crawford. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Richard
The Classic chiller
I first saw this as a teenager, and enjoyed and was scared by it also.
Fabulous performances from both Better Davis and Joan Crawford add huge depth to a story of... Read more
Fabulous performances from both Better Davis and Joan Crawford add huge depth to a story of... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Karen
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