“We won’t give you a hundred of these two old bics”: 62 years ago, no one believed these two actors, they were worth the millions of this absolute masterpiece

In the United States, one of the biggest commercial surprises in 1962 was the extraordinary success of Baby Jane?

Square? During silent cinema, “baby” Jane is a big star, one of the first fruits. Its white and, shy and protected, remains in the shade. In the 1930s the roles changed. Blanche is a big star, Jane is forgotten. Now, after many years, they live with a common double neurosis. Blanche, a mysterious accident victim, is powerless, tied to a wheelchair, and seems to receive everything that has been transformed into a sadist nurse who multiplies poor treatment …

“We don’t even give you a hundred of these two old bic”

With two icons of the Hollywood Golden Age, the corresponding career of which was defeated by Wing, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the film was directed by Robert Oldrich, a filmmaker who had never been able to enter the Boxes Office for the past twenty years.

When Deedrich, who was referring to the names of his two actors, performed a studio tournament to find a producer who was likely to fund the adaptation of an episodic novel written by Henry Farrell and published in 1960, he responded to dry: “We don’t even give you a hundred of these two old bic”. At that time, the head of the wagon, Lou Wasserman, even denied the film, for the only reason he did not want to work with Beth Davis …

A mixture of parody, grotesque and pure terror, what happened to the baby Jane? One of the most popular cinema genre of the 1960s was the origin of the “modern Gothic” terrorist film. With this film, Oldrish proved that the emotion was mixed with the most incredible and grotesque situations.

In the hands of more experienced than her, this terrible and exciting story by reducing rival sisters, celebrities and madness, of course, would not have been the same lightning influence. But Oldrich, in full possession of his remedies, has dynamites thanks to a brilliant visual style that he has already developed in previous works, such as a fabulous fourth speed that came out in 1955, or an attack! A huge war film, in 1956.

“The press does not know what to maintain all the electricity that you generate”

Beth Davis and Joan Crawford have been two ready-made Warner and MGM Studios for several years. As long as it was Baby Jane?, They had no opportunity to work together. With their temperament, as well as their appropriate talents, some in the studio inside were rightly afraid of a possible blow between the two actors.

“Judging by the first reaction of the press, I didn’t know if I was going to produce and shoot a movie, or otherwise I just weren’t going to battle” Robert Oldrich will comment. Before his two actors were told “The press does not know what to maintain all the electricity that you generate.”

Additional Complications: Each actor had a favorite photography director. Also, when Robert Oldrish announced that Ernest Haller would be who would take care of this photo, the actors were fascinated by this choice. Ernest Haller was really the director of The Intruce and the Rebelious photos, two films for which Beth Davis won the Oscar for the best actor.

But he also took a photo of Mildred Pearce’s novel in which Joan Crawford plays … and who also won an Oscar for the best actor. In their arguments, Beth Davis still tried the last word, including in the film scenes. He also announced, with many bad faiths: “The quarrel is still between the actor and the actor, rarely between two women. Women are very smart that they have a quarrel!”

What matters. The actor is absolutely unusual, which delivers frost composition. Alcoholics, subject to devastating jealousy accessories, as if he were still ten years old, form grotesque and outrageous, like the disgusting caricature of his past, as a stellar child, he becomes more and more reprimanded as a film. Crawford, in turn, delivers a sophisticated and controlled woman to sacrifice herself, captive and helpless, desperate to save her uncontrolled sister.

“I think just to say that they really hated each other.”

If the film promotes a well -known rivalry between the two actors, Oldrich wants to find out in an interview he has given the famous biographer Charles Hitam, Celluloid muse. Hollywood directors talk :: “Two stars didn’t fight at all” What happened to the baby Jane? ” “

The film is quoted 5 times in Oscar in 1962: the best voice, the best black and white photograph, the best actress for Bet Davis, the best men’s support and the best costumes. The latter was the one who rewarded it when a precious statue was given to Norma Koch to give her work.

Two years after this triumph, which collected $ 9 million at the box office, Davis, Crawford, and Oldrich again found themselves for Chuti … Chuti, Cher Charlotte. But high conflicts, hatred, jealousy, and health problems have arisen in chaos. After a few weeks of shooting, Crawford left the film and replaced Olivia de Hawilland.

He also has a role in this wonderful film in the light years he has been able to play before, and we will have nature so as not to spoil the surprise. As for Beth Davis, he is once again imperial; No doubt than with a child with Jane? Which was already the main home of his huge career.

Would you like to discover (or look!) What happened to Baby Jane? It is available in VOD as well as in DVD / Blu-Ray.