‘Sister, sister, oh so fair, why is there blood all over your hair?’
Baby Jane Hudson was a little girl with rosy cheeks, blonde ringlets and a voice and act that would fill the seats of a whole theatre. From tap dancing to singing the classic “I’ve written a letter to Daddy”, this sweet little girl would sell more life-like dollies than Shirley Temple. Her young sister Blanche, on the other hand, isn’t such a star. Lonely off-stage, watching Jane blossom and hidden in her siblings shadow Blanche can only dream of hitting it big.
As the years pass on the tables turn. Blanche becomes a major star on the big screen, hitting the big bucks and making movies that will soon be remembered as classics. However, disaster strikes as Blanche is involved in a terrible car crash which leaves her paralysed from the waist down.
Years later we see Jane caring for her wheelchair-bound sister. Every morning she cakes herself in make-up and dresses in girl-like frocks believing she is still the 7 year-old star she once was. Jane never really grew up. With Blanche’s old television series airing on T.V, Jane becomes envious and turns nastier and nastier. Things start out easy, then gradually Jane’s behaviour darkens and you find yourself backing into the safety of the cushions to see what happens next. As certain events unfold, one including a bird, Jane starts to isolate her beloved Blanche, backing her into the lonely prison of her own bedroom.
This grotesque, creepy classic is captivating, and Bette Davis – portraying the obsessed Baby Jane Hudson – is perfect for the role, and is well deserved of the Academy Award nomination that she received for her performance. Joan Crawford plays the innocent, fragile Blanche Hudson, who doesn’t quite steal the show like Davis
The film starts off slow but gradually picks up pace. The director, Robert Aldrich, shows both the history of the two girls and the sinister present. He, along with Davis and Crawford, deliver a twisted and frankly scary tale of two sisters to its audiences. An entertaining watch, one that can strongly be recommended.
