Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2207 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-17
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Formats: Mono, Black & White, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English, Portuguese
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 128 minutes

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.

Customer Reviews

Classic Film Noir
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!

Extra Disc is an entertaining bonus!
I bought this (Aug 2006) and it's very good. So much has been written about the film itself, however the extra disc is worth it for the Crawford interview alone. Phillip Jenkinson in a rare interview with a composed Joan, questions her at length about her past film scenes.Bette's clips are honest and forthright as she chain smokes her way through various edited interviews.
Bette's singing scene on Tv with Andy Williams is a hoot! it shows Bette was gutsy enough to try anything!...

Bette & Joan Battle It Out
This very day, there was a two page article in a national newspaper about the alleged feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. They can say anything now and neither can defend themselves. To an extent, I am interested and fascinated by the feud too. Then again, I wish the millions of people who read that article would watch this movie, and see two of the most compelling and talented actresses ever, make a low budget masterpiece.

Due to the movie's low budget, both stars worked for a peppercorn salary and a share of any profits. This was not a normal deal at that time. The runaway success of the movie made both wommen rich for a while. Both were Accadamy Award winning actresses who had known critical and commercial success and also lean periods. Both had re-invented themselves before. Both were total professionals, and a professional can always make a come-back!

I have little to add to existing reviews of the film. It is a timeless tour-de-force of acting. I have always thought that director Robert Aldrich just let them go, but I may be wrong. His role may have been as crucial as that of his leading ladies.

This two disc edition is packed with extras about both ladies' careers, and ..er yes the feud. Well I suppose they had to. Don't let that take your attention away from this excellent film.