Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
Director: Robert Aldrich
Starring: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten
Synopsis:
An aging heiress being driven from her land is haunted by the ghosts of her past, which wears down her tenuous grip on her sanity.
Impressions:
This spiritual successor to What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was originally supposed to team up rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford again, but Crawford got out of it during shooting (the official story was that she got sick but one account says that she faked it just so she wouldn't have to work with Davis anymore) and was replaced by Olivia de Havilland. Now, Bette Davis had already established her ability to play the part of a crazy old lady in Baby Jane, but what surprised me was de Havilland. I've always thought she was decent enough as an actress but her roles tend to be pretty bland. Here, however, she does an impressive job averting the kind of character you'd expect from her. There are some other big names from the good ol' days like Joseph Cotten and Mary Astor. While this isn't as good as Baby Jane, the twist at the end gets it some bonus points. If you liked Baby Jane, I think you'll find this one worth watching.
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