4. The Style

The original Baby Jane owes much of its success to the brooding, low-budget Grand Guignal styling of director Aldrich. After receiving rejection after rejection whilst hunting for funding for the film, Aldrich finally got a reluctant go ahead from WB studio head Jack Warner (who famously told the director he wouldn’t give him “…a dime for those two washed up old broads!”, despite the fact that at some point during his tenure both had previously been the biggest stars he had under contract).

Forced to shoot on the studios B picture back-lot, Aldrich received a meagre budget which lead to the choice of filming in black and white and on location where possible. This helped develop the overbearing Gothic tone of the images, which in turn created the distinct style the film is famous for.

Audiences today will most likely reject any film made in such a style (particularly as the horror genre inevitably seeks a teenage/young adult audience that is not going to be looking for anything as stylised as this should be), but made in colour and with a big budget appearance such a remake will simply not fit the narrative.

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