1. The Performances
The original Baby Jane has become the stuff of Hollywood legend for its monumental central performances. Bette Davis gave a powerhouse turn as the grotesque, mentally disturbed former child star Jane. Her animated and memorable performance earned her her tenth Academy Award nomination for acting. Joan Crawford gave a far more subtle but equally effective performance as Jane's tormented, disabled sister Blanche. Whilst Crawford did not receive as much attention for her portrayal in the far less flashy role, she certainly proved she had the clout to perform alongside Davis (who had long been considered the more superior actress of the two), as well as proving to audiences that she remained as much of a glamorous movie star as she had been throughout her heyday in the 30s and 40s. However, the behind the scenes atmosphere between the two stars helped fuel both stars' performances. It had long been Hollywood hearsay that Crawford and Davis had a raging feud going on between them. This lead way to outrageous stories of on set bitchery and physical blows. In fact, Davis was reported as having kicked her nemesis in the head, causing a cut that required stitches. Crawford was rumoured to have had her revenge by lining her costume with lead weights for a scene that required Davis to drag her across the set. Davis - who already had problems with her back - subsequently suffered from severe back pain that troubled her long after production wrapped. Regardless of whether the extent of the actresses' dislike for each other really did spur such highly strung and vitriolic backstage behaviour, it's hard to imagine two current stars that could replicate such a convincingly dysfunctional and horrific relationship on screen. Without this fundamental element there's no way a remake could even begin to compare to the original.