8 Chilling Old-Hollywood Movies You Need To See
2. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
Perhaps one of the most iconic horror pictures of the 1960s, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane took the very real dislike between its co-stars and parlayed it into a legendary film.
The picture follows two sisters, Blanche and Jane Hudson, both former stars. Blanche is now crippled and relies on her mentally unstable, bitter and alcoholic sister to care for her.
Bette Davis delivers yet another stunning performance, this time duelling for the limelight with fellow legend Joan Crawford. Baby Jane plays as a tour-de-force of character acting as the women try to outdo each other with their considerable talents.
Davis shines as the sadistic Jane - her cackling laugh and shocking fright make up are instantly iconic. By contrast Crawford plays against type as the vulnerable, timid Blanche who has absolutely no escape from her demented sister's torment.
While watching two very real enemies fight it out is no doubt entertaining, Baby Jane also pushes the limits of what was allowed on-screen at the time. The film delivers some very real scares and unnerving moments as Jane serves her sister both a dead bird and slaughtered rat to eat, as well as bludgeoning their nosy maid with a hammer.
An undeniable classic, Baby Jane is chilling, tragic and birthed the wonderfully camp "Hag Horror" craze.