Baby Jane

[Windthrop]

A drama on Radio 4 Thursday about the making of the grande guignol flick What Ever Happened To Baby Jane ? starring Catherine Tate as Bette Davis and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Joan Crawford.



BBC iPlayer - Afternoon Play: Bette and Joan and Baby Jane

[Dandy Forsdyke]

I remember the remake with the Redgrave sisters *shudder*

[theuofc]

name='Dandy Forsdyke']I remember the remake with the Redgrave sisters *shudder*

I didn't see the Redgrave version. Was it *shudder* good...or bad? Thanks.



Best,



Barbara

[scenesixty]

name='Dandy Forsdyke']I remember the remake with the Redgrave sisters *shudder*

I once had this on VHS somewhere, truly abysmal!

[Dandy Forsdyke]

name='theuofc']I didn't see the Redgrave version. Was it *shudder* good...or bad? Thanks.



Best,



Barbara

Horrible.

[Rowdon]

My favourite version ...



[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aSJZWgnaz8]YouTube - Rod Stewart - Baby jane (1983)[/ame]

[Ray]

Although I am not a big fan of French and Saunders, I did enjoy their spoof on Baby Jane!

[Brief Encounter]

So Ray, is it true about Barbara being first choice for Mildred Pierce?



Good radio play, incidentally!

[Ray]

name='Brief Encounter']So Ray, is it true about Barbara being first choice for Mildred Pierce?



Good radio play, incidentally!

Yes Theo, it is true, she was big box office after her success in Double Indemnity. Director Mike Curtiz wanted her, but somehow Joan got it. I am a big Crawford fan, but I would loved Barbara to have done it. Her Mildred wouldn't have been such a victim, and of course it could have brought her that elusive Oscar. Nevertheless,Joan did a great job, and it's success resulted in her getting some of the best leading lady roles at Warners for the next few years.



I am looking forward to listening to the play on BBCiplayer this evening.

[Mr Sloane]

I thought it was awful too much explanation of what was going on ( Clark and Monroe are making the Misfits, Anne Bancroft is making the Miracle Worker etc both were lovers of Franchot Tone ). Joan Crawford making ironic comments about Christina and her diaries.



Catherine Tate had to be heard to be believed a cross between the Wicked Witch of the West and Mae West.



I suggested anyone interested in the pair reads Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud.

[Brief Encounter]

It was a BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play. What did you expect, Mommie Dearest? It needed some explaining for the casual listener, who may not know the stories back to front.



I thought both actresses did a good job.

[Mr Sloane]

name='Brief Encounter']It was a BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play. What did you expect, Mommie Dearest? It needed some explaining for the casual listener, who may not know the stories back to front.



I thought both actresses did a good job.

No I expected a good play that should not be beyond the limits of Radio 4.

[will.15]

As I said on that other thread, I thought it was very good. Actually, a little toned down from actual events. Director Robert Aldrich claimed Crawford did try to seduce him so he would favor her during the filming.

[Windthrop]

name='will.15']As I said on that other thread, I thought it was very good. Actually, a little toned down from actual events. Director Robert Aldrich claimed Crawford did try to seduce him so he would favor her during the filming.

Agree, it was well written and performed

[CaptainWaggett]

I enjoyed it and I learned something too (about the casting of Mildred Pierce and about Franchot Tone ). So I certainly don't think it was dumbed down. Radio 4 do a really good line in showbiz-related plays and documentaries - it's always wothwhile to keep an eye on the drama schedules and the late morning slts for these.

[Ray]

It was quite an entertaining bit of camp, shame that they were careless when checking the facts. Joan's character said, get Bill Aldrich on the phone,she should of course have said Bob.



She referred to her two older childred as Christina and Michael, her son's name was Christopher, Bette son was Michael.



Bette's character said that she took the studio to court and won. She lost the case, even though it was a moral victory when Warners paid her costs and gave her better roles.



The biggest mistake was when Bette said that she was not a Star but an Actor. I have many interviews from the past 40 years when she stated that she was indeed A STAR,and she would never have referred to herself as an Actor. That ridiculous term for an actress has only been used in the past few years, and I am quite sure that she would have detested it..

[Brief Encounter]

name='Ray']

The biggest mistake was when Bette said that she was not a Star but an Actor. I have many interviews from the past 40 years when she stated that she was indeed A STAR,and she would never have referred to herself as an Actor. That ridiculous term for an actress has only been used in the past few years, and I am quite sure that she would have detested it..

I wondered about that too. Did they not use the term 'star' back then? Also I wonder where Bette appeared in the box-office polls after hearing that. In the British ones I've seen, she's quite low down.

[Windthrop]

name='CaptainWaggett']I enjoyed it and I learned something too (about the casting of Mildred Pierce and about Franchot Tone ). So I certainly don't think it was dumbed down. Radio 4 do a really good line in showbiz-related plays and documentaries - it's always wothwhile to keep an eye on the drama schedules and the late morning slts for these.

Well they haven't got much competition from TV have they

[Ray]

name='Brief Encounter']I wondered about that too. Did they not use the term 'star' back then? Also I wonder where Bette appeared in the box-office polls after hearing that. In the British ones I've seen, she's quite low down.

Of course they use the name Star back then Theo. I have a great BBC radio interview which she did when she came over here for the London premiere of Baby Jane. When asked how she thought of herself, she said, A STAR, and after 35 years! her star status meant everything to her.



Actually Bette didn't appear in the list of the Top Ten Stars after the early '40's, not even in America. She first appeared in the Poll in 1939 after her success in Jezebel, she was listed at Number 6. In 1940 she was Number 9, 1941, Number 8. Her last appearance on the list was 1944 when she was listed at Number 10.



Her films were still making money up until Stolen Life in 1946, but she never made the list again.



Joan Crawford appeared and disappeared even earlier. She was Number 3 in 1932, 10 in 1933, 6 in 1934, 5 in 1935, and 7 in 1936.

[Brief Encounter]

According to the Quigley site:

Top Ten Money Making Stars - Poll Results

(you need to register!)



Crawford last appeared in the top 10 for 1936! (7th.) Prior to that: 1935 (5) 1934 (6) 1933 (10) 1932 (3). That was the year the poll began.



Bette Davis' last appearance was in 1944 (10th). Prior to that: 1941 (8) 1940 (9) 1939 (6).



The polls really do tell a different story to the legends!



Edit: sorry Ray, missed your posting. But seems we are using the same polls. I recall Bette was in the UK top 10 in the post-war period. I'd be interested to know how well both she and Joan did overall here.