In What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Joan Crawford played Blanche Hudson, a former film star confined to a wheelchair and tormented by her sister Jane, played by Bette Davis. Directed by Robert Aldrich, the psychological thriller reunited two of Hollywood’s greatest stars in a story of sibling rivalry, fame and decay.
Blanche is gentle, frightened and dignified, and Crawford played her with a restraint that made Jane’s cruelty all the more shocking. The film’s success revived both actresses’ careers and created a new genre of horror centred on ageing stars.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? remains a cult classic, and Crawford’s Blanche is its emotional centre — a performance of quiet strength amid the film’s celebrated excess.