Bosley Crowther in the New York Times

November 7, 1962

Joan Crawford and Bette Davis make a couple of formidable freaks in the new Robert Aldrich melodrama, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" But we're afraid this unique conjunction of the two one-time top-ranking stars in a story about two aging sisters who were once theatrical celebrities themselves does not afford either opportunity to do more than wear grotesque costumes, make up to look like witches and chew the scenery to shreds.

As this pair of profoundly jealous has-beens who live alone in an old Hollywood house, where one of them (Miss Crawford), a cripple, is confined to a wheelchair as the result of a long-ago vindictive "accident," they do get off some amusing and eventually blood-chilling displays of screaming sororal hatred and general monstrousness.

Especially Miss Davis. As the mobile one who is slowly torturing to death the helpless sister whose fame as a movie actress eclipsed her own as a child vaudeville star, she shrieks and shrills in brazen fashion, bats her huge mascaraed eyes with evil glee, snarls at the charitable neighbors and acts like a maniac. Indeed, it is only as a maniac that her character can be credited here—a sadly demented creature who is simply working out an ancient spite.

If you see her as that and see this picture, which opened yesterday in several score neighborhood theaters, as a "chiller" of the old-fashioned type—as a straight exercise in studied horror—you may find it a fairly gripping film.

The feeble attempts that Mr. Aldrich has made to suggest the irony of two once idolized and wealthy females living in such depravity and the pathos of their deep-seated envy having brought them to this, wash out very quickly under the flood of sheer grotesquerie. There is nothing particularly moving or significant about these two.

Miss Crawford does have the less malevolent and more sympathetic role. As a poor thing stuck in a wheelchair, unable to counter or resist her diabolic sister when she delivers a dinner tray bearing a dead pet canary or a scalded rat, she might earn one's gentle compassion. But she is such a sweetly smiling fraud, such an artlessly helpless ninny, that one feels virtually nothing for her. No wonder her crazy sister finds her a deadly bore.

Of course, she does have her big chance to chew some scenery when she has to drag herself to the telephone and when she later thrashes about in pop-eyed terror with her hands tied and a tape across her mouth.

Victor Buono gets a nice chance to do some elaborate acting, too. He plays a fat piano player who is invited into the house. But his weirdly epicene intruder is little more than a colorful buffoon, a bit of comic relief, in the proceedings. He takes a fast powder toward the end.

Maidie Norman also gets in for a few tense scenes as an anxious maid, and Anna Lee burbles occasionally as the woman who lives next door.

Of course, we won't tell you how it comes out. But the revelation at the end would be enough to tag the whole thing synthetic and a contrivance, if nothing else did— which it does.

Paul V. Beckley in the New York Herald Tribune (1962):

    If Miss Davis' portrait of an outrageous slattern with the mind of an infant has something of the force of a hurricane, Miss Crawford's performance could be described as the eye of that hurricane, abnormally quiet, perhaps, but ominous and desperate.

Variety (1962):

    Miss Crawford gives a quiet, remarkably fine interpretation of the crippled Blanche, held in emotionally by the nature and temperament of her role. Physically confined to a wheelchair and bed throughout the picture, she has to act from the inside and has her best scenes (because she wisely underplays with Davis) with a maid and those she plays alone. In one superb bit, Miss Crawford reacting to herself on television makes her face fairly glow with the remembrance of fame past.... A genuine heartbreaker.

Motion Picture Herald (1962):

     In playing their rather implausible roles the two old-pro actresses have a field day under the direction of Robert Aldrich....[Miss Davis] acts throughout...with all her well-remembered bite and venom intact, while Miss Crawford plays it beautifully and nobly, as of yore.

David Del Valle column on the "Films in Review" site (Oct. 2009)

Crazy4cinema.com review

terrortrap.com review

threemoviebuffs.com review

fourwordfilmreview.com

Gabriel Neilson  (August 2010)

I tend to agree with this notion, most in the "physical" perspective. (Regarding money, careers, etc.) I did enjoy the movie. It was, in my opinion, well acted and thought provoking. It has since become a cult-classic and a bit over-done in some instances. However, I find it most worth seeing.

Most notable to me, however, is how this film has become a "gay-cult classic." As we all know both Miss Davis and Joan to be notable gay-icons (and much much more, of course!) it is easy to see how this film became that. How many times have we seen parodies of Baby Jane done by gay men? So much so it's nauseating! But even so! For myself, this is an important aspect of the film as it is what led me to find Joan. Being gay opens doors to new things -- without Baby Jane, the door to Joan wouldn't have been opened to me (at least for now). Thus, this picture does own (however unpretentious) a fragment in my heart.

So how do you rate something like that? It transcends that. Not that the film is one of Crawford's or Davis's best performances. It is not. It is neither the most emotional. It really isn't much more noteworthy for much other than that it did star two immortal and powerful actresses. But for me, it personifies much more. I do think that others like me hold that in common with this film.

All in all, a good movie, not great -- but inspirational work done by Joan, who never left her craft. A woman who lived, breathed, and died for movie-stardom, her fans, and her love for so many things -- a passion unlike any other's.

Jack Boyd  (November 2009)

Rating:   of 5

I absolutely adore What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? for many reasons.

It has been said that there was a feud between the two ladies while filming this. I don't think there was really a "feud" on set, though. I think the feud officially took place on the set of Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, in which Joan was replaced by Olivia De Havilland (another of my favourite actresses), mostly because of Bette's behaviour. I think on the Baby Jane set it was really friendly rivalry.

This is one of the films that should be shown to a Crawford fan, as it portrays one of her greatest films and performances. I think without a doubt Bette Davis should have won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and Joan should have been nominated.

Jane: But you are Blanche. You are in that chair!

Blanche: I was watching.

Jane (to Blanche): You mean all this time we could have been friends?

Jane: Blanche... You aren't ever gonna sell this house. And you aren't ever gonna leave it either.

Mrs. Bates: That Jane Hudson makes me so mad, I could kill her!

Jane: Oh, Blanche. You know we got rats in the cellar? 

Michael Lia  (October 2009)

Rating:   of 5

My thirteenth review for this site -- how fitting!

When I asked my Mom about “Baby Jane” with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, she let out this tragic, tired sigh and said, “Oh, that was so sad."

I think Miss Crawford thought so, too.

For my mother, Joan and Bette were still remembered for their past glories and glamour. My mother was of the opinion that it was a come-down. I think Miss Crawford thought so, too. Because where did she go from there?

My partner also despises the movie for some of the same reasons as my mom. It is a cult classic however, and I am sure that is how I found it -- you could not miss this movie in San Francisco! Not to mention the parodies of the movie played out on the street or in the theatres.

I watched and I loved it, then I watched it again about thirty or forty more times, and I do not think I like it anymore. The pairing of Joan and Bette remains the reason for seeing this movie. It ranks and it reeks at the same time. It suddenly seems like an implausible movie and it does go on too long. I can actually watch The Spiral Staircase or The Cat and the Canary with more fright and interest than I do "Baby Jane." But if you’re a film fan you have to know this movie.

Robert Aldrich (Autumn Leaves ) directed and hustled this movie deal like a ringmaster. Oh, if the script were a little better, tightened up a bit, Mr. Aldrich could have come close to real suspense and cut some of the 132 minutes of film.

Victor Buono is excellent in his screen debut, and the scenes with "my gal" Marjorie Bennett and Buono are full of comedic turns and well worth the pairing (they could have had a series). Bennett also appeared as the waitress in Autumn Leaves. Aldrich and Joan liked her, too! She was fresh air compared to the "goings on."

Same for Maidie Norman. She appeared with Joan in Torch Song as Joan’s secretary. Here she plays her scenes as professionally as Hattie McDaniel would and with as much force and meaning. She is really good and gets my attention.  (As a kid I was sorry she died.) It was still tough being a black actress then, but she hung on!

Bette Davis’s big fat mean boring “Christina”- like daughter is AWFUL, period. Ann Barton has a steady history and plays with some interest -- tough luck she had to play against a piece of wood like Little Davis. Nepotism is no good this time.

I can watch Miss Davis and be fascinated. There are moments you feel sad for this woman, and her acting and characterization are very good. Madness is creeping in fast. She is a killer. For me, it still has to be a dark night -- lots of rain and cold -- and then I am ready for some “Baby Jane."

The rest is history and folklore, but the movie did one thing: It gave Miss Crawford about a million dollars. (Today, I was saying to my mate that I need a "Baby Jane” -- of course meaning I need a hit, a bang, some good big cash! I need a “Baby Jane” to come to the rescue!) I am happy it gave Miss Crawford that success and I will leave it at that.

On a personal note: I was once able to ask an old-time publicist and Warner Brothers’ employee (Frank Casey) about the “feud” with Joan and Bette. We were in the lobby of the Park Hyatt hotel in Chicago. I was a bellboy, and Mr. Casey had just dropped off  Tom Cruise, promoting Risky Business (he is short). Anyway, Mr. Casey answered very candidly and said gruffly: “I would pick Crawford up at the airport and take her to the hotel, and then I would pick up Davis at the airport and she would just say, “Ohh, you were with her!” It was all very simple, sarcasm at its best! Like a running joke. (Mr. Casey did have a beautiful photograph of he and Miss Crawford from about 1955 on his entry hall table, signed, of course!)

Logan Stephens  (March 2009)

Rating:   of 5

Some of the best lines include:

Susan White  (December 2008)

I am 50 years of age ... saw this movie when I was about 7 years old and was terrified by it.  When I was around 30, I invited a friend over to watch it (she never saw it) ... I rented it from Blockbuster ..... from the very beginning with the 'accident' scene and the music playing ... I had to stop the movie and apologize to my friend that I couldn't continue watching the movie because I was already scared.

Very, very good movie!!!!!

Dennis Jones   (June 2008)

I never miss the opportunity to see this film (and I’ve seen it several times). The acting, especially by the two principals, comes as close, to me, as being some of the finest ever on film. Miss Davis’ deranged character performance proves why she was designated the 2^nd best actress of all time. Miss Crawford plays her part just as well. I simply can’t imagine any else coming remotely close to what these two achieved with these roles. And although the film was made in 1962, a lot of people that I know still discuss this picture, not just for Davis’ or Crawford's performance, but for the believability these two titans of the silver screen conveyed with their outstanding performances. We have but very few actors these days that can match--on a consistent, career basis--the caliber of excellence you’ll find in these two great performers. If you haven’t seen “Baby Jane” yet, your “great movie viewing” is incomplete!

Stephi D.  (September 2006)

Rating:    of 5

Personally, I thought this film was wonderfully made. Of course everybody's heard about the rivalry between Joan and Bette and it's exciting to see them work together because you can just kinda sense how much they hate each other.