What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? - 1962

I saw this movie on a couple of lists, so I wanted to check it out. I didn't know anything about it when I started, except it was about two sisters. It's based on a novel by Henry Farrell.

Baby Jane is a spoiled child star in 1917. She rules the stage and even has her own life-sized doll. Her sister, Blanche, waits in the wings and is treated like dirt. Her mother says eventually Blanche's time will come, and when that happens, she has to remember to treat Jane with more mercy than Jane has shown her.

Fast forward to adulthood, and the sisters are movie stars. Well, one of them is and the other is only getting roles because of a deal her sister made. Blanche is the more successful of the two until one night when a car accident paralyzes her. After that, Jane takes care of her sister.

Fast forward again, and the women are older now. Jane is getting crueler, and Blanche has plans to sell the house and get away. Jane is having some mental issues and wants to reignite her career. She expects everyone to know who she is, even though it's been years, and she looks nothing like the famous young woman. Blanche is in the way of Jane's plans, and nothing is going to stop Jane from getting what she wants.

I don't know how to describe my feelings on this movie. I was impressed by Bette Davis' acting. She could switch from the innocence of a child to insanity in an instant. The woman was scary. I feel like Blanche could've been a bit smarter when she was trying to get help. She threw a note out the window instead of yelling at the neighbor for help. She also didn't call the police and report her sister after working forever to get down the stairs. Instead, she calls the doctor and waits on hold just to say she's scared. Then, a mark against the doctor for being so easily put off the case two seconds after the call. And don't even get me started on when Elvira put down the hammer. I almost screamed at her. I'm a suspicious person, so I might be overthinking things.

Overall, I hate to say this is a good movie, but that's because I was so disturbed by the movie. I wanted someone to find Blanche. I wanted someone to notice Baby Jane was unhinged and do something about it. The twist at the end hit me out of nowhere, and I was slightly upset I didn't get closure on what happened after people were found. But I did discover the answer to the question "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" She lost her mind...Good Movie!