Die! Die! My Darling!

   

     Thanks to Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, hag horror became a popular genre of horror movies in the crazy 60's.  Formerly graceful and glamorous, these Hollywood legends made a huge comeback in the early 60's, starring in a bunch of cheap and exploitative but thoroughly watchable suspense thrillers. The success of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? and HUSH, HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE unleashed a torrent of knock-offs, some bad, others quite good. Besides Crawford and Davis, stars such as Olivia DeHavilland and thankfully Tallulah Bankhead hopped on board the train, and DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! is a downright delicious entry in the genre.

     Tallulah Bankhead rips into the role of thoroughly batty Mrs. Trefoile, a former carefree party girl who's now devoutly religious. She's mourning the death of her son, who was engaged to a young and sassy Patricia, played by Stefanie Powers.  Patricia wants to pay her respects to her dead fiance's mother, and arrives at her estate. She intends to stay one night, and be on her way. But Mrs. Trefoile, already seriously imbalanced, is drawn to Patricia, and wants to "cleanse her soul" so she can meet up with her precious son again in Heaven. As a matter of fact, Mrs. Trefoile has no intentions whatsoever of Patricia ever leaving her house. Slowly Patricia starts to realize she should never have made this trip, but of course by then it's too darn late. Before you know it, Mrs. Trefoile has locked Patricia in an upstairs bedroom at gunpoint, and that's where the fun begins.

     Actually, all you really need to know about this movie is crazed Tallulah Bankhead toting a bible and a gun!...  Throw in a very butch housekeeper and a mentally challenged Donald Sutherland, and you've got yourself a steaming plate of 150% hysterical camp.  Rumor has it that Tallulah was dying during the filming of this film, and she most certainly gives it her all. She is truly something to behold. She comes across as both amusing and terrifying all at the same time, and equally holds her own with the likes of Joan Crawford brandishing an axe or Bette Davis serving dead rats. She is a hoot.  

      DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! is a truly memorable suspense thriller and camp classic from the 60's.  Being a Hammer production, and with a script by Richard Matheson to boot, you simply can't go wrong with this groovy and hysterical flick. Solid direction, acting, and claustrophobic settings all make for a wonderfully old-fashioned good time. It's absolutely fascinating watching Stephanie Powers going head to head with the great Tallulah Bankhead.

Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

  Two aging Hollywood sisters live together in a dark, spooky mansion.  One, a former child-star who's career never amounted to anything afterwards, takes care of her invalid sister who was a much bigger star in her day.  Now bitter rivals, the invalid sister, (Joan Crawford), is at the mercy of her angry sister, (Bette Davis), who's slowly unraveling into insanity...

     The Grand Dame of Cinema Schlock- "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" will never cease to amaze, fascinate, and entertain.  This movie not only gave Bette Davis and Joan Crawford a much-needed comeback, but also kicked off a wave of movies that would become known as 'horror hag'.  Just take an aging Hollywood star, put her in a cheaply made horror movie, and presto!  Audiences flocked to these kind of flicks, and today they are all bona-fide classics of high camp.

      Now, "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" is actually a great movie- Bette and Joan are certainly a formidable match onscreen.  The pairing of these two giant Hollywood icons alone would have cemented its legendary status.  But besides that, we are treated to a genuinely creepy and unsettling look at old Hollwood, ala "Sunset Boulevard".  Way more than just a cheap horror film, "WEHTBJ" is a riveting psychological study of 'stars' in Hollywood, and how desperate they will become to keep those stars shining.  It's cheaply made, but rather creative and very influential.

      Bette Davis and Joan Crawford simply could not be replaced in this movie- they are absolutely pitch perfect.  Bette scowls, brays, shrieks, and howls- she is truly a tour-de-force in acting here.  There is a reason why she's called one of our greatest actresses of all time.   As great as Bette is,  Joan equally holds her own here. We immediately sympathize with Blanche, and we're with her all the way.  Considering the myth of their supposed 'feud', it certainly makes watching this movie all the more fascinating. You can practically feel the underlying tension ooze off the screen, what with the legendary rumours of their hatred for one another.  Whether any of this is true or not, it certainly adds to the movie.

     This movie was a huge hit when released in 1962- and made such an impact that there is now a licensed action figure set of the two stars.  It's a horror classic, and one of the biggest and most memorable films of the 60s. The character of Baby Jane ranked #44 on the American Film Institute's list of the 50 Best Villains of American Cinema. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" inspired a slew of knock-off imitations and drag queens around the world as well.  It also resurrected the careers of Miss Davis and Miss Crawford.  And we'll forever have the charms of "But ya are, Blanche, ya are in that chair!"

Straight-Jacket

     Kids, Joan Crawford with an ax is all you need to know for this one.  After the success of "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" in 1962, suddenly middle-aged actresses everywhere- (Crawford, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Olivia DeHavilland, etc.) were starring left and right in cheaply made horror movies.  "Straight-Jacket" was Joan's follow-up to "Baby Jane" after leaving "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte "(which is a story all on its own...).  The plot is simple.  Joan finds her husband in bed with another woman.  She brutally murders them in bed with an ax.  After being institutionalized for 20 years, she is released to live a normal life.  She goes to live with her daughter on a farm.  She seems alright at first, but has Joan fully recovered?  But she quickly starts to wig out as a series of brutal ax murders rock the farm. Is someone trying to drive her back into madness? Or is it Joan, still crazy as a loon?  I live for this kind of stuff.

      First of all, "Straight-Jacket" is an absolute hoot from start to finish.  There are so many things to love about this movie, I wouldn't even know where to begin.  Joan Crawford is the star of the picture, for one.  I'm sold already.  Joan Crawford brandishing an ax.  Yes please.  And the infamous scene with Joan meeting her daughter's fiance is simply out of of this world and must be seen to be believed.  She's decked out like an 80-year old hooker in a floral print dress, dangling bracelets and black wig with bangs, right?  Swilling bourbon like a lumberjack, she blatantly comes on to the poor guy in a scene that's creepy and disturbing... yet you can't take your eyes off it.  Besides Joan in all her glory, you have to love the blatant placing of Pepsi products. "Straight-Jacket" also boasts a truly original, fun depiction of the Columbia Pictures logo at the end- complete with severed head lying at her feet.  Miss Crawford goes about all this madness with the utmost sincerity, which is what makes it and her so watchable.  "Straight-Jacket" simply is must-see entertainment.  Whether you're a Joan Crawford fan (who isn't?),  a William Castle fan, or just a fan of campy, retro B- movies in general, then "Straight-Jacket" is the one for you.