What Ever Happened to...
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1991 American psychological horror television film directed by David Greene and adapted from Henry Farrell's 1960 novel of the same name, serving as a remake of the 1962 theatrical film.) The story is set in the late 1980s and follows two reclusive elderly sisters in a decaying Los Angeles mansion: former child star Baby Jane Hudson (Lynn Redgrave), whose career ended after childhood, and her sister Blanche Hudson (Vanessa Redgrave), a once-successful Hollywood actress now wheelchair-bound after a car accident years earlier.[1] As Jane's mental state deteriorates, she begins psychologically and physically tormenting the dependent Blanche, exploring themes of jealousy, guilt, and faded stardom through flashbacks to their vaudeville and film careers.) The film stars real-life sisters Lynn Redgrave and Vanessa Redgrave in the lead roles, previously played by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in the 1962 version, with supporting performances by John Glover as Blanche's caregiver, Bruce A. Young as a delivery man, and Amy Steel as a neighbor.[2] Produced by Steve White Productions, the Aldrich Group, and Spectacor Films, and distributed by ABC, it premiered on October 20, 1991, with a runtime of 100 minutes in color.[1] Filming took place primarily in Los Angeles, updating the original's setting while retaining its gothic atmosphere. It received no major award nominations but earned praise for the Redgraves' intense sibling chemistry, though critics often viewed it as an unnecessary retelling overshadowed by the original.[3][4] What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? drew modest viewership and contributed to discussions on remakes of classic Hollywood horror, highlighting the enduring appeal of the source material's themes of resentment and decline.) Its campy elements and focus on aging actresses have maintained interest as a curiosity in the "hagsploitation" tradition, though it lacks the cultural impact of the 1962 film.Background
Source Material
The psychological horror novel What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was written by Henry Farrell and first published in 1960 by Rinehart & Company.[5] The story centers on the intense sibling rivalry between Jane Hudson, a faded child vaudeville star still obsessed with her "Baby Jane" persona from the 1910s, and her younger sister Blanche Hudson, a former Hollywood leading lady left paralyzed after a mysterious automobile accident in the 1930s.[6] Set in a decaying mansion in contemporary 1960s Los Angeles, the narrative explores themes of jealousy, isolation, and psychological torment as the reclusive sisters confront their shared past amid escalating abuse and delusion.[7] Though initially modest in sales, the novel developed a cult following, particularly after its adaptation, for its incisive portrayal of faded stardom and familial dysfunction in the entertainment industry.[8] The novel served as the basis for the 1962 film adaptation directed by Robert Aldrich and produced by Warner Bros., which starred Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson and Joan Crawford as Blanche Hudson.[9] Released on October 31, 1962, the black-and-white film closely followed the novel's premise while amplifying its gothic horror elements through Aldrich's direction and the stars' intense performances, capturing the sisters' claustrophobic existence in their rundown Hollywood home.[10] It received widespread critical acclaim, earning five Academy Award nominations—including Best Actress for Davis, Best Supporting Actor for Victor Buono, Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) for Ernest Haller, and Best Sound—while winning for Best Costume Design (Black-and-White) by Norma Koch.[11][12] Commercially, the film was a major success, grossing approximately $9 million at the worldwide box office and ranking as the 14th highest-grossing film of 1962, which helped revive the careers of its aging leads and sparked public interest in their real-life rivalry.[13] Over time, it became a cultural touchstone in the horror-thriller genre, celebrated as a camp classic for its melodramatic tension, iconic imagery—like Davis's grotesque makeup and Crawford's wheelchair-bound vulnerability—and its exploration of celebrity decline, influencing subsequent works in psycho-biddy and grand guignol cinema.[14] The novel and film's combined legacy established the story as an enduring emblem of Hollywood's dark underbelly, blending suspense with social commentary on fame's toll, and paved the way for later adaptations including the 1991 television remake.[6]Development
In the late 1980s, ABC greenlit a made-for-television remake of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? to capitalize on the original 1962 film's enduring popularity as a psychological thriller exploring sibling rivalry and faded stardom.[15] Producer Barry Bernardi led the project, with executive producers William Aldrich, Christopher DeFaria, and Steve White overseeing development.[2] Screenwriter Brian Taggert crafted a new script based on Henry Farrell's 1960 novel, modernizing elements to fit the 1990s setting, including the sisters' Los Angeles mansion lifestyle, references to home video recordings of old films, and contemporary disability aids for the wheelchair-bound character.[15] The adaptation emphasized psychological tension over outright horror, updating cultural touchstones to reflect the era's blend of nostalgia and modernity.[15] The production team selected real-life sisters Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave for the lead roles of Blanche and Jane Hudson, respectively, marking their first on-screen collaboration and drawing parallels to the original film's real-life feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford to heighten the sibling dynamic's authenticity.[15] Director David Greene was brought on board due to his expertise in handling intense psychological narratives, as demonstrated in prior television projects like the miniseries Fatal Vision (1984) and Friendly Fire (1979).[15] William Aldrich, son of the original film's director Robert Aldrich, served as an additional executive producer, connecting the remake to its cinematic predecessor.[15] The script was finalized by 1990, aligning with the network's push for star-driven event programming typical of early 1990s TV movies.[2]Production
Casting
The lead roles in the 1991 television remake of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? were awarded to real-life sisters Vanessa Redgrave as the wheelchair-bound former star Blanche Hudson and Lynn Redgrave as the unhinged former child star Baby Jane Hudson.[16] Executive producer William M. Aldrich selected Lynn for the demanding role of Baby Jane, citing her suitability for the grotesque character, while Vanessa portrayed Blanche; Vanessa endorsed her sister's casting, expressing confidence in her performance.[16] Vanessa's selection drew on her acclaimed dramatic range, including her Academy Award-winning turn in Julia (1977), to capture Blanche's vulnerability and elegance.[16] The decision to cast the Redgraves together marked their first on-screen collaboration in a major production, leveraging their genuine sibling bond—forged over more than four decades—to infuse the sisters' fraught dynamic with authentic emotional layers, thereby enhancing the film's psychological intensity and contrasting the original 1962 version's off-screen tensions between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.[16][17] The supporting cast featured Bruce A. Young as the handyman and physical therapist Dominick, John Glover as the exploitative video store manager and con artist Billy Korn, Amy Steel as Blanche's friend Connie Trotter, John Scott Clough as Connie's husband Frank.[18] These choices complemented the leads by providing grounded, character-driven presences that amplified the central conflict without overshadowing it, contributing to a tone that balanced campy horror with interpersonal realism.[18] The casting process emphasized the inherent contrasts between the Redgrave sisters—physical, emotional, and experiential—to mirror the characters' disparities, though no formal auditions for the leads were detailed in production accounts.[16] Preparation focused on immersion in the source material and adaptation to the roles; the sisters studied the original film and Henry Farrell's 1960 novel for insight, while Lynn worked to embody Baby Jane's childlike regression through nuanced mannerisms.[17] Both also shed their British accents to adopt American inflections, ensuring seamless integration into the updated, contemporary setting.[17] No significant controversies arose during casting, with the Redgraves' evident chemistry serving as a key promotional element to highlight the project's familial authenticity over the original's storied rivalries.[16] This approach ultimately shaped a more intimate tone, prioritizing relational subtlety amid the thriller elements.Filming
Principal photography for the 1991 television adaptation of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? took place in Los Angeles, utilizing various local exteriors to capture the seedy underbelly of Hollywood. Key locations included the Hudson sisters' mansion exterior at 501 South Hudson Avenue, evoking the gothic decay of faded stardom, and nearby 166 South McCadden Place for adjacent neighborhood shots. Additional filming occurred at Venice Beach for flashback and climactic beach confrontation scenes, Vidiots video store on 302 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica to reflect the era's video rental culture, and other Hollywood sites such as Schrader Avenue and 119 North Larchmont Boulevard for street and bank sequences.[19] Director David Greene, known for his work on television dramas like Friendly Fire and Fatal Vision, adopted a broader visual scope than the claustrophobic original, venturing outside the central mansion to depict a gritty contemporary Los Angeles while preserving the story's grotesque elements, such as disturbing meals prepared by Jane. Interiors were likely constructed on Los Angeles soundstages to replicate the confined, atmospheric tension of the Hudson home, though specific studio details remain undocumented. The production schedule aligned with typical made-for-TV timelines, wrapping in time for the film's February 1991 ABC premiere.[15] Cinematographer Stevan Larner employed lighting techniques to emphasize shadows and isolation within the domestic settings, enhancing the psychological unease between the sisters. Editing by Paul Dixon focused on maintaining suspense through measured pacing, balancing intimate character moments with external explorations. The original score was composed by Peter Manning Robinson, incorporating modern orchestral elements to underscore the themes of obsession and decline without directly replicating Henry Mancini's 1962 motifs.[18][20]Content
Plot
In the 1990s, the story unfolds primarily in a decaying mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles, where the reclusive former child star Baby Jane Hudson lives with her wheelchair-bound sister, Blanche Hudson, whom she both cares for and psychologically torments out of long-simmering resentment. Jane, still clinging to her outdated child film star persona, becomes increasingly unhinged when Blanche's classic films experience a brief resurgence in popularity through home video releases, reigniting Jane's jealousy over Blanche's past success as a Hollywood leading lady. The narrative employs a linear structure interspersed with flashbacks depicting the sisters' early careers—Jane's brief fame as a precocious performer in the 1920s and 1930s, followed by Blanche's ascent in sound films—culminating in the mysterious car accident that left Blanche paralyzed decades earlier.[15][21][22] Driven by delusions of a comeback, Jane forges checks from Blanche's accounts and befriends Billy Korn, a local pianist and con artist who recognizes her faded celebrity and agrees to accompany her in a nightclub performance; the attempt ends in humiliating failure, after which Jane kills Billy. Further fueling her instability, she escalates abuse toward Blanche, including confining her to rooms and serving her bizarre, inedible meals. Tension mounts when family friends Connie and her husband Frank arrive for a visit, raising suspicions about Blanche's well-being. Later, Blanche's loyal handyman and physical therapist Dominick discovers the abuse and attempts to free her, leading to a violent confrontation in which Jane stabs Dominick to death with scissors. As Blanche struggles to escape her captivity, she finally confesses the truth about their shared trauma: in the 1950s, as Jane's career was poised for revival, Blanche deliberately caused the car accident by running her sister down, paralyzing herself in the process to permanently sabotage Jane's success and maintain her own dominance.[15][21][22] In the climax, after the revelation, Jane takes the weakened Blanche to a nearby beach, where Blanche confesses in detail. Neighbors, alerted by the absence of the sisters, call the police, who arrive to find Blanche near death from dehydration. Shattered, Jane attempts to run into the ocean in a suicidal act but is stopped; following Blanche's full confession to authorities, Jane is arrested and implied to face institutionalization, leaving the pair's codependent bond of guilt, envy, and mutual destruction tragically exposed. Clocking in at 96 minutes, the television adaptation maintains a taut pace suited to its format, blending psychological horror with dramatic revelations.[15][21][1]Cast
The 1991 television adaptation of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane...? features a cast anchored by real-life sisters Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave, whose familial bond lent authenticity to the portrayal of the antagonistic Hudson siblings.[15] The principal roles are as follows:| Actor | Character | Description | Notable Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanessa Redgrave | Blanche Hudson | Reclusive, scheming invalid confined to a wheelchair | Academy Award winner for her dramatic supporting role in Julia (1977), demonstrating her depth in intense character studies. |
| Lynn Redgrave | Baby Jane Hudson | Erratic, childlike tormentor clinging to faded stardom | Academy Award nominee for her comedic breakout in Georgy Girl (1966), providing contrast to the role's psychological darkness. |
| Bruce A. Young | Dominick | Loyal handyman and physical therapist to Blanche | Recognized for his recurring role as Blank Reg in the cyberpunk series Max Headroom (1987–1988). |
| John Glover | Billy Korn | Greedy opportunist scheming to exploit Jane's vulnerability | Veteran stage actor with Broadway credits, including a Tony Award for Love! Valour! Compassion! (1995); prior film roles in Scrooged (1988). |
| Amy Steel | Connie Trotter | Supportive friend offering concern for Blanche | Known for her lead role as Ginny in the slasher film Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981). |
| John Scott Clough | Frank | Naive victim drawn into the sisters' turmoil | Primarily a television actor with guest appearances in series like Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990s). |
| Samantha Ryan | Baby Jane (young) | Child version of the title character in flashback sequences | Child performer with limited credits, appearing in family-oriented TV productions of the era.[2] |