1960 was the turning point for Horror/Thrillers, and now that the genre had leveled up in terms of respectability the allure of fertile creative ground started to attract more high-profile names. Filmmaker Robert Aldrich was regrouping from the disastrous historical epic Sodom and Gomorrah and ended up creating a new sub-genre. Grande Dame Guignol (simplified as ‘Hagsploitation’) centered on older actresses who were once glamorous, portraying characters whose looks and personalities had decomposed into nightmare versions of their former selves. Performances were theatrical to the point of high camp, supported by a thick Gothic atmosphere, where the crumbling estates reflect the characters.
This subgenre has roots in 1950’s Sunset Blvd., but it exploded with Baby Jane, largely due to the double barrel casting of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford playing sisters. A perverse showcase that demands flamboyant performances, Davis takes the part in her teeth to where it’s hard to believe how beautiful she was in the 30s and 40s. You can enjoy deciding if you prefer Davis strutting through wide, empty spaces or Crawford’s comparatively more understated work. It’s a patient movie, gorgeously atmospheric, with high quality production design and photography enveloping two All-Time Horror performances.
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