FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
US, 2017, 360 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon, Judy Davis, Jackie Hoffman, Alfred Molina, Stanley Tucci, Alison Wright, Catherine Zeta Jones, Dominic Burgess, Kathy Bates, Kiernan Shipka, Molly Price, John Rubenstein, John Waters, Sarah Paulson, Raymond J. Barry.
Directed by Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, Helen Hunt, Gwyneth Porter- Haydon, Liza Johnson.
Feud: Bette and Joan is part of a television series of famous feuds. This is an eight part series made for television with high production values, writers, directors and, especially the cast.
The action of the series takes place from 1962 to the 1980s and the death of Bette Davis. The subject of the feud is the clash between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis which came to a head in the filming of Robert Aldrich’s Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. While the series shows the preparation for filming, the life of the director, the intervention of Jack Warner who had worked with the two stars at Warner Brothers in the past, the negotiations for the two to work together, it also shows a great deal of the filming. One of the strengths of this series is taking audiences into Hollywood, the moguls, offices, directors, actors, assistants, the technical details of filming as well as manipulation by the stars and the director trying to control the production.
The casting is very important with Jessica Lange impersonating Joan Crawford and Susan Sarandon being Bette Davis. They are both excellent. Also in the cast is Catherine Zeta Jones as Olivia de Haviland, taking part in the action as well is being interviewed in 1978 along with Kathy Bates as Joan Blondel. Again, there is a lot of insight into the star system and its effect on the stars and their getting older.
Alfred Molina is very good as Robert Aldrich, the filming of Baby Jane, his difficulties with each of the stars and their rivalry, being at the beck and call to soothe wounded egos, along with difficulties in his relationship with his wife who, after 24 years, wants to divorce him, and his children working on productions. He is looked down on by Jack Warner and his screenplay for Four for Texas is made all the more difficult by Frank Sinatra, most unsympathetically portrayed.
Key to the action is gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, played with costumes and hats, and with flounce, by Judy Davis. She plots, she insinuates, she threatens, she writes, she provokes – but is always on the side of Joan Crawford rather than Bette Davis and collaborates with Joan Crawford to undermine Bette Davis’s Oscar nomination and for Crawford to contact Geraldine Paige and Anne Bancroft to get them to agree to her receiving their statuette should they win – which Anne Bancroft does.
The rivalry between the two had never appeared together but who have common memories from Warner Brother days, shows the neuroticism of Joan Crawford, haughtiness, insecurity and self-image, her hard background, her drinking and her need to be working and to be popular. She is also the Pepsi-Cola? heiress. Bette Davis, and the other hand, was hard-working, haughty, also manipulative and mean-minded but more down-to-earth than Joan Crawford, readily appearing in television shows to promote her films.
The family background of each is shown and their difficult relationships with their daughters.
After Baby Jane there was the filming of Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, again with the rivalries but Joan Crawford and her antipathy towards Bette Davis consuming her, feigning illness, pulling out of the film and then being sued by 20th Century Fox. Olivia de Haviland takes her place.
There are also sequences where Joan Crawford makes Straitjacket for William Castle and demeans herself in axe-wielding promotion for the film. She is also seen at the beginning in the 1970s filming Trog for Freddie Francis, the small budget and no perks having a humiliating effect on her. In the meantime, Bette Davis moves towards television and films.
There are a lot of guest roles including Stanley Tucci as Jack Warner, John Waters as William Castle, John Rubenstein as George Cukor, and a lot of character supporting actors portraying more famous film stars.
The film was created by Ryan Murphy and his team with Murphy directing several episodes and a group of other directors, including actress Helen Hunt for one episode.
In one sense, the film perpetuates the gossip, especially through Hedda Hopper and her manipulations with each of the stars. But, the film also is an opportunity for audiences to go behind the scenes and learn something of the difficulties of moviemaking.
1. Strong television drama? The Feud series? The effect of eight episodes? Cumulative effect?
2. The 1960s to the 1990s, life in Hollywood, episodes in New York? The film studios, offices, sets, locations, cinemas and screenings, the studio heads, the directors, the casts, writers, the assistants onset, director’s assistants? Publicity, release, sneak previews, public and fans? The consequences? Hits and failures? The film supplying the background to Hollywood in the decades? The role of television?
3. The theme of ageing stars, glory days of their past, success, older, hits, lack of hits, rivalries, manipulation of directors, the world of the gossip columnists, artificiality? Marriages, children, challenges? Cinema, TV or not? The aftermath of the heyday?
4. The portrait of Joan Crawford, Jessica Lange’s presence, look, impersonation? Her origins, her various names, Bette Davis calling her Lucille, her brother calling her Billie? The poor background, her parents, her brother, sleazy atmosphere, the stag film? Her career and success at MGM? Let go? Her self-image? At Warner Brothers, Oscar? Her life and the influence of Jack Warner? The marriages, adopting children, treatment of them, the background of Mommy Dearest? Marrying into Pepsi Cola and her continued promotion of it? The 1960s, loss of opportunities? Haughty, her drinking, her manipulative manner, interactions with Hedda Hopper, with Bette Davis, the possibility of making a film, the approach of Robert Aldrich? Her moods on set, phoning Aldrich in the night for solutions? Her jealousies? The performance, no Oscar nomination? Her militating against Bette Davis? Going to Geraldine page to offer to collect the Oscar? The visit to Broadway and Anne Bancroft, getting permission? In the spotlight in accepting the Oscar? The effect? Straitjacket, William Castle, the publicity, going to the previews, wielding the axe? The possibility for Cousin Charlotte? The rivalry with Bette Davis, the tantrums, George Cukor urging her to be better-minded, her illness, real and fabricated, in hospital, pulling out, 20th Century Fox suing her? The filming of Trog, the humiliating circumstances? Her relationship with Mamacita, over the years, depending on her? Mamacita’s straight talk? Joan throwing the vases at her? Her illness, talk with her daughter, Bette Davis’s phone call? Her illness and death?
5. Bette Davis, Susan Sarandon’s presence and performance? Her life, the audition for Jack Warner, his considering her something asexual? Her career at Warner Brothers, confronting Warner about contracts, the support from Olivia de Haviland? Her success with All About Eve? The films of the 1950s? Having two Oscars? Her marriages, Gary Merrill? Her daughter, at home, criticising her, her lack of acting skills, not liking her fiance, her young age, the news about the wedding, the preparation for the lavish reception, the fact of the wedding in the registry office? The contact with her disabled daughter by phone, the later visit? The importance of Baby Jane, her presence, make up, performance, going on television, the promotion, Cousin Charlotte? Not so successful? Television films, The Law and Jake Wade, the challenge of telemovies, the phone call to Joan Crawford and her hanging up?
6. Jack Warner, his role at Warner Brothers over the decades, into the 1960s, the ageing mogul, surviving, difficulties with the studio? The discussions with Robert Aldrich, suspicions about Baby Jane, then promoting it, working for the Oscars? The discussions with Aldrich about Four for Texas, dealing with Frank Sinatra? His belittling of Aldrich as a hack director? His support of Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte and “hag dramas�? Aldrich’s revenge by taking the project to 20th Century Fox and Darrell Zanuck, Warner’s rival?
7. Robert Aldrich, his career, working on television, with Joan Crawford in Autumn Leaves? The project of Baby Jane after his work on Sodom and Gomorrah? Pauline and her devoted work for him? His relationship with his wife, the home sequences, the divorce after 24 years, wanting her own life, his children working on his projects? Negotiations with the two stars, double faced with each of them? At their beck and call? The difficulties of the filming? Frank Sinatra and his behaviour? Humiliating the script girl? Aldrich apologising? Jack Warner humiliating him? With each of the stars negotiating for Charlotte, Bette Davis as producer, Joan Crawford on top billing, the filming, in New Orleans, the presence and influence of Bette Davis? Joan Crawford and her snobbery? The rivalry, illness, the hospital, feigning illness, Olivia de Haviland and the finishing of the film?
8. Judy Davis as Hedda Hopper, the reputation of the gossip columnists, rivalry with Louella Parsons, Judy Davis is impersonation, the clothes and the hats, manner, gossip, threats, intruding into people’s lives, pro-Joan Crawford, using Bette Davis, playing off the two? Her intrusion about the pornographic film and Joan Crawford’s denial? Her physical collapse, trying to reassess her life and its meaning – and happy with the life she led?
9. The film maker and his interviewing people? 1978, Olivia de Haviland, in herself, her memories, her personal feud with her sister, Joan Fontaine? Memories of Bette Davis and the clashes with Warner? Kathy Bates, Joan Blondel, her career at Warner Brothers, the tough broad type? And her comments about fame and struggling for fame?
10. Victor Buono as an actor, in Baby Jane, Oscar nomination? His homosexuality, at the club, the arrest, Bette Davis posing as his mother, getting him released? His later devotion to Bette Davis – and his early death?
11. The filming of Baby Jane, its status as a horror film, the plot, the two sisters, the variety of scenes and their being filmed, Jane and her torture, the scene at the beach, Jane dragging her sister along the floor? The previews and success, and Joan Crawford basking in success?
12. The character of Pauline, the work, assistant to Aldrich, her strong stances, script, wanting Joan Crawford to perform, going to Mamacita for her help? Showing the script to Aldrich, his not reading it? Her continuing to work, leaving, her being interviewed, success in documentaries?
13. The character of Mamacita, as a servant, Joan Crawford Weems, years of devotion, the scenes at home, the issue of drinking, going to the restaurants, attention and disdain, Mamacita going to the studios, to New Orleans, fostering Pauline’s project? Joan Crawford throwing vases at her and Mamacita leaving, returning later for three days of work each week?
14. The portrait of Frank Sinatra, the filming of Four for Texas, his piggish behaviour?
15. The glimpses of Geraldine Page and Rip Torn, the reaction is to Joan Crawford and the Oscar offer, the visit to Anne Bancroft in her dressing room?
16. William Castle, his schlock films, promotion, audiences, fans, Joan Crawford coming down the aisle with the mini axes?
17. The filming of Trog, Freddie Francis, the limited conditions, the van for changing, the science fiction, B-budget, the scenes and Joan Crawford’s acquiescence?
18. The glimpses of television developing in the 1960s, Bette Davis in chat shows, singing, Perry Mason and other guest roles?
19. The film and the development in moviemaking from the 1960s to the 1980s? The star system? Fans?
20. Audience interest in the feud, the blend of gossip and insights?
