BETTE DAVIS’ WITCHY FAMILY TREE
Did you know that Bette Davis was a direct descendant of the women of the Salem Witch Trials? That’s right! She sure was!
According to a fascinating documentary on Bette Davis called Stardust: The Bette Davis Story, she was related through her mother to the SWT.
So, the next time you think about those bewitching “Bette Davis eyes” or the next time you find yourself enjoying one of her haunting chiller classics, just remember—- you may just be under her spell!
Bette Davis in A Stolen Life, 1946
It’s ironic that I stumbled across this when I did (such a beautiful photo-set!), because A Stolen Life (1946) is one of the very next movies I plan to watch.
One note of interest is that Bette’s 1964 film, Dead Ringer has been dubbed by many fans as a sort of follow-up to this one. So, don’t make the same mistake I made—-watch A Stolen Life BEFORE you even think about watching Dead Ringer!
FYI: Dead Ringer was quite good, by the way. Implausible, but good. Still, that’s the subject of another post entirely. ; - )
(Davis left, Crawford right)
This week is going to be tough! I’m already needing to unwind, and it’s only Monday! Would love to watch a little of The films of Joan Crawford and The films of Bette Davis, back to back. I liked them best when they were creepy, not in sad dramas, but in “campy” thrillers…starting from about the mid-1940s through to the late 1960s, I’d say. Would love to finally see Joan’s big hit, “Mildred Pierce” (1945). But, I guess I’ll let reality set-in first. Sigh…
What I don’t understand though, is that so many people have compared this to “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte” and while I am very close to liking t hat one, I think it is to blatant about the bloody, gory side of things. So, while I almost love it, I can’t quite bring myself to add it to my list of favorites because of that. It somehow repulses me too much. But, not this one!
This one manages to scare me ans keep me guessing w/o making me straight up hate the characters. In fact, I find myself feeling for the both the sisters in this movie. And, I think that’s why I love it——because it gives me all the thrills and chills of horror and suspense, but it also pulls on the heartstrings too—- which is quite a feat for a movie of its genre. Hence, this movie top in its class! Fantastic!
Grotesue! If you’re happy, and you know it, stay away from this film!, 14 June 2011
Author: IamTheMoviesILove from United States
With all due respect to those of you who love it, I have to say that I resent the way this movie made me feel! I watch movies to get a rush and a high of some kind, even occasionally by suspense. But, this one rubbed me wrong. After the gruesome murder scene near the beginning, I remained grossed out throughout the rest of the picture—-I just couldn’t get that scene, and the nasty take on the title song—-out of my head. And, yeah, about the song that was sang in the opening credits, I think it’s just plain gross and in bad taste! Now, I’ll admit that I know very little about horror movies from the Haze-code years (any film pre-1967), but it seems to me that “Charlotte” went a bit overboard with the overtness of violence and crudity—-for that time period, at least.
Speaking (well, typing) as someone who doesn’t really like horror movies as I don’t like being scared or grossed out, I have been known to make exceptions for the older films, because I don’t expect them to be graphic, only suggestive. So, this film was a real shocker to me! Because not only was it very graphic in parts (albeit, the visual effects pale in comparison to the level of gore that would be seen in a similar film of today, the point still stands that the intent of gore was there), but it was also very anything but suggestive in referencing it; I COULD NOT BELIEVE the lyrics to the opening song, “Chop chop, sweet Charlotte, chop off his head and hands” or something like that…just completely vulgar!
Please understand though, that my review and rating of this film is not to suggest that it is a poor piece of film-making, but rather that it does not happen to suite my personal preferences—-hardly at all! I also feel that parts of it were over-done, and that the graphic scenes were not necessary to move the story along, and therefore were, to me, in bad taste.
I’d advice everyone who believes in the cleanliness of all movies from the “Golden Age of Hollywood” to steer clear of “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte,” cause it just might burst your bubble! For a similar, but perhaps “safer” sort of movie, watch 1962’s “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane”——it may leave you surprised, but not repulsed. That’s my take on it, anyway.
