Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964 Robert Aldrich & prod)

Nothing is what it seems in Lukas Heller and Henry Farrell's Deep South melodrama, which begins in 1927 with Bette's violent father Victor and the murder of her beau Bruce Dern. Cut to - the present, and Bette's in melodramatic mode (as is her housekeeper Agnes Moorehead).  Joseph Cotten is a dypso doctor. Then sweet cousin Olivia de Havilland arrives... (She wins the acting honours for me.)

Imaginatively shot by Joseph Biroc (perhaps influenced by Freddie Francis's filming of The Innocents), with a suitably twangy score from de Vol (a name which always sounds like a sixties hairdresser).

Rather long for what it is, but rather enjoyable (my only comment from 18.7.94 was 'overlong').

Features Cecil Kellaway, Mary Astor, Wesley Addy (very recognisable sheriff), George Kennedy, little John Megna (Mockingbird), Ellen Corby, Lillian Randolph.

It was very interesting to see this after Feud of course, knowing that Joan Crawford's scenes had to be reshot - and having de Havilland was in my opinion the better course.

That restaged read-through in Feud shows how carefully it was modelled on actuality. Note how everyone but Bob is smoking

Um - don't think too much about the plot (where'd the blood on her dress come from, at end they let Bette roam free to kill them?) And where's she going - to jail, to hospital, to freedom? (Actually don't mind the opaque ending.)