Last night I watched for the first time in around 30 years Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. I had almost watched it two days ago when I watched The History Boys instead. I've always loved the movie, both for its wonderful collection actors and its Grand guignol outrageous moments.
Last night I kept watching Bette Davis and her mood swings from over-the-top craziness to heartbreaking simplicity and thinking who could play this today and carry it off? Olivia de Havilland at times seems to be channeling Joan Crawford, the actress she replaced, in phony sweetness and then there's a fantastic shot - after dumping the body - where de Havilland's glare at Davis is so ugly and frightening that it's fantastic. I've always loved Agnes Morehead, and her "everything but the kitchen sink" performance is straight out of Tobacco Road and so zany. And what a wonderful lineup of men to play against these three dragons: the wonderful Victor Buono, the great Cecil Kellaway, a suave Joseph Cotton, Wesley Addy, George Kennedy, Dave Willock. . . . I may watch it again tonight.
As Annabelle would say, So much fun!