Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury and Edith Head are robbed of Oscars, 1963

Probably more drama backstage than on-stage, the 35th Academy Awards were held April 8, 1963.

Bette Davis was up for Best Actress for her performance as Jane Hudson in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, but her feud with Joan Crawford led to Crawford campaigning against her receiving the award.  It would have been Davis's third Oscar win, which would have been made her the first actress to win three Oscars. But Crawford's smear campaign worked and Anne Bancroft won the Oscar for her performance in The Miracle Worker.  I like Anne Bancroft, but I think Bette Davis should have won.  To add insult to injury, Crawford had arranged ahead of time to accept the award for Bancroft who was unable to attend.  

Patty Duke won Best Supporting Actor for her work as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker.  However, I wonder if someone had initiated a campaign against Angela Lansbury, because she should have won the award for her performance as Eleanor Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate.  I really think something fishy was going on there.  Especially since The Manchurian Candidate was only nominated for two supporting acting awards, nothing else, not even Best Picture or Best Directing.  

The Music Man won Best Music (Scoring of Music-Adaption or Treatment) for Ray Heindorf. Was there any real competition?

Henry Mancini won for Best Music (Song) for Days of Wine and Roses for the movie of the same name.  Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics. I'm not familiar with the other nominees so I agree with this award. 

What Ever Happened to Baby? won for Best Costume Design (Black-and-White) for Norma Koch.  Iconic Edith Head was nominated for the two costume design categories but didn't win either.  Hmmm....

Lawrence of Arabia was the biggest winner of the night, winning seven out of ten nominations.  

"Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" premieres 1964

One of the best movies ever, and not just from the psycho-biddy or hagsploitation genre, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte, starring Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland and Agnes Moorehead opened December 24, 1964.  A good wholesome movie for the holiday!

We all know about the feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford which led to de Havilland being brought in to replace Crawford after she was fired. 

The best performance in this movie was by Agnes Moorehead, who won a Golden Globe for her role and was nominated for an Academy Award.  She was the only member of the cast to be nominated for an award.

"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" released 1962

The birth of the "hagsploitation" or "psycho-biddy" genre happened when Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was released October 31, 1962.  Starring two aging actresses who's stars were fading,  Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the movie portrayed two aging actress who's stars were fading. 

It is well-known now that Crawford and Davis had a long-running feud but managed to hold it together to complete the movie.  Then they went back to fighting.  Crawford campaigned against Davis for her Oscar nomination for Best Actress.  The film was a financial success and garnered 5 Oscar nominations.  It won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black and White.

Davis and Crawford started to film Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte but Joan Crawford was fired before completing it and her scenes were re-shot with Olivia DeHavilland. 

Other films that followed this new genre included Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?, What's the Matter With Helen? Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?

My favorite movies - 1962

The latest Facebook challenge is to lists your favorite film from each year that you have been alive.  I started in 1962 (duh!) and the plan was to list several years at a time so I'm not posting these for the next year, but when I looked at the films from 1962, I couldn't narrow them down to just one.  So I listed five (not in any particular order)

The Manchurian Candidate (favorite thriller) starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury.




The Music Man (favorite musical) starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.




Hatari! (favorite action movie) starring John Wayne and Red Buttons



Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (favorite psychological thriller) starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis




The Brain That Wouldn't Die (favorite sci-fi, guilty pleasure) starring Jason Evans and Virginia Leith.