Joan Crawford or Bette Davis?

Just got finished watching Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Great movie.

There will never be another rivalry like theirs. Who do you think was better? I'm a Bette fan all the way.

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Are you asking who was better in this movie or who was better in their entire career? In this particular movie, Bette had a lot more to work with than Joan did.

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Joan was really the glamour girl who took a modest talent and worked like hell to better herself. She radiated star quality on screen at first but not much else. She put in the hours - grew with each film - learned by doing tons of radio shows. By 1937, she was pretty damn good. There are fine performances by her - as well as some pretty bad ones.

Bette Davis has pure natural talent but was hampered at the start by lack of the visceral impact and good looks on screen of a Crawford. She also worked like hell - to perfect how she looked and was lit. One could say that no one before or since has bettered the work Davis did in 1939 alone, including Davis. Also, All about Eve, is as good as later Davis got.

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They are like yin and yang.

Or like yang and yang.

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Bette all the way
I have been watching a lot of those great old campy melodrama movies recently (Baby Jane, Dead Ringer, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte etc) because my company is producing the UK production of Charles Busch 'Die Mommie Die' (as you can tell from my pic) and of course it pays homage to (and parodies) that genre

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For anyone who wants to know about Bette and Joan. Read Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud. Fun. Fun. Fun.

It's a shame that Bette's film career tanked in the 1950s. I wonder why Hepburn flourished in the 50s while most of Bette's films failed. Hepburn was nommed many times in the 50s for perfs that did not merit it or for which she was miscast like in THE RAINMAKER, SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER. What a shame she never did a film with Bette.

Joan was a star; Bette was a great actress and a star. Shame she never did VIRGINIA WOOLF with Henry Fonda like she wanted.

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it did tank in the 50s but she had one of her biggest hits with Baby Jane and Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte not long after

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Both!

Apples & oranges

I give the edge to Joan as back in 1974 when I was involved in trying to save a local movie palace we got a letter from Joan Crawford supporting us. I still have a copy of it. Hers was the only celebrity whose signature was precise and readable and totally ledgible.

I believe Bette was a better actress and had more memorable roles.

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I remember a long time ago Steve Allen had a late night show and He did a skit "Whatever Happened To Baby Fink". He played Crawford. No idea who played Bette.

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