Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
1964 - 20th Century Fox
Directed by Robert Aldrich



SYNOPSIS

Aging southern belle Charlotte (Bette Davis,) accused but never convicted of murder years ago, lives in her family's decaying mansion. Crews intent to knock down the building to make way for a new bridge. Her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland) arrives and fires Charlotte's maid (Agnes Moorehead.) Miriam teams up with Charlotte's doctor (Joseph Cotten) to drive the woman crazy so they can get their hands on her vast family fortune. Miriam also harbors a dark secret about the past.



MY THOUGHTS

A dark, Gothic suspense teams some vets of classic Hollywood.

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte was originally seen as a follow-up to What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? and would re-team Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Their cantankerous relationship forced Crawford to leave the production.
In Crawford's place, Olivia de Havilland is cast against-type and does a remarkable job as the scheming Miriam.

Like in Baby Jane, Bette Davis proves she can play crazy. Here, it's a different kind of crazy and she gives a slightly less over-the-top performance but she's still exciting to watch.

Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead provide solid support. The two were both a part of Orson Welles' Mercury Theater radio series, best known for the infamous War Of The Worlds episode. They later appeared in both of Welles' Mercury Theater films Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons.
The film is also Mary Astor's last film before she retired. She only appears briefly.

Sweet Charlotte was beautifully shot in black and white, which was perfectly suited for the material, mood, and all the stars from Hollywood's golden age present in the film.
The script is solid and keeps the audience guessing if Charlotte really killed her beau that night up until the climax.

Still, the film is a bit long (about 2:15) and could have used a little trimming, especially in the slow moving middle of the film.

The great performances and elements of shock and suspense help to fuel this entertaining film and keep it interesting.