It’s fitting that ‘Baby Jane’ has an oft-forgotten sister movie—and it might be even crazier!
Welcome back to our queer film retrospective, “A Gay Old Time.” In this week’s column, we continue our month-long exploration of horror’s queer appeal with 1964’s Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte.This month, in anticipation of Halloween, we’ve been diving deep into how different horror tropes are used to reflect the queer experience on film.
However, this week’s subject isn’t so much about LGBTQ+ representation on screen, but a type of film that appeals to us regardless, examining a sub-genre built around the simple pleasure of watching older actresses go over-the-top.
In other words, gay catnip.What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? holds a special place in the lore of both classic Hollywood and queer cinema.
It came out at the tail-end of the Golden Age of Cinema, and was a direct comment on how the transition to a new style of filmmaking was leaving its former stars behind.
