Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

"Where you are I could spit in your eye with no strain at all." - Bette Davis (as Charlotte Hollis in 'Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte')


'Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte' is a 1964 horror thriller starring Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Victor Buono, Cecil Kellaway and Mary Astor. The gothic melodrama was directed and produced by Robert Aldrich.

The film begins in 1927 at a party at the Hollis mansion in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. During the party John Mayhew (played by Bruce Dern) is murdered and decapitated. When Charlotte Hollis (played by Davis) returns to the party with blood on her dress, she is presumed to be the murderer.

The film then jumps to 1964, with Charlotte still living in the mansion, still unmarried and still traumatised by the horrific murder of John Mayhey. When Charlotte's cousin Miriam (played by de Havilland) comes to stay, Charlotte's sanity deteriorates further as she is haunted by mysterious music playing during the night, and horrific hallucinations. In an attempt to prove her sanity, Charlotte is forced to fight against the plot of insanity tormenting her.

Watch the trailer:

Whatever Happened to... Joan Crawford?

Joan Crawford on the set of
'Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte'
before her sudden departure

Following the success of 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' in 1962, director Robert Aldrich planned to reunite the three stars of the film (Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Victor Buono) in 'Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte'. After a few days on the set, Joan Crawford quit the film amid claims she was unwell. There has been speculation the true reason why Crawford left was because she feared she would be upstaged once again by rival Bette Davis, who had done so in 1962 with an Oscar nomination for 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane'.  After the role of Miriam was rejected by a number of well known actresses, Bette Davis suggested her friend Olivia de Havilland would be suitable.

The title song

The Oscar nominated title song, "Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte" became a hit for Patti Paige, where it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Listen to Patti Paige's recording:

6 quick notes about the acting performances

Agnes Moorehead was nominated for an Oscar for her
performance as Velma Cruther

• Bette Davis' exceptional dramatic performance as Charlotte is a cross between her Oscar winning performance in the southern epic 'Jezebel' (1938) with the gothic overtones of her Oscar nominated performance in 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962)
• Olivia de Havilland delivers an effective and natural portrayal of Miriam
• Agnes Moorehead is brilliant as Charlotte's maid, Velma Cruther, and was rewarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress
• Sadly Joseph Cotten's acting career has seen much better days
• Victor Buono's appearance in the film is far too short to comment on
• Screen legend Mary Astor delivers a memorable swan song in her final screen performance

Did you know...

• After Joan Crawford's sudden departure, Vivian Leigh, Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Lorreta Young all turned down the role of Miriam
• The film was originally titled 'Whatever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?'
• Footage of the exterior of the Hollis mansion were shot on location in The Houmas in Louisiana, while the interior of the mansion were shot in Hollywood
• Victor Buono, who plays Charlotte's father Sam Hollis is actually 30 years younger than Bette Davis (who plays Charlotte)
• The film was nominated for 7 Oscars - at the time of release this was the most Oscar nomination a horror film had ever received
• Bette Davis was paid $200,000 for her performance
• This was Mary Astor's final screen film

Awards and nominations

• Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Agnes Moorehead)
• Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction in a black & white film
• Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography in a black & white film
• Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design in a black & white film
• Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing
• Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score
• Academy Award nomination for Best Song ("Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte")
• Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting actress (Agnes Moorehead)
• Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award winner for Best Motion Picture Screenplay

Closing remarks

'Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte' is a chilling and gripping horror story of murder, insanity and deceit. While the overall film is well made and enjoyable to watch, the opening sequence in 1927 plays far too long.

I remember first watching 'Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte' when I was about 15 years old, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since then I have seen the film a number of times, yet never seem to tire of it. Of all the films starring Olivia de Havilland, this is the one which I've seen the most, and is possibly my favourite.

The Screaming Woman - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

'The Screaming Woman' is a 1972 television film directed by Jack Smight, and starring Olivia de Havilland, with special guest stars Joseph Cotten and Walter Pidgeon. The film is written by Merwin Gerard and loosely based on the short story by Ray Bradbury.

The opening title card

Produced by Universal Television, the TV film was originally aired as an ABC Movie of the Week.




While walking the grounds of her property, Laura Wynant (played by de Havilland) hears a woman who has been buried alive screaming. 
Due to her mental history, Laura's family refuse to believe her, and use this as an opportunity to declare her insane and take control of her money. 


Terrorised by the sound of the screaming woman, Laura is determined to rescue her and prove to herself and those around her she is not insane.




Watch the film on YouTube:

Did you know...

• As of July 2012, this was the last time John William's composed a music score for a TV movie

Closing remarks

Average television film production of the 1970s with suspenseful musical score.
Olivia de Havilland gives a chilling performance, and single handedly carries the film. Although very mild when compared to horror films of today, 'The Screaming Woman' terrorised television viewers when it was first shown in 1972.

Niagara (1953) - Star of the month... Marilyn Monroe

"Kiss, kiss me, say you'll miss me..."

Marilyn Monroe is tantalising as Rose Loomis

Directed by Henry Hathaway, Niagara is the 1953 thriller/film noir starring Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters and Max Showalter, set against a backdrop of breathtaking views of Niagara Falls. Each time I watch this film, I have a burning desire to travel to Canada to see the falls in person. 

'Niagara' is an important film in Marilyn's career as it was the first film where she  received first billing, and with her overtly sexual performance she manages to steal the limelight from her co-stars.

Produced during the film noir period, "Niagara" despite being filmed in glorious Technicolor contains many of the noir elements and characteristics.

Marilyn sings the song "Kiss"

The film begins as Ray and Polly Cutler (played by Showalter and Peters) travel to Niagara Falls for a belated honeymoon. Upon arriving they find their cabin is still occupied by another couple, George and Rose Loomis (played by Cotten and Monroe). Rose is secretly in love with another man and with him schemes to murder George... the film will leave you surprised and shocked!

Tantalising Marilyn as femme-fatale is at her sexiest in this film, with the camera superbly capturing her curvy walk, and dazzling close ups of her face. Marilyn sings the song "Kiss", which she also recorded. The song is used as a recurring musical motif throughout the film, and will leave you humming it's tune long after the film is finished.

Niagara Falls as a metaphor

Early in the film George talks to Polly about Niagara Falls, how above the water is calm and slow, and it eventually becomes faster as it rapidly falls and crashes over the rocks. In hindsight, this is metaphorical in two ways. Firstly, it parallels the Loomis' troubled marriage. At the beginning of the film, the relationship appears to be calm, before a turning point, where the relationship "crashes against the rocks" towards the end of the film. Secondly, this parallels the structure of the film - particularly in the film's suspeneseful conclusion as we ride the wild rapids of Niagara Falls.

Niagara and Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol's "Marilyn Diptych" was inspired by
a publicity still from 'Niagara'.

Shortly after Monroe's death in 1962, pop artist Andy Warhol used a publicity still from 'Niagara' for his silkscreen painting 'Marilyn Diptych'.

Closing remarks

"Niagara and Monroe: The two most electrifying sights in the world" said the trailer. There's really no better way to describe the film, and nothing more I can say but make sure you watch this film.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Spotlight on Movie Mothers - Mothers Dearest and Star Birthday - Joseph Cotten

Star Birthday - Joseph Cotten

Joseph Cotten was born on 15 May 1905, and

enjoyed a prolific career of over 130 films and television appearances in almost 50 years.

Recommended viewing

• 'Citizen Kane' (1941)
• 'The Magnificent Ambersons' (1942)
• 'Journey into Fear' (1943)
• 'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943)
• 'Gaslight' (1944)
• 'Duel in the Sun' (1946)
• 'Love Letters' (1945)
• 'Portrait of Jennie' (1948)
• 'Beyond the Forest' (1949)
• 'The Third Man' (1949)
• 'Niagara' (1952)'
• 'Touch of Evil' (1958)
• 'From the Earth to the Moon' (1958)
• 'Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte' (1964)
• 'The Abominable Dr. Phibes' (1971)

Keeping with the spotlight on Movie Mothers throughout May, I have selected 'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943), one of the rare films where he played the villain, to celebrate the life and career of Joseph Cotten. 

Shadow of a Doubt

**spoiler alert - this blog may spoil the outcome of the film for those who may not have seen it**

'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943) is one of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces of mystery and suspense. It stars Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright and Macdonald Carey (best known for his role as Dr. Tom Horton on 'Days of Our Lives').  The film is an ambiguous character study into the mind of a misogynist serial killer.

The film is significant for several reasons:

• It was director Alfred Hitchcock's personal favorite of all his films
• It was Hitchcock's first true American film, which was made in America and set in America
• It was one of the rare instances where Joseph Cotten played the villain, instead of the romantic lead

After a mysterious opening scene, Uncle Charlie visits his sister, and her family after being away for a long time. His sister, Emmy, adores Uncle Charlie, and has named her eldest daughter Charlie. As the film progresses, through the eyes of young Charlie, we (the spectator) begin to suspect Uncle Charlie is not the man he seems to be, hence the film's title 'Shadow of a Doubt'.

The famous dinner scene

A very famous dinner scene occurs during the film. Through the point of view of young Charlie, we see Uncle Charlie's nasty side with a misogynist monologue:

"And what do the wives do, these useless women? You see them in the hotels, the best hotels, every day by the thousands. Drinking the money, eating the money, losing the money at bride, playing all day and all night. Smelling of money. Proud of their jewellery but nothing else. Horrible... fat, faded, greedy women."

This monologue shocks young Charlie, as she replies with: "But they're alive! They're human beings!", to which Uncle Charlie responds with: "Are they? Are they, Charlie?"


It is the glare in his eyes when he says this, which sends a chill down our spine and confirms Charlie's (and our) suspicions of Uncle Charlie being the wanted murderer.


Watch the YouTube video to see this scene. It's fascinating to see the photographic technique Hitchcock has used in this scene, particularly towards the end of the monologue.

• the scene begins with a shot of the full table - notice Uncle Charlie is seated at the head of the table, giving him a sense of power and control
• as he begins the monologue, the camera cuts from Emmy to young Charlie, showing the concerned look on her face, before cutting back to Uncle Charlie
• as the monologue climaxes, the camera continues to move closer to Uncle Charlie's face until we get to an extreme close up - notice Uncle Charlie's eyes never blink during the monologue, adding to the suspence
• as young Charlie says "But they're alive! They're human beings!", the camera continues to stay focused on Uncle Charlie's face - it is fascinating Hitchcock decided to keep young Charlie's dialogue off screen, as most directors would have cut to young Charlie
• as Uncle Charlie says "Are they?" Are they, Charlie?", Uncle Charlie turns his head towards the camera - this is intended to force the spectator to see what young Charlie would have seen, and puts us into her character, giving this scene further impact

Significance of the train

The motif of the train recurs throughout the film:

• Uncle Charlie arrives by train
• as young Charlie learns her Uncle's secret, we hear a train whistle
• and finally Uncle Charlie is killed whilst travelling on the train.

This recurring motif is not a coincidence. Hitchcock is using the train as a mechanism of suspense and to help the spectator in putting together the pieces of the film by subconsciously thinking about the train. 

Charlie's relationship with Uncle Charlie

At the start of the film, young Charlie refers to Uncle Charlie as the only person who can make things better. She worships Uncle Charlie and everything he stands for. There is a strong rapport between the two, and Uncle Charlie even presents her with a ring, which ultimately becomes the catalyst for the destruction in the relationship. 

This is likely to shatter not only young Charlie's perception of her Uncle, but also her perception of the world. If her Uncle can be so horrible, is there goodness anywhere in the rest of the world. Consequently, young Charlie (the person who loves Uncle Charlie the most) is ultimately the one who turns against him. 

Significance of the the mother

We see Charlie protective of her mother several times in the film. After her younger sister Ann yells at their mother, Charlie questions Emmy, "I don't see why you let that child yell at you like that." 

Once we find out Uncle Charlie's secret, young Charlie tells him: "I don't want you to touch my mother. Go away or I'll kill you myself!"

We see Emmy reciprocate this protection when Charlie trips down the stairs, and after her near-death suffocation. It is young Charlie's desire to protect her mother from the truth which prevents her from telling Emmy about Uncle Charlie's secret.

Emmy is blind to her brother's unusual behaviour. She does not feel intimidated or offended by Uncle Charlie's monologue at the dinner table.

Why is Emmy so blinded by her brother's behaviour? It could be because she is desperate to remember their childhood together. Uncle Charlie knows his sister well, and to provoke this sense of nostalgia he presents Emmy with photos of their parents early in the film.

After Uncle Charlie is killed, we subconsciously sympathise with Emmys. Hitchcock made an interesting decision to not include Emmy in the final funeral scene. This allows us (the film spectator) to make our own judgement on how Emmy is feeling.

Closing thoughts

I have seen 'Shadow of a Doubt' a number of times, and no matter how many times I watch it, I always feel a shiver down my spine during the chilling dinner scene.

Although there are more well known Hitchcock films, I strongly recommend watching 'Shadow of a Doubt' if you've not yet seen it.