Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Henry Farrell (screenplay) &
Lukas Heller (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 December 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't Tell Anyone What Happened In The Summer House!

Plot:

The arrival of a lost relative, engulfs terror upon an aging southern belle, forever plagued by a horrifying family secret.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Guilt | Insanity | Doctor | Mansion

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 5 wins

Cast

Bette Davis	...	Charlotte
Olivia de Havilland	...	Miriam (as Olivia deHavilland)
Joseph Cotten	...	Drew
Agnes Moorehead	...	Velma
Cecil Kellaway	...	Harry
Victor Buono	...	Big Sam
Mary Astor	...	Jewel Mayhew
Wesley Addy	...	Sheriff
William Campbell	...	Paul Marchand
Bruce Dern	...	John Mayhew
Frank Ferguson	...	Editor
George Kennedy	...	Foreman
Dave Willock	...	Taxi Driver
Michel Petit	...	Gang Leader (as Michael Petit)
John Megna	...	New Boy

Also Known As:

What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:T | Germany:12 (nf) | West Germany:18 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #20791) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Associates & Aldrich Company, The

Trivia:

Bette Davis' trailer was parked at the front of the mansion but she was seldom there. She set up a huge mirror in the hallway of the house and she put on her makeup there. At lunchtime she had her meals outside, with the director and the grips.

Goofs:

Continuity: While waiting outside the Hollis home, Willis licks and seals the letter for Charlotte. When she opens it, however, it is unsealed.

Quotes:

Jewel Mayhew: Well, right here on the public street, in the light of day, let me tell you, Miriam Deering, that murder starts in the heart, and its first weapon is a vicious tongue.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dallas: Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie (#7.29)" (1984)

Soundtrack:

Good Night, Ladies

Grand Guignol with a heart

"Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" is after all is said and done really a rather sweetly sad movie. The lurid opening with it's bloody murder sequence is only a set-up and a tease: nothing remotely like it occurs for the remainder of the film. (By today's "Scream" standards, of course, this sequence is tepid.) The value of watching this movie, as many (maybe most) people will comment, is the dialog and the performances. Two of the supporting character performances are remarkable, for two entirely different reasons. Agnes Morehead was roundly praised in 1964 for her performance in this movie, and even got an Academy Award nomination. It was, however, a completely misguided conceptualization that comes across as a racist "Amos and Andy" burlesque sketch. The other performance is by Mary Astor as Jewel Mayhew. This was Mary Astor's last performance in a movie, and in her big scene with the actor Cecil Kellaway she is Oscar-worthy. With over-the-top performances in no short supply in this picture, it is understandable that Astor's marvel of delicacy and restraint hardly ever gets a mention.