Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

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

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 | Mansion | Southern Belle | Hallucination | Insanity

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
Kelly Flynn	...	2nd Boy
Percy Helton	...	Funeral Director
Alida Aldrich	...	Young Girl
Kelly Aldrich	...	3rd Boy
William Aldrich	...	Boy Dancer
Carol Delay	...	Geraldine
Ellen Corby	...	Town Gossip
Marianne Stewart	...	Town Gossip
Helen Kleeb	...	Town Gossip
Lillian Randolph	...	Cleaning Woman
Geraldine West	...	Cleaning Woman
Maye Henderson	...	Cleaning Woman (as Mary Henderson)
Bill Walker	...	Chauffeur (as William Walker)
Idell James	...	Ginny Mae
Teddy Buckner and His All-Stars	...	Band (as Teddy Buckner And His All Stars)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adler	...	Mr. Howard, 1927 Party Guest (uncredited)
Jerry Leggio	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Aldrich

Writing credits
Henry Farrell		(screenplay) &
Lukas Heller		(screenplay)
Henry Farrell		(story)

Produced by
Robert Aldrich	....	producer
Walter Blake	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Frank De Vol		(as DeVol)

Cinematography by
Joseph F. Biroc		(as Joseph Biroc)

Film Editing by
Michael Luciano

Art Direction by
William Glasgow

Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton

Costume Design by
Norma Koch

Makeup Department
Gene Hibbs	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack R. Berne	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director
William F. Sheehan	....	assistant director
Sam Strangis	....	assistant director

Art Department
John La Salandra	....	construction coordinator
John Orlando	....	property master

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound mixer
Herman Lewis	....	sound mixer

Stunts
Evelyn Finley	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator (as Al Woodbury)
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Other crew
Adell Aldrich	....	script apprentice (as Adell Aldrich Bravos)
Robert Gary	....	script supervisor
Robert Sherman	....	dialogue supervisor

Production Companies

• Associates & Aldrich Company, The

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Key Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

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: When Charlotte is telling Miriam off at the dining table ("Sounds pretty dirty to me!") she lifts her wine glass to her mouth; a split second later she is lifting it mid-air.

Quotes:

Charlotte: You're a vile, sorry little bitch!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tomorrow's Bacon (2001)

Soundtrack:

When the Saints Go Marching In

Top cast in atmospheric Southern story

After seeing Olivia De Havilland in this film, it's hard to picture Joan Crawford in the role, as I believe she would have ruined the twist in the plot. De Havilland was perfect. She took the role of Miriam after Bette Davis personally appealed to her and after nearly everyone else had turned it down. Vivien Leigh allegedly said, when offered Miriam, "I can face a southern plantation at 7 in the morning, but I cannot face Bette Davis." Too funny if true.

But the combination of Davis, De Havilland, and Joseph Cotton is an excellent one, three stars from Hollywood's heyday in a turgid southern drama. Charlotte is a woman ostracized by her community after the vicious murder of her fiancé 40 years earlier. Her guilt was never proved, but assumed, and she lives in solitude, a joke among schoolchildren, who sing "Chop, Chop, Sweet Charlotte". When the town needs her land and she has to move, her cousin Miriam arrives to help her.

This film, in black and white, has a rich atmosphere as well as some very good performances. It was intended, of course, as a follow-up to "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" but never reached camp status. It probably would have with Crawford in it. As it is, it's a pretty good drama.