Alva Review-Courier -

Hollywood actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford began feuding in 1935 – supposedly over Davis falling in love with Crawford’s fiancé, actor Franchot Tone. Over the years, the Davis-Crawford feud became more intense.

Then, in 1962 the two put their differences aside temporarily and worked to further their entertainment careers. They starred in a movie together!

The movie was a psychological horror film called “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” The movie (and offering Davis a part in it) was Crawford’s idea.

Davis was so good in the title role that she received her tenth (and last) Academy Award nomination for “best actress” – even though most critics did not consider the film to be a great movie.

The movie was directed by Robert Aldrich who lauded both women for being professional when on the set, but he also noted that “they really hated each other.” Davis alleged that Crawford tried to get Academy Award voters not to vote for Davis (who did not win).

Crawford and Davis may have had more in common with each other than a mutual hatred that had grown and festered over the years.

Each was married four times. In each case, three of the marriages ended in divorce and one ended with the husband’s death.

In addition, both women had children who wrote tell-all books about their mothers, accusing them of psychological abuse and of basically being bad parents who put their careers ahead of their children.

Crawford’s adopted daughter, Christina Crawford, wrote the book “Mommie Dearest,” which became a successful movie starring Faye Dunaway as Crawford.

Davis’s daughter, Barbara Merrill, wrote “My Mother’s Keeper” in much the same vein. Both Davis and Crawford disinherited their children who wrote the books and both had other children who refuted the claims of mistreatment.

Joan Crawford died in 1977 and Bette Davis died in 1989. Davis was, thus, able to have the last word in the feud. Of Crawford’s death, Davis said: “You should never say bad things about the dead, only good. Joan Crawford is dead. Good.”