THE HATE SHOSHOW
Epic Bette/Joan ‘Feud’ fuels new scenery-chewing miniseries
By ROBERT RORKE R
YAN Murphy is an actor’s best friend. Through several seasons of “American Horror Story” and last year’s “The People v. OJ Simpson,”
he has handed terrific roles to everyone from Kathy Bates to Courtney B. Vance Jr. — and they have more than risen to the challenge.
This year’s Murphy extravaganza, “Feud,” has another clutch of great roles, and he really lets his cast cut loose. The eight-part series is a scenery-chewing homage to the scenery chewing that went on behind the scenes — and in front of the camera — on one of Hollywood’s most infamous movies, 1962’s “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” The film starred Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and was a surprise hit powered by two classic stars from the 1940s who battled each other for every grisly inch of footage.
There are many versions of how filming this movie went down, but in this retelling, the stars were pitted against each other by director Robert Aldrich (Alfred Molina) and parasitical gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Judy Davis). When studio boss Jack Warner (Stanley Tucci) watches the rushes of the famous “But ya’ are in that wheelchair, Blanche. Ya’ are!” scene, he licks his chops. “Pure naked rancor, I want more,” he says.
On that score, “Feud” more than delivers. Davis constantly needles Crawford, calling her “Lucille” (her real name) on set and telling her to lose the shoulder pads and not wear so much lipstick — in other words, play Blanche Hudson, not “Joan Crawford.” As actresses, they were not equals, which is instantly clear when Davis has the ingenious idea to wear one of Crawford’s wigs from an old movie and paint her face kabuki white, upstaging Crawford. Her entrance on set leaves Aldrich and the already-insecure Crawford with their mouths agape. Davis takes a ladyladylike bow, eyeballs AldAldrich and says, “Hello, DDad-dy!” And they’re ooff to the races.
Several classic sscenes from “Baby JaJane” are lovingly rerecreated, both in color, as they are being filmed, and in black-and-white, as they apappear on screen. The scene with Crawford watching off-camera as Davis kicks the crap out of a dummy is positively frightening — especially when Aldrich tells Crawford it’s her turn to get on the floor for the “medium shots” and Davis lands one swift kick to her head (“I barely touched her!” she protests none-too-convincingly.) But Crawford has her revenge. Whendragher several revealslined bedroom,Blanchewiththe takesshe’s timetwo beenon across Crawford 10-poundcomes purpose wearingthe for screwsfloor weights.and Janea belt laterof to up Ouch!more performers,their combinedtime But “Baby50s, vulnerable“Feud” havingeight Jane”who wisely husbandsgone sides wereis completed.gives throughof alone bothus by in the thea Theysamefrom (Molly the time. were Price)bed Davis steelyhe for sharesa wakensand late-nightneedywith Aldrichhisat pep the wife tatalk Cominghohouse, that Crawfordhometurns intoto bemoansan a emptybooty call. “themy life.” mad Her rush loyal that assistant,used to be Mamasitagigives her a (Jackie reality Hoffman),check: “WWomen outlive men, children leleave, just get used to it.”
But if either Davis or Crawfoford were interested in reality, stars, wouldn’twould they? have And been we movie wwouldn’t still be watching ththeir films. “Feud” gives you the glamour and grit of old Hollywood and the joy of watching Sarandon and Lange duke it out in their best roles in years. The supporting cast — Tucci, Molina and Davis — is sublime.