What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Before this tale of two sisters locked in the ultimate sibling rivalry became the hit 1962 movie starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, it was a novel by Farrell (1920–2006) written because he needed a commercial success to pay for his wife’s medical bills. As readers can see from this reissue, the original 1960 novel—about a former vaudevillian child star, Baby Jane Hudson, who torments her wheelchair-bound sister, Blanche, who was once a glamorous movie star—has a deep layer of psychological suspense that’s obscured in the campy film. Farrell delves into Baby Jane’s psyche, showing a woman mourning her childhood success and stymied by her inability to act on her emotional needs. A foreword by Farrell’s literary agent, Mitch Douglas, features gossipy tidbits about the Davis-Crawford rivalry. Three short stories, including the wryly entertaining “What Ever Happened to Charlotte?,” which inspired the film Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, round out the volume. Agent: Mitch Douglas, Mitch Douglas Literary and Theatrical. (Oct.)