This is a very good show, especially if you love Hollywood
legends or old movies. Ryan Murphy shows are generally very
good, but sometimes they can be hard to watch (especially
"American Horror Story"). This is a very different show from
any of his other shows. The show is about how Bette Davis
and Joan Crawford, in the 1960's, while in their 50's and
not getting many jobs, fought to get a leading role in a new
movie, "Whatever Happaned to Baby Jane?" (a classic horror
film) The two women have a feud during the movie,
although they're also both trying to make a comeback with
the movie.
It's a very good drama and has many fine
actors. If you watch AHS, you will no doubt recognize many
of them. Jessica Lange plays Joan Crawford and Susan
Sarandon plays Bette Davis. Alfred Molina plays the film's
director, caught between the two divas. Stanley Tucci
plays Jack Warner (head of Warner Brothers). Judy Davis
plays Hedda Hopper, a gossip columnist that tried to get as
much dirt on the stars as she could.
The setting of
the 1960's is done very well, as is the music and the theme
song. They all remind you of old movies from that time.
Although it's hard to see Lange as Crawford and Sarandon as
Davis, they do great jobs acting, and the makeup does help.
You should watch this because it's very good. I really look
forward to seeing more of it.
There's only one
problem I have with this show. They hint that Crawford and
Davis were washed up because they were old (as well as
difficult and demanding). Well, here's the thing. That may
have been true then (and largely true now), but the other
problem is that neither Crawford nor Davis were every
beautiful starlets. They were great actresses, to be sure;
but they often played villains because they were definitely
NOT beautiful, so that probably was part of the reason they
didn't get as many parts later on and why they were in this
horror movie. It's kind of funny that Lange and
Sarandon, who both were very beautiful when they were
younger, are playing these "old hags" because they were way
better looking than either of them ever were. They're also
both just as good at acting (if not better). Also,
Catherine Zeta-Jones is way too beautiful to be playing
Olivia DeHavilland, who also was no great beauty.
Thank goodness we have cable television now to give the "old
broads" more juicy parts. Thank goodness for Ryan Murphy, in
particular, who gives a lot of roles to older people in all
of his shows.
MORE INFORMATION:
FEUD: Bette and Joan,
the first installment of the
new FX anthology series from
Ryan Murphy, tells the story
of the legendary rivalry
between Joan Crawford
(Jessica Lange) and Bette
Davis (Susan Sarandon)
during their collaboration
on the Academy
Award®-nominated thriller
What Ever Happened to Baby
Jane?, and well after
the cameras stopped rolling.
The series explores how the
two women endured ageism,
sexism, and misogyny while
struggling to hang on to
success and fame in the
twilight of their careers.
In addition to Academy
Award winners Lange and
Sarandon, the cast includes
Alfred Molina as the film’s
director Robert Aldrich,
Stanley Tucci as studio
titan Jack Warner, Judy
Davis as gossip columnist
Hedda Hopper, Jackie Hoffman
as Crawford’s housekeeper
Mamacita, and Alison Wright
as Aldrich’s assistant
Pauline.
Notable guest stars
include Dominic Burgess as
Crawford and Davis’ co-star
Victor Buono, Catherine
Zeta-Jones as film star
Olivia de Havilland, Sarah
Paulson as Geraldine Page,
Kathy Bates as Joan Blondell
and Kiernan Shipka as B.D.,
Bette Davis’ daughter.
FEUD: Bette and Joan
is created by Ryan Murphy
and Jaffe Cohen & Michael
Zam. Ryan Murphy serves as
Executive Producer along
with Executive Producers
Dede Gardner of Brad Pitt’s
Plan B Entertainment, Tim
Minear and Alexis Martin
Woodall. The series is
produced by Fox 21
Television Studios.
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