Join Us
Celebrity feuds have remained pretty common in Hollywood, and only a handful have remained as fascinating as Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Since the 1950s, the story of their bitter relationship has been making the rounds. But the speculative hatred reached its peak in the 1960s.
Much of the drama started when they were filming ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane,’ where, according to the movie storyline, they both despised each other. Since then, their feud stories have only grown more dramatic, from deliberately sabotaging each other’s performances to cruel pranks.
The rumors of their rivalry grew so much that they even inspired the television series ‘Feud: Bette and Joan’, which portrayed their relationship as a battle of egos. But really, how much of the so-called feud is actually true? In 2025, we got something concrete from Scott Eyman’s biography, ‘Joan Crawford: A Woman’s Face’.
Trending
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford’s Resentment Started Long Before ‘Baby Jane’
Back in 1935, Bette Davis developed feelings for actor Franchot Tone while filming ‘Dangerous’. But according to reports, Tone was then involved with Joan Crawford and even got married. Davis’ disappointment began to take root from there.
When they met in 1962 for ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane,’ their career had pretty much slowed down. When director Robert Aldrich offered them both lead roles, neither wanted to pass. However, salary negotiations created friction. While Davis managed to secure the highest paycheck, Crawford had to adjust.
What Really Happened Between Davis & Crawford?
Contrary to the rumors that have circulated over the years, Davis and Crawford were not fighting throughout the production. Director Aldrich later admitted that although the actresses disliked each other, they remained professional on set.
Bette Davis has herself acknowledged that Joan Crawford was always punctual and knew her lines. However, what escalated the problem was their working style. While Davis preferred delivering very emotional performances during rehearsals, Crawford often reserved her intensity for the final take.
As a result, Davis became frustrated and complained that Crawford was sabotaging her performance. Another incident involved Davis making a sarcastic remark to Crawford when she took a break because of a cold.
However, their real fallout came after the huge commercial success of ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane’. While Davis received the Oscar nomination for Best Actress, Crawford was completely overlooked. But she still went on stage to accept the award on Anne Bancroft’s behalf for ‘The Miracle Worker’. Bette Davis reportedly saw this act as a try to overshadow her achievement, and since then, their resentment has known no bounds.
Even though none of them publicly acknowledged the feud, their resentments never went away, even years later. But surely, stories of their on-set feuds have been unnecessarily exaggerated over the years.
Advertisement
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News!
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google News
