Poor Charlotte Hollis. She's been shunned by the community for decades, ever since the fateful night in 1927 when her lover was hacked apart with an axe. Her antebellum southern mansion is slated for the bulldozer, as it stands in the way of highway construction. Charlotte's only hope lies in her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), coming down from up north to help settle things. Miriam, however, has other designs. Together with her boyfriend Drew (Joseph Cotten), she embarks on a scheme to systematically drive Charlotte out of her mind (not a great leap) and get... her mitts on the family fortune. From there, things only get more complicated. Charlotte puts the "gothic" in southern gothic, as a great showcase for completely bizarre, overwrought, and out-of-control performances from all involved. Agnes Moorehead plays Charlotte's loyal, dishevelled housekeeper to the hilt, with an odd inflection that calls to mind Amos and Andy more than southern gentility. As the drunken, conniving Dr. Drew, Cotten's accent is indeterminate at times, and seems to come and go. As great as the supporting players are, though, the crown goes to Bette Davis as the shrieking Charlotte, a portrait of isolation and decay stuck in a world of tragic delusions inside her crumbling mansion. De Havilland is a close second as the scheming Miriam; the scene where she slaps the holy snot out of a hysterical Charlotte is itself worth the price of admission. Mary Astor (in her last role) and Cecil Kellaway (as a kindly Lloyd's of London adjuster) put in the only performances with any restraint, acting as counterweights for the rest of the cast. Besides, you'll never get another chance to see Joseph Cotten playing the harpsichord and singing, or caked in mud and lily pads! With Robert Aldrich's claustrophobic direction, Charlotte is as Southern as a field of kudzu, and as subdued as a train wreck. --Jerry Renshaw [show more]
We will publish your review of Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte [1964] on DVD within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.
Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play The blood is on the cleaver the madwoman is on the loose the headless corpse is on the prowl and the Guignol is about as grand as it can get" (Judith Crist)! Bette Davis reteams with Robert Aldrich her director on Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? for this terrifying gothic thriller which also stars Olivia de Havilland (Gone With the Wind) Joseph Cotton (Shadow of a Doubt) and Agnes Moorehead who was nominated for a 1964 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in this film Charlotte (Davis) was a Southern belle preparing to elope with her married lover (Bruce Dern)until he was murdered Now 37 years later she lives alone in her mansion slowly going mad as she is haunted by the memory of the unsolved crime and tormented by the local townspeople who believe she killed him But when her cousin (de Havilland) comes to visit the skeletons begin to tumble out of the closet- and that&39;s when the terror really begins!Actors Bette Davis Olivia de Havilland Joseph Cotten Agnes Moorehead Cecil Kellaway Victor Buono Mary Astor Wesley Addy William Campbell Bruce Dern Frank Ferguson George Kennedy Dave Willock Michel Petit & John MegnaDirector Robert AldrichCertificate 15 years and overYear 1964Screen 1661Languages English - Dolby Digital (20) StereoSubtitles English for the hearing impairedDuration 2 hours and 7 minutes (approx)Region Region 2 - Will only play on European Region 2 or multi-region DVD players
Robert Aldrich directs this thriller starring Bette Davis as Charlotte Hollis, an ageing recluse who was accused of killing her lover, John Mayhew (Bruce Dern), as a young woman. Now living in the family home, alone except for her housekeeper, Velma (Agnes Moorehead), Charlotte faces eviction as plans for a new highway get underway. She refuses to leave, however, and asks for help with her predicament from her cousin, Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), and local doctor Drew (Joseph Cotten). While Charlotte's already fragile mental health worsens, Agnes senses Miriam and Drew are after her employer's money and seeks assistance from insurance investigator Harry Willis (Cecil Kellaway) who has already shown an interest in the murder case and has been in contact with Mayhew's widow, Jewel (Mary Astor). While the situation becomes even more horrific for Charlotte, the truth about what happened on the night of the murder may finally be revealed...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy
