Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

What an entertaining movie! It's the Southern setting that gives the film its potent flavor, with that overwrought plantation house, the Southern accents, the small town gossip, antebellum attitudes, and the music at the party in 1927. The script's dialogue also reflects this Southern tint. Mournfully reflecting on the past, Sam Hollis (Victor Buono) says near the beginning: "My daddy sat out there on that veranda; let this whole place slide to dust; when he died there was nothing but debts and dirt; I touched that dirt and made it blossom".

The story's theme is a preoccupation with the past, with ghosts not properly buried, and with family secrets, repression, and subterfuge. Charlotte (Bette Davis) is a pitiful woman because she is not rational. Like her daddy, she can't let go of the past. Living all alone in that big house with just her housekeeper Velma (Agnes Moorehead), Charlotte obsesses about bygone days. But if her own delusions contribute to her misery, she at least has the presence of mind to understand that those who come to visit her may not have her best interests in mind, hence the story's conflict as she attempts to fight back.

All of the major roles are ideally cast. I would not have made a single change in casting. Acting trends a tad melodramatic at times, but that's part of the fun. Agnes Moorehead gives one of the great supporting performances of all time. And Olivia de Havilland, with her vocal inflections, shrewd smile and stylish behavior, adds elegance that contrasts nicely with the shabby and humorously uncultured Velma.

B&W cinematography also contributes to the film's high quality. Dramatic lighting, interesting overhead camera angles, lots of interior shadows, and quick zoom-ins all add visual interest.

Plot structure is okay, but the runtime is a bit lengthy. I wish they had edited out some of the campy scenes in the second half.

"Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte" is a grand movie, with grand actors and grand moments. The story contains mystery, spine-tingling suspense, and it veritably drips with Southern angst. Though the film is a tad campy in a few spots and is a bit long, nevertheless it's wonderfully entertaining.

On my first viewing of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' a few years back, it did strike me as a very good film if not quite masterpiece level. Decided to see it again to see whether my positive memories of it would hold up. Being somebody that loves many of the actors involved, especially Bette Davis, and who has liked to loved most of what has been seen of Robert Aldrich's work ('The Grissom Gang' being the only exception), especially 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' and 'Attack'.

The good news is that my positive initial feelings of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' on my long overdue recent re-watch are not just unchanged (so still feel very positively about it), my basic thoughts on the film's many strengths and not near as many flaws are also pretty much exactly the same. Actually appreciated 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte's' many good things even more this time round. Most of the cast give some of their best performances and as far as Aldrich's films go, it is towards the better end.

My biggest criticism of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' is the overlong length, it could easily have been just over an hour and a half which would have been achieved if some of the middle was tightened up in the pace or trimmed.

Some of the middle's writing falls into the unintentional camp territory, which is a shame as much of the film is genuinely atmospheric and unnerving.

On the other hand, no fault can be had with the cast. Davis is very over-the-top, especially some of her line delivery, but thrillingly and chillingly so. Over-the-top is not always a good thing, but it proved to be a lot of fun here with Davis as it did suit the character perfectly and it was the type of role that she did better than most at this point. Olivia De Havilland is a lot more restrained but just as monstrous and effectively unsympathetic, very different type of role for her and one she initially had reservations about. Agnes Moorehead is delicious fun and suitably beastly and Mary Astor gives a heartfelt and nuanced performance, making a big impression in short screen time. Aldrich directs with a lot of tension and atmosphere, especially in the early stages with for example the shocking murder. The characters may not be subtle but they are interesting.

'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' looks wonderful. The cinematography is hauntingly exquisite, with some creative shots (without being gimmicky) in the more horror-oriented moments, and the Gothic production design is hugely atmospheric. The music does nothing to detract from the creepiness, not resorting to over-obvious music cues, and the title song is memorable and is a beautiful song on its own. Some of the script is on the camp side and it is unashamedly melodramatic, but it is also quite intelligent and very Tennessee Williams-like (that's a compliment). The story has a flawed mid section, but it starts off brilliantly and one scene in particular in the early stages stays with one for a long time after. The final twenty minutes are also genuinely shocking. There is a genuine creepiness to the horror-like elements, the build ups biting the nails, while the mystery side intrigues.

In summary, very well done. 8/10

It's tough to beat this for a good, deep cast: Bette Davsi, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorhead, Cecil Kellaway, Victor Buono, Mary Astor and Bruce Dern.

My favorite character in here was played by Moorhead. She was excellent as the eccentric (but very perceptive) housekeeper. I wish Kellaway's role had been bigger. It was interesting, too, to see such a young Dern. Davis looked really grotesque, but that was the idea. Kudos for her to not care about her looks.

Speaking of looks, the best feature in here might have been the cinematography. I have not seen this on DVD but I'd like to and wonder if it looks tremendous. It sure looked good on VHS. And that theme song! It is played throughout the movie and once you hear it, as I first did in the theater over 40 years ago, you never forget it.

My lone complaint is the length of the film. At 133 minutes, I think it would have been a lot tighter and better at about 110. However, even though there were definite lulls in the story, they were never that long in length.

Following soon after "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", I originally thought that "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" would be a letdown - far from it, in my opinion, much better due a great deal to the cast of great actors and actresses. Bette Davis was in her element in this role of Charlotte, while Olivia de Havilland in the role originally planned for Joan Crawford was superb, and was an inspired piece of accidental casting! Agnes Moorehead deserved her Academy nomination, while Mary Astor was a most welcome sight. Joseph Cotten normally seems very wooden in his parts, but does an excellent job here. The Black and White photography adds a great deal to the mood, and is far better than Colour would have been. The ending was very well planned and carried out, and you feel after the film ends there is something else that happened that the viewer never saw. Get it on Video - it is well worth the experience.

They don't make 'em like this anymore, and, sad to say, we Americans don't have as many actors and actresses of this caliber anymore today, either. Nevertheless, despite its spotty campiness, unintentional funny moments, borderline flashback sequences, storyline holes and generally predictable plot, this is a spectacular film, especially considering the era in which it was made.

All the performances are strong, intense and excellent. Perhaps the best ones, however, are given by Olivia de Havilland and Agnes Moorehead, who have been more or less associated or stereotyped in other venues. Yes, this is the same Agnes Moorehead who is probably best known as Endora from "Bewitched," but it only serves as testimony that she was one actress who could steal thunder with any role.

Overall, the story is a good one, and realistic to the location given. The story would absolutely not work, for example, in a large urban area. The film is great fun, and knowing how the whole story plays out is an excellent reason to watch it again, as you know what the characters know. Sit back and enjoy the brillant acting on all counts!