"Chop! Chop!, Sweet Charlotte!
Chop him, till he's dead!
Chop! Chop!, Sweet Charlotte!
Chop off his hand and head!!!!"
Girls, let me tell you, yesterday was too much. Imagine, an unprecedented second snow day in one winter for all us weary workers, giving yours truly the opportunity to rest, read Rue, plan my wardrobe, find a Bitch Of The Week, and then by evening, saunter out with all the other obsessive queens to the Clearview Chelsea, for the weekly Classics screening of "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte!" Sweeties, I am telling you, what a hoot!!!!!!!!!
This film is truly a revelation, darlings, because, beneath the Gothic trappings, it is first and foremost a film about class distinctions. And if that white trash upstart Miriam Deering had maintained hers, things would not have turned out as they did.
Let's face it, girls--
John Mayhew was obviously the white trash counterpart of Miriam Deering. Jewel, like Charlotte, was the daughter of Southern gentry, which is why John married her. It always puzzled me what John thought he was going to get away with--if he ran off with Charlotte, he would lose Jewel and her money; if he succeeded in marrying Charlotte, he would have gotten Big Sam Hollis', but with the latter breathing down the other's neck, that was not about to happen, anyway. And one of the women would have had to lose their man. Instead, everyone ends up losing something or someone here.
So John marries Jewel for her wealth, and to pound some legit pussy. Not that that stopped him from pounding non-legit, and I bet, darlings, he and Sam Hollis passed each other many an evening going up and down stairs at the local brothels. So each knew what the other was.
Sam Hollis, additionally, whether he realized it or not, had incestuous designs on his daughter. No, he did not act upon them, BUT they were there which is why not only did he not want his daughter to marry John, he did not want her to marry ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John carries on with Charlotte. Miss Trash Miriam squeals to Sam, who refuses to believe a socially inferior wench. But when Jewel herself comes calling on Sam, he cannot refute the truth. What I think Bitch Miriam set in motion was for Sam to tell Jewel to murder her husband. At the party, there are repeated shots of Sam walking about the grounds. He is watching and waiting for John to get to the summerhouse, so he can tell Jewel to go ahead--which she does. Charlotte finds the dead John, loses it at the party, in that blood saturated dress, and everyone, of course, thinks she did it. While she assumes her father did. All the fault of a scheming white trash bitch who would not stay in her place.
Darlings, I used to wonder if maybe Miriam was not Charlotte's cousin, but Sam's illegitimate daughter. Her mother was a sorry up-North waitress, whom Sam could easily have had a dalliance with on a business trip, and impregnated. But the film clearly states her father's name is Deering, probably a relation on her mother's side. And one who married below his station. But a lot of people in this film seem to go below their station, or want to--Jewel with John, Charlotte ditto, Drew with Miriam. Once Deering is dead, Miriam's mother probably (maybe her husband had told her to, in event of his death) wrote to Sam for money, and Sam, faced with a family scandal, decides to buy the slut off, and raise the child in genteel surroundings, while never letting Miriam forget she should be grateful for being removed from the gutter, and that she will NEVER be the equal of Charlotte. But, no, entitlement bitch Miriam thinks she is better--a mistake social trash often make! Believe me, I know, darlings, having been forced to associate with some trash in an earlier life. And this proves to be Miriam's lifelong downfall.
Charlotte and Miriam are both simmering with resentments, and, girls, I just love the dinner table scene, where Bette and Olivia let them fly loose!!!!!!!!
Charlotte resents losing John (the only romance this spinster has), and while she is her Daddy's devoted daughter, she also resents him for taking John from her, which fuels an anger she often takes out on other people. Miriam, from the get go, resents not being treated the way she thinks she deserves; instead of being grateful for the clothes bought for her at the second string store, which is a step up from Good Will, where her mother would have shopped, she wants to shop at the high end store, like Charlotte. Who does Missy just think she is?????????
What only Charlotte seems to know, which we hear her say twice is "John never even..." meaning, despite what the town thinks, the relationship was never consummated. Plenty of cuddling and petting, but no going all the way. Charlotte was not trash, like Miriam.
And that trash continues to worm her way into the gentry by making a play for Drew Bayliss. Only now she is less interested romantically than in having a needed accomplice and someone she can hold things over, as Drew, whose Southern male ego allows him to think Miriam wishes to revive their relationship, finds out to his detriment at the final moment. Drew may be Southern gentry, but his instincts are sleazy--he probably over charges and over medicates his patients. So when scandal erupts, socially prominent Drew rightfully drops Miriam. And she flees to Paris, spending the next four decades plotting vengeance on all!!!!!!!!!
Much is made of John's dismembered head and head, which are never found. I know where they are, darlings!!!!!!! The answer lies with Jewel Mayhew, and William Faulkner's short story, "A Rose For Emily."
Dolls, I am telling you, who would think such a gushy Gothic meller would have so much to discuss. In 'Baby Jane', what wasn't told can be found in the original Henry Farrell novel, but since 'Charlotte' was written directly for the screen, by Farrell and 'Jane' scripter Lukas Heller, it remains for the viewer and his/her perceptions to fill in the unsaid.
There are so many parallels to 'Baby Jane', loves. Like when Velma (the great Agnes Moorehead) returns to the house, to rescue Miss Charlotte, only to get killed for her efforts, like Elvira (Maidie Norman) in 'Jane.' Both film' endings are shot the same way, with crowds convening on the place, running towards Charlotte when she appears, and closing with a final pullback long shot.
Cecil Kellaway's scene with the note is brilliant; he recites its contents to a cynical New York reporter, thereby explaining the contents to the audience, giving away the BIG secret, and the reporter is too unfocused to realize he is being handed the scoop of his life.
I would like to say that I now believe the girl in white gloves seen at the beginning party, played by Alida Aldrich (the director's daughter) is NOT Miriam. Rather, the writers want us to think it is. But it could not be, because Miriam is out by the summerhouse watching Jewel chop up Drew.
But any way you slice it, this story relates to my life. Because I came from the RIGHT side of town, the North side, where class distinctions ruled. Let me tell you, if one of the girls from unspeakable Goat Alley had tried to marry a boy from Harrison Avenue, such social impropriety would not have been tolerated!!!!!! As well it should not!!!!!!!!!! And I know, from being forced at times to associate with trash, ofttimes in my own family. So this film is a cautionary tale for all Miriams to stay in your place and don't try to rise above the trash you really are, because sooner or later, you will always be found out!!!!!!
Just LOVE this film, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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