"And I Will Never Suffer For YOU Again!!!!!! Do...You...UNDERSTAND???"

"What was that thing you said you did?
Public relations? Sounds PRETTY DIRTY
to me!"--Bette Davis in "Hush..Hush,
Sweet Charlotte"

Darlings, this bitch was LONG overdue to be named on here, so I can't think of any better way to commence 2012 than by choosing her!!!!!!!!

The winner of the Raving Queen Bitch Of The Week Award is none other than....Miriam Deering!!!!!!!!!!

Miriam, as all my girls who LOVE "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" know, is the cousin of Charlotte Hollis (Bette Davis, in one of the few times in her career she played an outright victim!!!). More important, though, she is the Female White Trash counterpart to John Mayhew (Bruce Dern), and I know, over time, many of you girls have wondered why these two did not team up. Well, let me be the first to tell you, darlings, that Trash does not align with Trash; it has to move up, in order to perpetrate its mendacity. I can tell you from family experience, believe me!!!!!!!!

Miriam Deering was the classic "poor relation." Her mother was nothing but a "sorry, up North waitress," and she arranged for the Hollises to "adopt" her, so that she might have a better life. But not to worry. Miss Charlotte is still the Princess, don't you forget it!!!!!!

Well, this viperous bitch just worms her way into everyone's presence, if not their hearts. She even manages to land the attentions of young Drew Bayliss (portrayed in the film by Jospeh Cotten), on his way to a promising career as a doctor, and scion to the kind of Southern family Miriam wants desperately to be incorporated in. But when the scandal of John Mayhew's murder, "allegedly" by Charlotte, takes place, and the Hollises are thrown into scandal, I am sure the Baylisses told their son, none too slowly, to ditch Miriam, for the sake of family propriety, which he did. Miriam is mysteriously dispatched to Paris, where she has remained, till, in the film, she comes to "help" Charlotte.

No sooner does she arrive, dolls, than the sparks fly!!!! Who can forget Charlotte calling her a "vile, sorry little bitch!" Truer words were never spoken.
Or Miriam's retort, "Why shouldn't I have told him--Charlotte's father--that his darling daughter was having a dirty little affair, with a married man??" These are no Kissing Cousins, let me tell yo!!!!!!!

When I first saw this film, back in the late Sixties, I had just recently seen, for the first time, Olivia De Havilland's celebrated portrayal of Melanie in "Gone With The Wind." What a contrast! Quite a testament to her acting abilities, though for most of her career, Olivia did more genteel roles. When she went for cruelty, it was more subtle, as in "The Heiress." No such subtlety here, darlings!!!!! She pulls out all the stops, outdoing even Tallulah Bankhead in "Die!
Die! My Darling"!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, the scene in the car, when she slaps Bette and says the classic line in the headline bar is Camp at it Highest!!!!!!!! No wonder, in the gay drag stage version, most "actors" want to play Miriam; though, personally, I would rather play the role of Velma, immortalized by the great Agnes Moorehead.

The problem with Miriam was she simply did not understand her place. After crawling out of what ever Goat Alley hovel she was in, and living with the Hollises, she thought she could ride the Gravy Train on equal footing with Miss Charlotte. She simply did not realize her position would always place her in the background, where she was none too willing to be. She should have been grateful, as Charlotte told her!!!!! But breeding wins out, especially in the South, darlings, so Miriam did not stand a chance!!!! So she stewed and simmered in Paris, returning to become one of the great iconic bitches of all time!!!!!!!!

So here is to 2012's first Bitch OF The Week, Miriam Deering. A better start you could not find!!!!!!!!!!

And don't you just LOVE when Charlotte tosses that urn onto she and Drew????? Crash! Bam! Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, darlings, not to turn your back on your "poor relations." Otherwise, they just may stab you!!!!!!!!!!!!