"But 'Cha ARE, Blanche"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, since Joan was given her due, last week, via "Strait-Jacket", it is only fair Bette be given hers. Which is my way of saying that Monsieur and I will be at this week's Chelsea Classics' screening of the signature classic, "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?", hosted, of course, by Hedda Lettuce!!!!!!!!!

And this happens to be an Anniversary Screening, of sorts, for, this year, this renowned film reaches the age of 50. I can hardly believe it. And I am sure it will have lost none of its bite.

I know that for me, the film has changed, with me, over the ages. Or, rather, my perception of it. In 1962, when I saw just the TRAILER, it traumatized my 7-year-old self, with the idea of real people, not imaginary monsters, doing stuff to one another, and engendered, that evening, while my parents were out, and my grandmother taking care of me, the fear that Bette Davis as Baby Jane would come crashing through my bedroom door, like in the trailer!!!! I refused to go to sleep, until my parents came home.

As I got older, and more arts oriented, I tended to look at the film, especially the early part, as being the childhood of fame and adulation I so desperately wanted, thinking that fame would automatically solve my then problems. It took 13 years, and the musical "A Chorus Line," to make me re-examine this, and bring me to the ultimate conclusion, down the road, that this was not so. Added to which, going back to the film, would I want, even with a famous childhood, to be NOW a deranged alcoholic????????? First, the amount of liquor Jane drinks in this film would put me in the ER, at least. Second, if you think for one minute I would give up star status after having achieved it, you are wrong. Even if I went from child cutie to homely adult, even if I had to do horror films, I would have made some effort to keep my career going. Realistically, unlike Jane.

But that was then, and this is NOW. So I want to see all my girls out tonight at this very special, 50th Anniversary, 'Baby Jane' screening.

I want an ice cream, Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!