Girls, no sooner had we gotten home Thursday night from the 'Baby Jane' screening, and, after I had finished dancing and flouncing about the room, in my best Bette Davis/Baby Jane manner, then Monsieur asked me how many people from this film are still alive, fifty years later.
Not many, I imagined. And, as I scanned IMDB, noting all the adult actors from this classic who had passed on, I thought to myself,"I guess only the children (those playing Jane and Blanche, at the start) are still alive!"
Was I wrong!!!!! For I discovered, that, only this past December 29, one of those children, Julie Allred, who played Baby Jane Hudson as a child, had died, at the age of 57, from what was said to be diabetes.
The first thing I wondered, girls, was how IMDB got wind of this, because, I am telling you, at the time, I saw no reports of this anywhere!!!!! Which, considering the iconic nature of both the film, and Julie's role, was inexcusable!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How shocked I was to find Julie and I were close to the same age. Who could forget her crying out, in the film, "I don't care! I want an ice cream!!!!"????? And don't you just know I can play this scene and role perfectly????? Monsieur says I do it every day, girls!!!!!
Julie Allred was born in Philadelphia, PA. She won some sort of contest, which lead to her being cast in 'Baby Jane'. She was terrific, and fortunate. For this turned out to be one of these one-time efforts (like Harper Lee, with "To Kill A
Mockingbird", or Margaret Mitchell with "Gone With The Wind") that, though it was the only thing she did, she would forever be remembered for it. And so she is!!!!
Her parents did not allow her to do any more movies, due to their religious beliefs. Which does make me wonder--how the hell did they let her do THIS???? But thank God, we have Julie's classic performance preserved on film.
As she got older, I guess normality beckoned, so Julie ended up living out her life in a Pennsylvania suburb, Blue Bell, marrying, and raising four children, whom, with her husband, she unfortunately leaves behind. But wait till you hear THIS, girls!!!! When filming was finished, Julie was given one of the actual Baby Jane dolls to keep. And kept it she did, for the rest of her life, right up to her final days in Blue Bell!!!! Let's hope the family has sense enough not to get rid of this.
Or perhaps put it in a community museum, where thousands of queens, and their consorts, could come and pay homage. How I have always wanted to have a genuine Baby Jane doll!! I know Bette had one, but who knows where hers went?????
It was strange, that past Thursday, because, as I watched the opening sequence of the film, I could feel myself concentrating more on Julie Allred's performance, and musing about her, "Hmmm...where is she now? She must be in her sixties," as if somehow psychically sensing, but not completely, that she had passed!!!!!!
Which leaves Gina Gillespie, who played the child Blanche, not only the surviving child, but the film's ONLY surviving cast member, fifty years later!!!!! Go, Gina!!!!!!
Darlings, the loss of Julie Allred is sad indeed. I can think of no better final tribute to her than to paraphrase her screen sibling's penultimate line---
We won't forget, Julie!!!!!!!!!! You BET we won't forget!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment