What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1991

Child Stardom in the 1940s

In the 1940s, Baby Jane Hudson is a world-famous child star. She dominates the screen while her shy sister Blanche serves as understudy and stunt double. The fierce sisterly rivalry is born from Jane's spotlight and Blanche's longing for her own career.

Sister Rivalry Emerges

Jane's star power leaves Blanche in the shadows as her understudy and back-up. Blanche longs for independent acting opportunities. The unresolved tension foreshadows the tragedy to come.

Blanche's Rise and Jane's Decline

By the 1960s, Blanche becomes a serious and celebrated actress, while Jane's career fades into obscurity. The shift deepens Blanche's confidence and Jane's resentment. The imbalance sets up the consequences of their dependency.

The Night of the Accident

A car accident paralyzes Blanche from the waist down, and Jane is subsequently committed to a psychiatric hospital. The event reshapes their lives and cements Blanche's vulnerability and Jane's coercive dependence. The sisters' fates become forever intertwined.

Present Day: The Brentwood Mansion

In the present, the aging sisters live together in a crumbling Brentwood mansion. Jane still dresses in Baby Jane clothing and tends to Blanche's every need as a caregiver. The house is a pressure cooker for their fraught relationship.

Blanche's Comeback via Home Video

Blanche's films become available on home video and television, launching a modest comeback. The renewed attention threatens Jane's fragile control over their lives. Resentment simmers as Blanche regains public visibility.

Jane's Pranks and Mail Control

Jane intercepts all of Blanche's mail and fan letters to control her sister's image. She constantly reminds Blanche that she never would have had a career without Jane's success. The dynamic grows more claustrophobic as Blanche becomes more visible again.

Video Store Encounter

Jane goes to a video store to see which of her old films are available on tape. Billy Korn recognizes her as Baby Jane and sees a chance to cash in on a comeback. Korn offers to manage her career for $1,000, a proposal Jane accepts without realizing he is a con artist. She returns to the mansion hopeful.

Korn's Con and the Talent Show Plan

Korn promises to arrange a spot in a talent show as part of the comeback. He is a con artist preying on Jane's desperation. Jane agrees, unaware of the impending trap.

Blanche Attacked and Bound

Blanche tries to call her psychiatrist, but Jane overhears and physically attacks her. She locks Blanche in her upstairs bedroom with no means of communication. Blanche's starvation and fear intensify the danger inside the mansion.

Forgery Revealed

Blanche rummages through Jane's drawers for food and uncovers forged signatures on checks—evidence of Jane stealing her money. The revelation confirms Jane's predatory control. Blanche realizes the extent of Jane's manipulation.

Dominick's Arrival and Death

Dominick, Blanche's physical therapist, arrives for a session and discovers Blanche bound and gagged. He attempts to help, but Jane stabs him to death with scissors and hides his body in the basement screening room. The murder escalates the danger inside the mansion.

The Drag Show Disaster

The talent show Korn arranged is revealed to be a drag revue, with Korn dressed as Blanche. Jane performs a duet from their childhood but the audience mocks her, triggering a public and personal breakdown. She is forced offstage in a humiliating moment.

Korn's Death at the Mansion

Korn drives to the mansion and finds Blanche bound and near death. Jane murders Korn with a broken trophy, ending the con and sealing Blanche's fate. The act of killing cements Jane's hold over the house.