Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 9:23 pm

I saw "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" a few nights ago on TCM and couldn't help noticing the simularities between that story and the Borden case.

1. A "chop 'em up" murder,

2. Instead of not finding the weapon, they never found the head and hand,

3. Charlotte was never convicted but the town's people "knew" she was guilty,

4. Instead of moving away, Charlotte stayed in the town for over 35 years,

5. And of course there is the customary children's song as well as the nicer Al Martino version.

In all these years I have yet to see that movie in it's entirety. Have you seen it? What do you think of it?

-1bigsteve (o:

stuartwsa · Post by **stuartwsa** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:35 am

I've always loved that movie. I've often wondered what would have happened if Joan Crawford had elected not to bail out of the project.

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:51 pm

stuartwsa @ Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:35 am wrote:I've always loved that movie. I've often wondered what would have happened if Joan Crawford had elected not to bail out of the project.

I too would like to have seen that movie on TV. One reason I did not see it at the time: other interests, not really into those movies.
The personal interest for me what that we had a young woman at work named "Charlotte" who sort of resembled (? hazy?) Bette.

If the movie wasn't by Hitchcock, or his clones, its probably not good.
"Night of the Living Dead" for example.

Haulover · Post by **Haulover** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:59 pm

ray, you've never seen it? you should. 1965, i think. agnes moorehead was nominated for an oscar. it was directed by robert aldrich, who directed whatever happened to baby jane.

it's good. the acting, the shadowy b/w photography.

and yes -- it's a southern belle sort of version of a particular take on lizzie.

it was one of the first movies i saw as a child that scared me -- particularly that scene where she crawls up the stairs to see joseph cotton with his muddy shoes, and the way he smiles and reaches out his hand to her.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:15 am

It's one of my favorites for suspense and little twists on the ending. Also seeing Olivia de Haviland in an evil role was the best after her sugary Melanie role in Gone with the Wind. The best scene for me was the head bouncing down the steps! It has a memorable theme song too.

Straight Jacket with Joan Crawford was another shocker with the hatchet theme I recall from my impressionable youth. She was sublime in that role -with a name , Lucy Harbin, which sounds something like Lizzie Borden!

Here's the movie poster for the 1964 feature- also in black and white

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:30 am

Seeing "Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte" ruined the sound of wind chimes for me the rest of my life. That sound always reminds me of that movie when they used it in the background. Too creepy!

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:45 am

I'm glad Olivia got the part- Vivian Leigh turned down the role of Miriam, telling director Robert Aldrich via Western Union, "I could just about look at Joan Crawford's face on a Southern plantation at 6:00 in the morning; I couldn't possibly look at Bette Davis's."

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:08 am

The title theme won an Oscar that year, -you could hardly turn on the radio without hearing Patti Page croon the haunting melody -here's a pretty good midi of it http://www.jacquedee63.com/hushhushsweetcharlotte.html

Smudgeman · Post by **Smudgeman** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:15 am

This was a great movie, I remember being scared as a child watching it, then having nightmares about the head and the hand.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:20 am

Whatever happened to Lizzie Borden the Musical, speaking of great tunes? I saw it here in CT at the Norma Terris -it was spectacular. Then- nothing... I sent the cast to the house and Martha gave them a tour. The little girl who played young Lizzie was phenomenal. I hope it is still touring or ready to go on to Broadway. I think the CD is still available on Amazon- at least used copies. FRHS used to sell the CD in the giftshop. http://members.aol.com/bearluvva/index2.html

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 3:52 pm

Haulover @ Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:59 pm wrote:ray, you've never seen it? you should. 1965, i think. agnes moorehead was nominated for an oscar. it was directed by robert aldrich, who directed whatever happened to baby jane.

it's good. the acting, the shadowy b/w photography.

and yes -- it's a southern belle sort of version of a particular take on lizzie.

it was one of the first movies i saw as a child that scared me -- particularly that scene where she crawls up the stairs to see joseph cotton with his muddy shoes, and the way he smiles and reaches out his hand to her.

I was too young to see it in the movies, but Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" seems like a far better movie. Most of his early work, too.
PS Because the idea of finding someone close to the family has a deep secret that you begin to discover is truly frightening.
There are political overtones to this as well. "When the Truth is found to be a Lie ..."

Haulover · Post by **Haulover** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:09 am

ray:

you should see the movie. it is not difficult to find. this has nothing to do with hitchcock, who was obviously a greater filmmaker than robert aldrich.

so you're a fan of "shadow of a doubt." that is one of his best. it is not THE best hitchcock.

but there is a "link"--if you will -- both movies star joseph cotton.

you were too young for a movie theatre in 1965? ha. okay, excuse me. you can rent a movie, can't you? everything is not yet on video or dvd, actually--but Charlotte has been for many years. in fact, Charlotte has been on AMC or TNT or one of those several times within the past two weeks.

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 6:46 pm

Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" was in 1944. There were films in those days that parents would not take their children to. Like "Niagara" in 1952!

Interesting enough, the old horror films were on TV in the late 1950s and 1960s. But no more. Some of them were quite interesting. "The Werewolf" name? from 1940 had a big name cast, but most were sort of fillers - B films for double features. I miss those old cowboy films from the 1930s-1940s, so popular then, so censored and forgotten today.
Remember them on 1950s TV? I do.

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 6:51 pm

Haulover @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:09 am wrote:...
so you're a fan of "shadow of a doubt." that is one of his best. it is not THE best hitchcock.
...

Hitchcock's theme was to take an ordinary day and have his hero suddenly find himself in peril through no fault of his own.
Now that's scary! His 1957 film name? about a musician who finds himself in deep doodoo because he is arrested for a bad check is really scary!
Think of this: you are walking down a street, and woman and policeman come by; the woman says YOU were the one who robbed and raped her! How can you disprove this?
Professor Borchard's 1935 book on "Convicting the Innocent" says most unjust convictions tend from mistaken identity. What are the odds of someone who "looks like" you? And if you have been in trouble before, the police will consider it a closed case.
Or so I gathered from the Erle Stanley Gardner series. Or you can read actual news as it is reported.