Joan Crawford been left near-penniless following Alfred Steele's death, accepted a small role in "The Best of Everything" (1959). Although she was not the star of the film, she received positive reviews. Crawford would later name the role as being one of her personal favorites. By 1961 Joan Crawford was once again her own publicity machine with a new script, "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", sent by Robert Aldrich. Crawford starred as Blanche Hudson, an elderly, disabled former A-list movie star who lives in fear of her psychotic sister Jane, in the highly successful psychological thriller "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"
Bette Davis over the course of several years. "Dead Ringer" (1964) was a crime drama in which she played twin sisters. The plot was previously filmed in Mexico with Dolores del Rio. "Where Love Has Gone" (1964) was a romantic drama based on a Harold Robbins novel. Davis played the mother of Susan Hayward, but filming was hampered by heated arguments between Davis and Hayward. "Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964) was Robert Aldrich's follow-up to "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?". Aldrich planned to reunite Davis and Crawford, but Crawford withdrew allegedly due to illness soon after filming began. She was replaced