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?"
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962 film) the publicity tour and upstage Davis at the Oscars. Prior to the Oscars ceremony, Crawford contacted the Best Actress nominees who were unable to attend the ceremonies and offered to accept the award on their behalf if they won. Davis claimed that Crawford lobbied against her among Academy voters. Anne Bancroft won Best actress for "The Miracle Worker", but was in New York performing a stage play; she had agreed to let Crawford accept the award on her behalf if she won. Crawford triumphantly swept on-stage to pick up the trophy. Davis later said, "It would have meant a million