Robert Aldrich Hudson, made for Douglas' company at Universal. Aldrich tried to make "Cross of Iron" with John Mills but could not get finance. Aldrich then went back to Italy where he directed a Biblical spectacular, "Sodom and Gomorrah" (1962) for Joseph E. Levine. Aldrich disparaged the final film, which ended up costing $6 million. Aldrich rejuvenated his career by optioning the novel "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) for the Associates and Aldrich Company. He signed Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as stars, got Lukas Heller to write the script, and raised finance through Warner Bros. The film was a
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (novel) managed to crawl out of the car to the gates, while Jane, frightened, hid inside the house, where she passed out. When the police arrived, they assumed Jane had been driving. Jane had been too drunk to know what had happened and could not refute the accusations. Blanche later realized that the event had driven her sister insane, but refused to allow her to seek psychiatric help for fear that Jane might recover enough to remember what really happened. Blanche accepts responsibility for Jane's psychosis and blames herself for Edna's death. Realizing that all the years of hatred, guilt, and