Dec. 16, 1964 - Opening today is “Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte,” a psychological horror thriller directed and produced by Robert Aldrich and starring Bette Davis (right), Agnes Moorehead (left), Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, and Mary Astor.
The film follows a middle-aged Southern woman, suspected in the unsolved murder of her lover from decades before, who is plagued by bizarre occurrences after summoning her cousin to help challenge the local government’s impending demolition of her home. The screenplay was adapted by Henry Farrell and Lukas Heller, from Farrell’s unpublished short story, “What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?”
Following his previous success adapting Farrell’s novel “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,” Aldrich originally cast the film to reunite Davis with Joan Crawford, despite their notorious turbulence on set.
Principal photography of the film began last spring, with the on-location shooting commencing in Baton Rouge. However, the shoot was temporarily suspended on several occasions early on. Initially, it was halted after a third-party lawsuit was brought against Davis by Paramount Pictures over a commitment to complete additional filming on “Where Love Has Gone.” When this was resolved, filming recommenced.
The production was postponed again to allow Crawford to recover after she was admitted into the hospital due to an upper respiratory ailment, though Aldrich hired a private investigator to track her and determine whether or not she was actually ill.
By August 4, 1964, the production had been suspended indefinitely, and the studio’s insurance company insisted that Crawford be replaced, or else the film would have to be cancelled entirely. At this point, she was replaced by de Havilland.
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