“Called Back . . . left name . . . Davis did not return call.”
As for the relationship between the two stars, which has occasioned flamboyant fan fiction masquerading as film history and at least one TV series, Aldrich would say, “I think it’s proper to say that they really detested each other, but they behaved absolutely perfectly: no upstaging, not an abrasive word in public. They both behaved in a wonderfully professional manner.”
Davis’s take was grudging: “Joan was a pro. She was always punctual, always knew her lines. She had a deep and gnawing need to be liked, loved, admired, appreciated. She could be touchingly generous. She brought gifts for me to the set and presented them in front of the crew.”
But there was a competition, and according to Davis it had begun years earlier, when she had a mad crush on Franchot Tone when they made Dangerous together at Warner Bros. in 1935. She couldn’t get to first base because it was obvious that he was involved with Crawford back at MGM.
A publicist working on Baby Jane planted an item in Time magazine about the picture. The editors interpolated a bitchy line about both stars “professing to be 55.”
On the soundstage the next day, Davis called out to Linn Unkefer, the publicist: “Linn, come in here!”
“Good morning, Bette.”
“Did you have anything to do with this item?”
“Yes.”
“She’s five years older than I am if she’s a day!” Davis snapped.
The publicist proceeded to Crawford’s dressing room. She also called him in and also had a copy of Time. “Well, we’re getting off to a good start, aren’t we?”
“Bette was very . . . well-educated,” said the screenwriter Lenore Coffee, who wrote for both actresses. “Joan was not. Bette came from a good family and was a trained theater actress. Joan had taught herself to speak and she spoke very well. I had great admiration for her.”
Scott Eyman
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