They were born under the same sign,
Aries, a powerful fire sign--and in
the same year, although Davis would
later swear: “Crawford is five years
older than me, if she’s a day.”
Joan became a star first, which irritated
her rival, who suggested that her rapid
success came via the casting couch. “It
sure as hell beat the hard cold floor,”
Crawford cooly responded.
Bette was the more accomplished actress,
but both shared the same ruthless drive
and determination to get to and to stay
at the top. When Crawford, as the
Princess Royal at MGM, found her fame
and career waning, she left the Metro
studio and moved to Warner Brothers,
where Bette Davis was firmly ensconced
as Queen of that domain. Crawford then
proceeded to take over Davis’s roles,
her leading men, and her throne. A
decade later, when their careers were
thought to be over, they were brought
together to work in the classic 1962
film noir,
What Ever Happened to Baby
Jane? On screen, their stark, intense,
and brilliant performances were equally
matched by the fierce and sometimes
deadly games of ego and star control
they enacted off stage.
Reviews
“The book has the pace of a tennis match,
as the narrative bounces from Crawford’s
career to Davis’s, and back again, all
told in a rip-roaring style. A definite ten.”
Premiere
“A hugely entertaining chroncile - juicy,
unrestrained and exhaustively researched.
A movie fan's dream."
Syndicated columnist Liz Smith
“Shaun Considines story of the two divas
is vastly informative and in parts hilarious."
Sunday Telegraph
"Over ten years in the writing this isn't merely a
catch-penny item. It is well researched throughout
and quite riveting to read. Splendid stuff!"
Film Review
“Shaun Considine has produced a delicious
and totally consuming story, written in a
racy, breathless style, with one juicy
anecdote tumbling swiftly after another.
Ideal for lovers of the perfectly turned
insult.” Five stars
Empire magazine
"Quite the best read I've had across the Atlantic
- or anywhere else, come to that."
Dame Diana Rigg
"Should dead coals be raked over? Ah,
but these are not women, or even human
beings, but glorious, impossible monsters,
as deadly and unreal as the Medusa. Their
story may be fact, but it is nonetheless,
and irresistibly, legend. Let me shame
the devil...I loved it."
Hugh Leonard, Irish
playwright and columnist,
The Sunday Independent
