I'd agree, Davis was better in her earlier roles. Back then, roles for older women were few and far between. And, it's true, in both film and television - the acting really is based on the direction. Often an actor can do a great performance, we'll never see - because the director edited it out and took a prior one that worked better with the lighting. Film is a director's arena, television - the show-writers (they have the final say in the editing room), and stage (actor's arena). So yeah, I think the reason Baby Jane was painful, is the director wanted campy acting and that's what we got. Crawford and Davis were actually excellent actresses...but the industry was a difficult one. It still is. You do not want to work in the entertainment industry -- it's nasty.

Baby Jane wasn't the only film they starred in together, apparently. I think they also did Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Both needed the money, or they'd never have done it.

I remember reading and seeing snatches of Mommie Dearest - it was a horrible movie and lampooned endlessly.

And I don't think there's much that Murphy can add to the story, but then I didn't think there was anything new he could say about the OJ Simpson story....