Hollywood feuds are about to get a whole lot campier with the premiere of FX’s new anthology “Feud: Bette and Joan.”
Following Hollywood titans Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) as they set out to make the 1962 movie “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?”, “Feud” peels back the curtain on all the behind-the-scenes gossip, backstabbing and antics between the two actresses that arguably led to the movie becoming one of the biggest hits of its day.
Related: The true Hollywood story behind Ryan Murphy’s ‘Feud’
And if Ryan Murphy is following his own playbook — and everything released so far suggests that to be the case — there’s a lot to get excited about. An era of Hollywood readily romanticized; a call sheet of heavyweight character actors surrounding the two leads (which means any scenery-chewing is probably intentional); and that universal theme of craving validation spells a show perfectly within Murphy’s wheelhouse.
But to get the most out of this new series (or to at least sound impressive at that viewing party you’re inevitably attending) it’s helpful to know a bit of the backstory behind why these two women battled each other so fiercely before it’s told through Murphy’s adoring lens. Not only will you dazzle those around you, but you’ll realize the script is actually full of casual references to historical events that prove Ryan Murphy and his team are true storytelling masters.
Get to know a little bit of the backstory surrounding the feud at the center of “Feud”…
Man Problems
Before Jen and Angelina split the world into opposing teams over Brad Pitt, Bette and Joan ignited their now-legendary rivalry over the affections of a man — actor Franchot Tone. Bette Davis and Tone headlined the 1934 movie “Dangerous,” where Bette allegedly fell hard for her co-star. But Tone didn’t share the same feelings, falling in love with Joan instead. Not helping matters? The alleged rumor that after inviting Tone over to her place, Crawford greeted him wearing nothing but a smile.
Studio Attention
While both women were intensely talented actresses, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were also both intensely insecure and sought approval in every aspect of their lives, including the studio they both worked for. Bette Davis had been at Warner Bros. for most of her career, filming a good portion of her best movies there and earning the studio millions. She was the unrivaled queen of the Warner lot…
Until Joan Crawford arrived, having signed a deal after leaving MGM. The two actresses began competing for the same roles, most notably the starring role in the 1945 film “Mildred Pierce,” on which Davis passed — and which won Crawford her first Oscar.
Related: Get ready for a ‘mind-blowing journey’ — Aubrey Plaza talks FX’s ‘Legion’
Which leads us to…
The Awards
Bette Davis was the first person to garner 10 Academy Award nominations for acting, winning twice. And to date, only four people have surpassed her: Laurence Olivier, Katherine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, and Meryl Streep. Joan Crawford only earned one Academy Award and two other nominations over her career. This never sat well with Joan, who always felt that Davis — and Hollywood at large — never quite viewed her as a legitimate talent.
But the true Awards slight would come after the filming of “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” wrapped. After Davis nabbed her 11th nomination for Best Actress and Crawford earned nothing, Joan allegedly called the other nominated actresses and offered to accept the award on their behalf should they not be able to attend the ceremony. When the absent Anne Bancroft was announced as the Best Actress winner that year, Crawford was there to collect the award. Bette would forever claim that Joan had campaigned against her, a claim that Joan always denied.
“Feud: Betty and Joan” premieres Sunday, Mar. 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
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