What Really Happened to Baby Jane? Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

What Really Happened to Baby Jane? Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 26, 2021

Gay Girls Riding Club was a filmmaking group from the 1960s that wanted to have some fun in front of the camera, creating a series of shorts that spoofed melodramatic and action entertainment of the day, doing so with a cast of actors working in and out of drag. Director Ray Harrison provided creative leadership, working with shoestring budgets to deliver silent comedies (and at least one sound endeavor in “All About Alice”), deploying a large imagination for broad antics featuring a cast of engaged actors.

The shorts collected on the “What Really Happened to Baby Jane?” Blu-ray provide evidence of technical growth and storytelling ambition, with Harrison working from simple ideas concerning barroom shenanigans to a reasonably scaled take on “All About Eve.” And there’s even a James Bond parody in “Spy on the Fly,” which attempts to pull off car and foot chases, and even a special effect involving a swimming pool filled with acid. Targets are varied, with all of the shorts hoping to celebrate drag culture and thespian emphasis, matching already broad offerings such as “What Even Happened to Baby Jane?” with even nuttier takes as the GGRC looks to find the humor and makeup potential in everything.

The Shorts

“Always on Sunday” (8:21) is a silent comedy about the afternoon adventures inside a Greek-themed bar.

“What Really Happened to Baby Jane?” (31:32) spoofs the 1962 Robert Aldrich film, exploring rising tensions and acts of torture between siblings Baby Jane and Blanche.

“The Roman Springs on Mrs. Stone” (19:14) examines the lonely life of Karen, who elects to purchase a male escort for company, making a new life with Paulo.

“Spy on the Fly” (43:42) features the exploits of Agent 0069, who’s tasked with traveling to San Francisco to retrieve secret plans for an atomic bomb, facing pursuit by determined enemies.

“All About Alice” (68:02) is a send-up of “All About Eve,” with young Mona working her way into a secretarial position for Broadway star Alice Barrington, soon setting out to steal everything the aging actress has, including her lover, Mike.

What Really Happened to Baby Jane? Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentations for the shorts on this set work with 2K preservations of 16mm prints and a 2K restoration of a 16mm camera reversal for "All About Alice." Understandably, quality here is a little rough, with the materials showing some substantial wear and tear at times, resulting in some skipped frames, scratches, and debris. These are fairly obscure titles, and AFGA does a fantastic job rescuing the shorts, offering as much detail as possible, with the stories offering extended looks at fashion choices and makeup application. Town tours are also of interest, exploring dimension with California adventures, while "All About Alice" pays a visit to Broadway during the main titles, highlighting some classic marquee displays for musical theater fans. Most of the shorts are filmed in B&W, with "All About Alice" in color, offering vivid hues with costume choices and interior decoration. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavy but film-like throughout the offerings.

What Really Happened to Baby Jane? Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA mixes do what they can with technical limitations. Most of the shorts deal with silent comedy, offering only a few lines of narration. "All About Alice" is a full-sound experience, and dialogue exchanges are appreciable with loud performances. Music is aged, but it supports intended moods, offering heavy repetition of jazzy numbers and rock songs. Some audio dropouts are encountered along the way.

What Really Happened to Baby Jane? Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary on "What Really Happened to Baby Jane?" features AGFA's Brett Berg and film historian Evan Purchell.

• Silent Outtakes (10:09, HD) for "All About Alice" are included.

What Really Happened to Baby Jane? Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This assortment of GGRC shorts isn't big on laughs, but there's a filmmaking spirit in play that keeps everything compelling, as Harrison labors to sell his visions in interesting ways, including the use of animation. The disc provides a clear understanding of the group's creative mission and indefatigable love of big screen experiences, going beyond mere mimicry to generate playful romps with known source material and catch-as-catch-can production achievements.