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★★★☆☆ American director Robert Aldrich's 1962 psychological drama What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? celebrates its 50th anniversary in style this week with an impressive digital restoration, courtesy of Park Circus, and follows the melodramatic tale of two rival sisters clinging on to the remnants of the fame of their youth, played by Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Opening on a Vaudeville stage, we see the golden-curled starlet Baby Jane (Gina Gillespie), who draws in fans with her cutesy - later utterly terrifying - rendition of I've Written a Letter to Daddy. Watching on from the wings is the begrudging Blanche (Julie Allred), ever in the shadow of her sister's stardom.

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Halloween is coming and studios start dusting off their horror offerings. It.s my favorite time of the year. This grand dame guignol fifty-something fright fest saw the backstage battles between the two stars offering interest that comes through on screen as well. 1917: Baby Jane Hudson (Julie Allred) was a major vaudeville star that was adored by all who saw her (the Honey Boo Boo of vaudeville?) but whose sister Blanche (Gina Gillespie) was jealous of her adoration. 1935: Tables turn and Blanche soon rises to a film career that finds Jane.s films flopping and her turning to alcohol to sooth the pain of obscurity. A mysterious accident ends with Blanche paralyzed and her career over. Cut...

Walter Hill has signed on to develop and direct a remake of the 1962 classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? with The Aldrich Company.

The original classic starred Bette Davis as Jane Hudson, a former child star who lives an isolated life with her sister, Blanche (Joan Crawford), after a tragic accident ended Blache's movie career and left her crippled. Here's what the filmmaker had to say about the remake.

"The two equal leads demand great performers, that is a given. The intensity of the Gothic storyline makes a reconfiguration of the drama still a potentially searing experience. The idea is to make a modern film without modernizing the period. It needs to resonate the golden age of Hollywood."

Walter Hill will write the screenplay and direct. The original director, Robert Aldrich (The Dirty Dozen), retained the rights, which are now controlled by The Aldrich Company, run by his daughter Adell Aldrich.