Ryan Murphy's new anthology series on FX is focusing on some of the shadier moments in history — perfect for his camp aesthetic. The first season of Feud, which is about two ambitious actresses, comes conveniently right on the heels of one of the most memorable Academy Awards ever. Did Whatever Happened To Baby Jane win any Oscars? Bette Davis and Joan Crawford took their drama to the red carpet and beyond.
Here's how it went down in real life. Whatever Happened To Baby Jane won one Academy Award in 1963, but was nominated for four more. The only person who took away a statue for the picture was Norma Koch, the costume designer. Bette Davis and Victor Buono were both nominated in the acting categories. The other nominations were for black and white cinematography as well as sound.
It is Davis' nomination that is most relevant to Feud, of course, especially as former winner Joan Crawford so wanted another Oscar, but was not even nominated in the category. According to IMBd, Best Actress that year went to Anne Bancroft for The Miracle Worker, but Joan Crawford accepted the award on her behalf. What a choice! I need to know everything about that. She even read a small speech from Bancroft. Here's the genuine Oscar moment below.
You just know that's going to be a memorable moment on Feud. Episode 5 is titled "And The Winner Is... (The Oscars Of 1963)," according to IMDb, so get ready. It will be interesting to see whether or not they use Crawford's speech verbatim. While nobody has been cast to play Anne Bancroft, as far as we know, that isn't necessary. This key moment in Oscar and Hollywood movie star history will be epic on Feud with or without her.
