The FX drama Feud continues to educate a new generation about the downright crazy lives led by two prominent actors from Hollywood's Golden Age, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford; with a specific focus on the vicious feud between them. The pair's antics on the set of their film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? have become the stuff of legend, but one of the shadiest parts of their feud happened after the cameras stopped rolling on the film. At the 1963 Oscars, Joan Crawford accepted an award she wasn't even nominated for — just to rub it in the face of losing nominee Bette Davis.
Feud largely chronicles the behind the scenes drama of the film which starred the two Hollywood heavyweights, but Episode 5 shows that they didn't exactly bury the hatchet after they stopped being co-stars. Davis earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in Baby Jane, while Crawford did not. This greatly angered Crawford, and so she — allegedly — led a smear campaign alongside famed gossip columnist Hedda Hopper to make sure that Davis wouldn't win, according to People. But that's not all. The actor also had one more major "f you" in store for her hated co-star, thanks to arrangements she made with two of the other nominees who were unable to attend the ceremony that would see her accept their awards for them on stage if they won.
And guess what? It actually happened. Anne Bancroft won the 1963 Oscar for Best Actress, but instead of her appearing on stage, it was Crawford accepting the award on Bancroft's behalf. She read a very short speech written by Bancroft, and didn't make any mention of Davis, but her message was received loud and clear. Davis had to sit in the audience and watch her hated co-star holding the award she felt she deserved, knowing that Crawford likely had a hand in making sure she didn't get it. Check out the video of the crazy moment below.
While the 1963 Oscar moment represents some expert-level trolling, it wasn't the first time Crawford showed a flair for the dramatic at the ceremony. The actor won her only Oscar at the 1946 ceremony, but she was afraid she would lose. So she feigned an illness and stayed home, then after she won, she quickly did her hair and makeup and invited the press into her home — where she accepted the award from her bed. You can't make this stuff up, folks.
It's safe to say they don't make stars like Joan Crawford anymore, and regardless of how you feel about her antics, you've got to admit that Hollywood would be a much more interesting place if she were still around.
