Once, many people wondered how Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, two actors with a deep-seated feud, could choose to collaborate on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?".
Was it the idea of the film company or the director?
No.
It was entirely Joan Crawford's idea, and she personally persuaded Bette Davis.
Joan Crawford, a screen goddess of a generation, was admired for her beauty, but she spent her whole life proving that she was not just a pretty face, but also an excellent actress.
Bette Davis, one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, possessed talent and charisma that made others envious. However, she was often ostracized, criticized, and ridiculed because she was not considered conventionally beautiful.
Joan Crawford envied Bette Davis, whose performances always garnered applause, while her own efforts were never recognized.
Bette Davis resented Joan Crawford, who effortlessly attracted attention no matter how outstanding Bette's own performance was.
Joan longed for recognition of her acting skills, while Bette yearned to prove her own worth. This was the reason behind their collaboration on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?".
However, reality remained cruel and ironic.
After "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" sparked nationwide discussion, people still focused on Joan's beauty, and the Oscar nomination for Best Actress still went to Bette.
"They tried to break free from their labels, but they both failed," Anson said quietly.
"Even legendary stars like Joan and Bette couldn't escape their labels, let alone us newcomers who are just starting out."
"So, instead of worrying about labels that might restrict me, I've decided to relax and enjoy the scenery along the way."
Calm and composed.
Anson's words flowed smoothly, not like preaching or offering platitudes, but simply sharing thoughts between friends. His words were like a babbling brook, flowing cheerfully and lightly past their ears.
Involuntarily, Scarlett turned to look at Anson.
Anson slightly raised his head, allowing the sunlight to gently fall on his face. Scarlett couldn't help but trace the outline of his features with her eyes, as time slowed down and everything fell silent.
Then.
Anson spoke, "What are you looking at?"
Scarlett was taken aback, "You."
Anson, "And?"
Scarlett, "Not bad."
Their exchange, though seemingly a standoff, subtly relaxed both of them. The muscles in Anson's shoulders and arms completely relaxed, basking in the sunlight. "Thank you," he said.
This made the corners of Scarlett's mouth involuntarily turn upwards.
They seemed to have said a lot, yet also nothing at all. But their restless and chaotic emotions gradually calmed down. Though the questions in their minds remained unanswered, their vision suddenly cleared, and the heavy weight on their shoulders and chests quietly lifted.
"...So, are you sure you're only nineteen? Your birth certificate isn't wrong?"
"Okay, you caught me. I'm actually forty-nine this year."
"Please don't say that in such a serious tone, I might actually believe it."
"Please do."
"..."
Anson turned his head and saw Scarlett's undisguised eye roll, bursting into laughter that startled the birds in the sky.
In the distance, a call came, joining the hustle and bustle, and the air became lively again.
"Scarlett. Scarlett!"
Following the sound, they saw Chris Evans, who had volunteered to come, jogging over with a relaxed expression on his face.
"Filming is about to start again."
Chris raised his hands high and waved them vigorously at Anson, like signaling with flags on the ocean. His exaggerated and obvious movements conveyed his excitement from afar.
Scarlett glanced at Anson, her head full of question marks: Is that golden retriever yours?
Anson looked innocent.
Scarlett turned back, "Is the transition scene done?"
Chris shook his head, "No. But the director said, good or bad, he's not going to waste time on it anymore. We need to be ready."
"Ha. Ha." Scarlett gave a dry laugh. "As if he can keep his promises."
Chris spread his hands, "But we don't seem to have a reason to refuse."
Scarlett didn't struggle anymore. She looked around, thinking about how to get down, then saw Anson stretch his long legs and land smoothly.
Then, Anson turned to Scarlett, extending his right hand in a gesture: Need help?
Scarlett's head was full of black lines.
Looking down at the distance between her legs and the ground, Scarlett silently stood up, returned to the steps, and obediently walked back to the ground along the stairs.
She completely ignored Anson the whole time.
But Scarlett clearly saw Anson and Chris exchange a look: Damn it! These two with their long legs.
The filming of "The Perfect Score" resumed.
A short afternoon tea break, though not long, replenished their sugar levels and livened up the atmosphere. The gloom that had hung heavily overhead gradually dissipated, and the atmosphere on set noticeably relaxed.
Whether it was because of this or not, the crowd actors' scenes went surprisingly smoothly.
One take.
"Cut. Okay, next scene."
Everything was so simple and smooth that the crew couldn't quite react.
Could it be... that Brian meant what he said, no longer obsessing over the details of the crowd scenes, and actually just casually filmed them? Or did Anson's presence relax the crowd actors, allowing them to truly get into character and meet Brian's requirements?
The truth was unknown.
In any case, passing smoothly was a good thing.
The crowd actors were visibly relieved.
Regardless of what others said, the crowd actors credited Anson for their success. They believed his presence had brought a positive influence to the set. When filming ended, they all gave Anson a thumbs-up, completely ignoring Brian's triumphant gestures.
Later, from Vancouver to Los Angeles, rumors spread among the crowd actors about how difficult and confusing Brian was, and how Anson was friendly, humorous, and subtly resolved problems.
No one expected Anson's reputation to experience a surge.
Brian: ???
If the crowd scenes were too simple to discern any difference, then the subsequent scenes with the main actors clearly showed the contrast.
Both Chris and Scarlett had regained their form.
Though Brian still called "NG" and launched into his usual tirades, after a few brief adjustments, he got the shots he wanted.
Everything went smoothly.
Brian was very happy about this. As expected, his coaching was effective. He was indeed an excellent director. Look, all the actors were under his control.
However, Chris, Scarlett, and the others all glanced at Anson, their subtle expressions hinting at an understanding only they shared.
But, did it matter?
No, it didn't.
What mattered was that the filming of "The Perfect Score" was finally back on track. As for the credit, the fame, and the rumors, those were separate matters. Everyone on set had their own judgment in their hearts.
Justice was in the heart of the people.