Bette Davis vs. Joan Crawford: Inside Hollywood's Most Famous Feud
A Coca-Cola machine, an Oscar night ambush and decades of sharp words.
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were two of the biggest stars of the 1930s and '40s. They were also rivals, and by the early 1960s, neither was being offered the roles she once had.
Baby Jane
In 1962, director Robert Aldrich cast them together in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, a dark thriller about two aging sisters. The film was a surprise hit. Behind the scenes, the tension was legendary.
The soda machine
Crawford was the widow of Pepsi-Cola's chairman and sat on the company's board. Davis reportedly had a Coca-Cola machine installed on set. Stories of other on-set jabs have been retold for decades.
Oscar night
Davis was nominated for Best Actress for the film. Crawford was not. Crawford arranged to accept the award on behalf of any absent nominee. When Anne Bancroft won for The Miracle Worker, Crawford swept past Davis backstage and onto the stage to accept it.
The feud became the subject of the 2017 TV series Feud: Bette and Joan, introducing the rivalry to a new generation.
This story is based on the stars' own interviews and memoirs and on widely reported history. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
