The Nanny (VHS, 1996)

Question: How many terrific performances in 1 decade does an actor have to deliver before critics stop saying their careers are on a down-slide? (Let's count all the ones of Bette Davis' that critics apparently don't: on her so called 1960's career down-slide, Davis starred in, "Pocketful of Miracles" (1961); "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" (1962); "Dead Ringer" (1964); "Where Love Has Gone" (1964); "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte" (1964); "The Nanny" (1965);
"The Anniversary" (1968)--winning a list full of major acting nominations, including Oscars & a mantel of wins like The Golden Laurel for Best Actress, a Golden Globe for Best Actress & was credited by her peers as the leading actor who made it possible for these motion pictures, their casts & crews to be recognized for dozens more award wins & nominations, as well! Note too, I've not counted her long list of made for television movies, key supporting roles in very popular series' like "Perry Mason," "Gunsmoke," "The Virginian" & "Wagon Train." Nor have I mentioned the foreign films Davis starred in. I didn't include the 20 plus guest show appearances she made in that decade, either. If that's the short list resume' of an actor's career down-slide, then for godssake, I want one just like it! What I want to know is how she made the time to do all that work?

Let's review, "The Nanny," from that list of critics' delusions of the most successful 1960's career down-slide:

Joey Fane (William Dix) is a 10yo boy coming home after spending 2 years in a psychiatric treatment center. Held accountable for drowning his younger sister in a bath tub, he was sent to be treated for a guilt trip. Immediately after coming home, Joey's way uncooperative: refusing to sleep in the bedroom that his nanny (Bette Davis) prepared for him. Joey won't cooperate by eating food she cooks, either. He gets worse.

The boy's parents, Virgie & Bill Fane (Wendy Craig & James Villiers), believe their son's still traumatized when Joey blames the nanny for murdering his sister.

After Virgie becomes sick from eating a steak & kidney pie prepared by the nanny, their physician accuses Joey of trying to poison his mom since the nanny confides to the Dr. that she saw Joey doing 2 suspicious activities: hanging around the kitchen & rummaging through the nanny's medicine box. When his mother is sent to a hospital, Joey won't stay alone in the family's flat with his nanny. Then, his Aunt Pen (Jill Bennett) comes to take care of him. The night of Pen's arrival, Joey flips out & Pen wakes up to a histrionic kid who's soaked & claiming the nanny tried to drown him.

"The Nanny" is a terrific psychological thriller from Hammer Studios. Harry Waxman's cinematography is superb. Seth Holt directed quite well, Jimmy Sangster's difficult script & a cast with widely varied acting experiences & skills. But the bulk of the credit for "The Nanny's" success is owed to Bette Davis' killer performance. As an ever so dreaded & terror of a nanny, doubtlessly her character made it much easier for William Dix to play Joey so well & Wendy Craig & James Villiers to become believable as Joey's bereaved, bewildered & baffled parents.

Hammer Studios made the right choice to risk an attempt doing this film genre (instead of blood & guts horror films). Davis performed a similar feat working for Hammer Studios, Jimmy Sangster & Roy Ward Baker in "The Anniversary" in 1968.

Bet 'Poor Bette' had fun spending her fancy 1960's earnings.