Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Synopsis: Aged, wealthy Charlotte Hollis has lived as a recluse in the crumbling family plantation mansion in Hollisport, Louisiana since her father Sam Hollis' death thirty-six years ago. The only people who regularly see her are her hard-as-nails but seemingly loyal housekeeper, Velma Crowther, and her longtime friend and physician, Dr. Drew Bayliss. She has lived there most of her life except for a short stint in London thirty-seven years ago following the vicious murder of her married lover, John Mayhew, at the plantation's summer house while Sam was hosting one of his legendary grand balls in the mansion. She and John had planned to run off together that night, but instead he was bludgeoned to death, his head and right hand severed from his body. Nobody was ever convicted for his murder, but most people believe Charlotte did it after John changed his mind about running off with her. They also believe that Charlotte, whom they haven't seen in years, is a crazy old woman. Conversely, Charlott
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Director(s): Robert Aldrich
Production: Fox
  Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
81%
APPROVED
Year:
1964
133 min
524 Views


This house, this plantation,

this whole damned parish

belonged to my family

before your people stepped aboard

the stinking cattle boats

that brought 'em to this country.

Don't you dare talk back to me, boy!

My family's seen this state

crawling with lousy carpetbaggers

that knew more about behaving

like a gentleman than you do!

I can't even look at Charlotte

without ugly thoughts ripping my guts.

I'd sooner it had been

one of my field boys.

I could have killed him.

Do you know

what it's costing me not to kill you?

My daughter and Jewel Mayhew's husband.

You gutless, soft, suckling swine!

My daddy sat out there on that veranda,

and let the whole place slide to dust.

When he died,

there was nothing but debts and dirt.

I touched that dirt and made it blossom.

I fought to keep this house

and to bring it back up.

I don't have a son to give it to.

Only Charlotte.

And she ain't gonna give it to you.

You ain't gonna have my home or my child.

I created both and I'm gonna keep 'em.

I ain't watched over my girl

all these years to have some...

to have some...

to have some creature like you

take her away.

Listen, I'm gonna tell you something.

Your daughter ain't a little girl

anymore.

There'll be other men

in her life besides you.

That's not funny.

Tell me something, boy.

How'd you have this elopement

planned out?

- How were you fixing to go about it?

- Tomorrow night during the dance,

Charlotte and I had planned

to meet out in the summer house.

She was gonna have

her bags packed and

we were gonna go away

together, that's all.

And I had got us a room in Baton Rouge,

and we were gonna stay there.

I don't want to hear about that.

You asked me, so I just told you,

that's all.

Now,

you shut your filthy mouth

and you listen to me.

Charlotte doesn't know about this.

She doesn't know you're here now.

She doesn't even know

Jewel was here last night.

How do you mean,

Jewel was here last night?

You mean to tell me that my wife

come over here to talk to you?

As I recollect,

she was sitting right about there.

Now,

I want you to come to that dance

tomorrow night with your wife.

You're gonna meet Charlotte in

the summer house, just like you planned.

But what you're gonna whisper in her ear

is gonna be something else again.

Come on, lazy.

We haven't even danced once.

Champagne wouldn't be

half the fun without Prohibition.

Sure would like to meet Sam's bootlegger.

Sam Hollis sure knows

how to give a party.

I just love to Charleston.

Ginny Mae! You seen Charlotte anyplace?

I got some killing news to tell her.

I haven't seen her for a long time.

The last time I saw her,

she was dancing with John Mayhew.

Yeah, and it looks like it's gonna be

quite a spell before you see her again.

I've just got to find...

I made a mistake, Charlotte, that's all.

Don't cry.

Look, I know it's no consolation to you,

but I really loved you at one time.

Try and understand that.

I really loved you.

I could kill you!

Jenks! You ought to know you can't open

them cases with a thing like that.

Look here, why do you think

I brought this special?

- Good evening, Mrs. and Mrs. Howard.

- Oh, Geraldine!

Hasn't this been just

the loveliest evening?

We have to go now.

Be a dear and thank Mr. Hollis for us.

I can't find him anywhere.

- I'll do that little old thing.

- Thank you, dear. Good night.

Good night, Mr. and Mrs. Howard.

Charlotte?

Char...

No!

No!

No!

Oh, my God!

- One more.

- One more time.

OK. Now, one more time!

Oh, there's Charlotte.

Charlotte, honey,

you come with me now.

No, Papa.

No, Papa.

I... I don't want to, Papa.

No, Papa.

I don't want to, Papa.

- Come with me, baby.

- No, Papa.

Boy, it sure is spooky round here.

Especially the graveyard.

It's spookier.

- Hurry up. It's getting late.

- You think there really is a ghost?

- Who knows?

- Sure, there's a ghost.

There's the house now.

Gives me the creeps every time I see it.

What if she catches me?

Then you tell her you're Jewel Mayhew

and you're comin' lookin'

for your poor little ol' husband's head.

But if she catches me?

Now look,

you wanna join the Spiders, don't you?

Get on in there.

Don't forget to get something

she touched.

Watch out for that cleaver.

She's just liable to chop off

your little head.

Go on. We haven't got all night.

Go on.

John?

- Get outta here!

- Run!

- She'll catch us.

- She ain't catching me.

Come on, move.

I'm scared.

I'm running. I'm running.

Chop, chop, sweet Charlotte

Chop, chop, till he's dead

Chop, chop, sweet Charlotte

Chop off his hand and head

To meet your lover you ran, chop, chop

Now everyone understands

Just why you ran

to meet your love, chop, chop

To chop off his head and hand

Chop, chop, sweet Charlotte

Chop, chop, till he's dead

Chop, chop...

Damn you!

Damn you!

Get off my property or I'll shoot!

I told you to get off my property!

Stan! Look out!

Look out up there, Stan!

- Man, oh, man.

- That crazy woman. I'm telling you...

I wouldn't go out there if I was you.

What do you think you're doing,

firing on my men?

That's my land

he's ploughing up down there!

Damn it! Ma'am, you coulda killed him.

If I'd been aiming to kill him,

I would have.

Now see here, Miss Hollis,

we done what we could to accommodate you,

but this time you've gone too far.

We've got a bridge to build

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Henry Farrell

Henry Farrell (September 27, 1920 – March 29, 2006) was an American novelist and screenwriter, best known as the author of the renowned gothic horror story What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, which was made into a film starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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