If you ever think your coworkers are dramatic, remember: at least they’re not hiding rocks in their costume to injure you mid-scene.

Hollywood has had its fair share of catfights, but none — none — come close to the slow-burning, acid-dripping, career-ruining war between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. This wasn’t your average snub-at-the-Oscars or backhanded interview. This was a decades-long grudge match filled with stolen men, booby-trapped sets, and one very icy Oscar theft that deserves its own mini-series.

Forget clapping back on Twitter. These women used film sets, press junkets, and entire movie studios as weapons.

“She’s slept with every male star at MGM — except Lassie” . – Poor Lassie is like 50 Cent. What’s that got to do with me?? – Their feud is legendary because it wasn’t manufactured. It wasn’t for clout. It was real. Even death didn’t end the war.

Let’s roll the tape.

It started with a man (because of course it did)

The year: 1935. Bette Davis was filming Dangerous and getting dangerously close to her co-star, Franchot Tone — a tall, suave heartthrob with just enough mystery to keep a woman like Bette intrigued.

Enter: Joan Crawford.

While Davis was pining and falling in love for real, Crawford played it like a business move. In a blink, Joan seduced, bagged, and married Tone. Davis was blindsided.

Joan didn’t just steal the man — she announced the wedding with a photo shoot of herself and Tone passionately kissing… and sent it directly to the Warner Bros. Savage!! Davis fumed. The rivalry was born.

From studio to studio, the war traveled

For years, the two queens reigned over rival kingdoms.

Davis was Warner Bros.’ golden weapon — all grit, raw talent, and bitchy brilliance.

Crawford ruled at MGM — icy glamour, brows sharp enough to draw blood, and marketing instincts that could sell sand in the Sahara.

But when MGM gave Crawford the boot in the 1940s (Hollywood doesn’t stay loyal), she strutted into Warner Bros. — Davis’ turf — like a lioness claiming a new pride. Davis was not impressed.

In her words: “She’s slept with every male star at MGM — except Lassie.” Bahahaha.

Welcome to Level 2 of the feud.

The petty turned cinematic

Then came What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1962 — a psychological horror film about two washed-up sisters, stuck in a decaying mansion and a love-hate dynamic that mirrored real life a little too perfectly.

Casting both divas was a move so chaotic it should’ve come with a fire extinguisher.

Davis was Baby Jane — a bitter, drunk, ex-child star in clown makeup and twisted wigs.

Crawford played Blanche — the elegant, paralyzed sister who’s locked upstairs… and at the mercy of Baby Jane’s insanity. And oh, did it get ugly.

Davis had a field day physically attacking Crawford during scenes. One in particular, where she kicks her co-star in the head, left Crawford with stitches. Davis claimed it was “an accident.”

In retaliation, Crawford stuffed her costume pockets with rocks during a scene where Davis had to drag her across the floor. Davis nearly threw out her back.

According to crew members, the tension was so thick it broke thermometers. The two didn’t speak unless cameras were rolling — and even then, you could feel the venom bleeding through the screen.

The Oscar betrayal heard ’round the world

After Baby Jane was released, critics and audiences were obsessed — especially with Davis’ terrifying, unhinged performance. She earned her 10th Oscar nomination.
Crawford? Not nominated. And she did not take it well.

So she schemed. She offered to accept the award on behalf of any actress who couldn’t attend the ceremony. Behind the scenes, she personally contacted the other nominees to make arrangements.

When Anne Bancroft won and couldn’t make it, who do you think waltzed onstage to collect the statue?

That’s right: Joan. Bloody. Crawford.

With a smile frozen in glacier mode, she floated past Davis — who was sitting there, stunned and fuming — and accepted the Oscar like it was hers all along. Cameras flashed. Joan had stolen the night.

Davis later said, “It was like being slapped across the face.”

Crawford’s revenge — and downfall

After the Oscars, things only got worse.

Plans for a follow-up film, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, were announced. Davis was in — and reluctantly allowed Crawford to co-star. But when filming began, Crawford faked illness, missed shooting days, and caused endless delays.

Davis (who was also a producer) had enough and demanded she be fired. Crawford was replaced by Olivia de Havilland.

The whole ordeal was so dramatic it derailed the movie and ended whatever was left of Crawford’s career. She never recovered.

Even death didn’t end the war

In 1977, when Joan Crawford died, Hollywood mourned. Bette Davis, however, sent in a quote that could freeze boiling water.

“You should never say bad things about the dead. You should only say good… Joan Crawford is dead. Good.”

Mic drop.

So… why did they hate each other so much?

The rivalry wasn’t just about Franchot Tone or an Oscar. It was about power, ego, and two very different kinds of ambition.

Crawford was calculated glam — always “on,” always networking, always branded.

Davis was raw fire — she wanted to act, not charm. She hated fake smiles and backroom deals.

They were too similar, and too opposite, all at once.

The legacy: Divas built differently

The Bette vs. Joan saga was revisited in Ryan Murphy’s Feud — and even then, people couldn’t get enough.

Because this wasn’t just tabloid fodder. It was a mirror to Hollywood’s double standard. Two powerful women who refused to dim their light… so they tried to destroy each other’s. In a way, they succeeded. But they also made each other unforgettable.

Their feud is legendary because it wasn’t manufactured. It wasn’t for clout. It was real. It was bloody. And it produced some of the most electric performances the screen has ever seen.

I think I am going to do a video about this one with the scenes.. I’ll post it once I am done! Thank you for reading!