E! IllustrationAllow FX to introduce—or reintroduce—you to Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
The legendary stars' just-as-legendary feud is at the center of your latest Ryan Murphy anthology obsession, FX's Feud: Bette and Davis. In the limited series, viewers will see what really was behind one of Old Hollywood's most infamous rivalries, and see the making of their only film, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Of course, E! News has rounded up the essential books, movies and podcasts you should check out if you want to learn even more about Davis, Crawford, their feud and Old Hollywood while you wait to see Feud: Bette and Joan unfold. Hey, we've all been sucked into a Google black hole before, so we're just helping you save some time here...
FILM: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The iconic 1962 film at the center of the series, it's the only project Crawford and Davis worked on together, adding fuel to their already heated rivalry and reigniting their careers in the process.
PODCAST: You Must Remember This: Karina Longworth's podcast is a must-listen for all fans of Old Hollywood, and her "Six Degrees of Joan Crawford" series provides insight and reveals secrets about the complicated star.
FILM: Dangerous: Davis won her first Oscar in 1936 for playing an alcoholic actress.
BOOK AND FILM: Mommie Dearest: Christina Crawford wrote a memoir, published in 1978, that documented her childhood abuse at the hands of her adoptive mother. The expose was made into a movie starring Faye Dunaway in 1981, which has since become a cult classic.
FILM: Mildred Pierce: Crawford won the Oscar in 1945 for this film, and infamously was too ill to attend the ceremony, but had the award presented to her in bed…with the press present to get their photo. (There were rumors Davis was also up for the part.) Crawford only won one Oscar, though accepted the award in 1963 on behalf of Anne Bancroft, just to spite Davis, who was nominated. (Episode five is when you'll see it go down, y'all!)
BOOK: The Lonely Life: Published in 1962, Davis dished on her four marriages, all her leading men, her movies, and, of course, the feud in this juicy memoir.
BOOK: My Mother's Keeper: Bette Davis' daughter B.D. Hyman (played by Kiernan Shipka) wrote a shocking tell-all in 1985 about her relationship with her mother—along with a sequel, Narrow Is the Way)—with Davis even attempting to block their releases due to allegations of emotional abuse made in the book.
LETTER: In Davis' 1987 memoir, This N' That, the final chapter was a letter written to Hyman, in response to her memoir.
FILM: Jezebel: Davis won her second and final Oscar in 1938, and had an affair with her director, William Wyler, whom she later called the love of her life.
LONG-READ: Judy Davis takes on the role of infamous gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, and we recommend reading Vanity Fair's in-depth look into her own rivalry with fellow gossip monger Louella Parsons, who is also a part of the series. (For a closer look at the other feud in Feud, check out George Eells' 1971 dual biography, Hedda and Louella.)
Feud: Bette and Joan premieres Sunday, March 5 on FX.