When I watched HUSH . . . HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE again recently (probably my fifth viewing of the entire movie), as usual I was amused by the photos of Bette Davis that were used for the photos of young Charlotte Hollis that appeared on the front pages of the local newspaper with the stories covering John Mayhew's murder in 1927.
The photo accompanying the "Gruesome Mutilation Murder" headline from the May 3, 1927 issue of the HOLLISPORT NEWS is one of a blonde Bette Davis.
(There's also an old photo of Olivia de Havilland used for Miriam Dearing, Charlotte's "up-north" cousin who was living in the Hollis home at the time of the murder.)
For the following day's issue, the front page headline was "Socialite Love Triangle Bared," and a photo of darker haired Bette Davis was used --- a much more flattering photo (in my opinion) than one accompanying the earlier headline.
(There's also an old photo of Mary Astor used for Jewel Mayhew, the wife of the murdered man who was having an affair with Charlotte.)
It's odd because the presence of a fan would actually be a reminder of how hot it is, but you're probably right that the actual sweat was important to Hitchcock, who seemed always to thrive on his characters' discomfort. Let's not forget he's the one who scared people away from showering.
