What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

One of the more curious subcategories of the horror field, the genre known as hagsploitation (sometimes called psycho-biddy films, Grande Dame Guignol and, as my buddy Rob calls it, aging-gargoyle movies) got its jump start with the release of the seminal "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?," starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, in 1962. After the success of that truly remarkable film, the crone gates were opened, and it was quickly followed by others, in which formerly glamorous actresses, now advanced in years, got to play aging biddies on the verge of madness. Such films as "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964, with Davis, Olivia de Havilland and Agnes Moorehead), "Strait-Jacket" (also '64, with Crawford again) and "What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice" ('69, with Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon) proved marvelous entertainments, and thus, as the '70s began, the hagsploitation genre showed no signs of abatement. Case in point: "What's the Matter With Helen?," which opened in June '71 and starred yet two more former beauties, Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds, going hysterically bonkers for the audience's delectation.Unlike "Baby Jane," which had begun in the 1930s and flashed forward to modern times, the film in question transpires entirely in the '30s. As the film opens, the viewer sees, on a news reel, footage of the distraught Adelle Bruckner (Reynolds) and Helen Hill (Winters), whose sons have just been sentenced to life in prison for the thrill killing of a woman in the town of Braddock, Iowa. The two women, after receiving death threats from a mysterious stranger on the phone, decide to change their names and move to Hollywood, where Adelle opens a dance school for young Shirley Temple wannabes, with Helen acting as her assistant. All seems to go well, although Helen is convinced that a stranger is watching them with evil designs. Adelle even starts to date a handsome rich Texan, Linc Palmer (played by a suave and excellent Dennis Weaver, who was just beginning his McCloud stint on TV), much to Helen's resentment and seething jealousy. But soon enough, things start to go very wrong, as Helen begins to hallucinate, confesses to Adelle that she had murdered her husband many years before, and starts to become enraptured by the voice of a female radio evangelist. Inevitably, her crack-up is NOT a pleasant one for all concerned...."What's the Matter With Helen?" manages to keep a light tone throughout its initial first half, and the viewer begins to wonder if this is indeed a horror film that he/she is watching or not. That first half even manages to shoehorn in a girls' dance recital (Adelle's so-called Kiddy Star Revue), although there are surely signs of creeping unease to be had, such as Helen's murderous revelation, the startling arrival of a tramp at Adelle's doorway (the great character actor Timothy Carey), and Helen's frightening visions. The film reserves its truly gruesome horrors for the final 15 minutes, and I cannot say that all the characters here get what they deserve--especially Adelle--but that just makes the film even more horrifying. Although the film is an unqualified addition to the hagsploitation genre, Debbie Reynolds' Adelle surely does not look anything like an old crone here; in fact, she is quite gorgeous, especially after moving to Hollywood and assuming a Jean Harlow-like blonde hairdo. Reynolds was pushing 40 here, and a good 20 years past her "Singin' in the Rain" breakthrough, but nevertheless gets to show off her remarkable hoofing abilities, performing a frenetic jitterbug as well as a sexy tango. She easily steals the first half of the picture, although 50-year-old Winters, naturally, walks away with the second. Besides these two, 70-year-old Agnes Moorehead gets to shine in her brief role as that evangelist; Michael MacLiammoir, who the gals hire to give elocution lessons at their school, does an astoundingly good Sydney Greenstreet imitation; and "Star Trek" alumnus Logan Ramsey contributes a good bit as a police detective. Also in the cast is cult actress Yvette Vickers, as one of the mothers of those young girls; I must confess that I did NOT recognize her as the film proceeded. "What's the Matter With Helen?" has been well directed by Curtis Harrington and offers up a winning script from Henry Farrell, who had written the original "Baby Jane" novel in 1960, as well as the screenplay for "Hush...Hush." The film's theme music by David Raksin, sadly, is fairly unmemorable; at least, as compared to his gorgeous and classic theme for 1944's "Laura," admittedly one of the finest of all time. The film balances itself just on the right side of camp without teetering over, and like "Baby Jane," reserves some genuine surprises for the viewer until the very end. It is, overall, a very entertaining experience. Now I find myself wanting to see still another psycho-biddy film that Winters appeared in in '71, also directed by Harrington: "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?" Stay tuned....

Besides being the usual strange, this movie although entertaining was everything and I do not mean that in a good way. The movie was cult,psychological thriller, musical, film noir, horror,spoof. It could have been written by anyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Stanley Kramer to Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stanley Kubrick to Martin Scorcese. Although this movie seemed to cover every genre from A-Z and probably did this intentionally... I believe this detracted from the movie. Sometimes this works but it did not in this film. I managed to make this movie the whole way through. I must say I did it in 'chapters'. I saw this film in 4 sittings. I thought the plot, truly was a good one. I also thought the actors were fine, except for the Shirley Temple wannabe, she was talentless and casting could have been better for her. Maybe it was rushed or they needed her on the cheap to keep in budget because of the other higher priced actors. Incidentally there was good acting from some veteran actors. One major twist in the last 15 minutes that was superb, other parts of the ending were expected. This was a fair film and worth watching but certainly lacked. Maybe best way to explain this. Going to a swank restaurant where everyone is wearing cutoff shorts, ripped t's and sandals and the food is only so so.

I had watched (and recorded) this a few years back on local TV and, having been underwhelmed by it, I subsequently erased the tape; however, when it was released by MGM as part of a "Midnite Movie" double-feature DVD of Curtis Harrington/Shelley Winters films for a very affordable price, I couldn't resist giving it a second look (this has since gone out-of-print). Actually, I received the DVD a few months ago but only now, with Harrington's passing, did I get to it; thankfully, this time around I was more receptive to the film and, in fact, now consider it one of the more satisfying WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962) imitations (with whom, incidentally, it shared screenwriter Henry Farrell).The film offers a splendid evocation of 1930s Depression America - with its child-star craze and sensational murders (exploited during the fake newsreel opening); it's stylishly made (kudos to Lucien Ballard's cinematography and the set design by Eugene Lourie') and boasts an effective David Raksin score. Shelley Winters, Debbie Reynolds and Michael MacLiammoir deliver excellent performances; the latter is especially impressive as the larger-than-life and vaguely sinister diction coach (though he ultimately proves a mere red herring!). Also featured are Dennis Weaver and Agnes Moorehead (hers is only a cameo, really, as the evangelist she plays is mostly heard over the radio).Many seemed to regret the inclusion of musical numbers by the kids (including an amusing Mae West imitation), but I personally wasn't bothered by them; the film does slightly overstay its welcome due to an unhurried pace and (perhaps needlessly) convoluted plot. Reynolds - a musical star herself - is ideally cast as the dancing-school owner and, despite their on-set rivalry, she and Winters work well together. The latter, in fact, gives a more balanced depiction of paranoia and insanity than in WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO? (1971); the narrative, then, comes up with a number of ironic twists that lead up to the expected Grand Guignol-type denouement. Apparently, the film was toned down (it originally contained more gore and even a suggestion of lesbianism!) by producer Martin Ransohoff - against Harrington's wishes - in order to get a PG rating...

The 1930s. Classy, elegant Adele (marvelously played with dignified resolve by Debbie Reynolds) and batty, frumpy Helen (the magnificent Shelley Winters going full-tilt wacko with her customary histrionic panache) are the mothers of two killers. They leave their seamy pasts in the Midwest behind and move to Hollywood to start their own dance school for aspiring kid starlets. Adele begins dating dashing millionaire Lincoln Palmer (the always fine Dennis Weaver). On the other hand, religious fanatic Helen soon sinks into despair and madness.Director Curtis ("Night Tide," "Ruby") Harrington, working from a crafty script by Henry Farrell (who wrote the book "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" was based on and co-wrote the screenplay for "Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte"), adeptly concocts a complex and compelling psychological horror thriller about guilt, fear, repression and religious fervor running dangerously amok. The super cast have a ball with their colorful roles: Michael MacLiammoir as a pompous elocution teacher, Agnes Moorehead as a stern fire-and-brimstone radio evangelist, Yvette Vickers as a snippy, overbearing mother of a bratty wannabe child star, Logan Ramsey as a snoopy detective, and Timothy Carey as a creepy bum. An elaborate talent recital set piece with Pamelyn Ferdin (the voice of Lucy in the "Peanuts" TV cartoon specials) serving as emcee and original "Friday the 13th" victim Robbi Morgan doing a wickedly bawdy dead-on Mae West impression qualifies as a definite highlight. David Raskin's spooky score, a fantastic scene with Reynolds performing an incredible tango at a posh restaurant, the flavorsome Depression-era period atmosphere, Lucien Ballard's handsome cinematography, and especially the startling macabre ending are all likewise on the money excellent and effective. MGM presents this terrific gem on a nifty DVD doublebill with "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?;" both pictures are presented in crisp widescreen transfers along with their theatrical trailers.