What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

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....

I saw this in the theater way back when and liked it. A lowish-budget thriller, it combines the talents of Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds and puts forth yet another story in the genre of older ladies' horror shows. The film is made in color and has some interesting numbers as the two ladies run a school for Shirley Temple wannabees in the 1930s. Agnes Moorehead is on hand as a radio evangelist who Shelly listens to. The ladies run the whole show here, and their fans are not let down. The script is fairly engrossing and the production design is very good. I can't imagine any fan of the two leading ladies not enjoying this. The credits list this as a Filmways production. That's right. The company which gave you Mister Ed and The Beverly Hillbillies now bring you Shelly Winters as a maniacal latent lesbian!

After a sensational 1930s murder trial sends their sons to prison, middle-aged mothers Debbie Reynolds (as Adelle Bruckner) and Shelley Winters (as Helen Hill) decide to escape the glare of photographers and nosy reporters. They move to Hollywood, California. Possessing an obvious skill in dance, Ms. Reynolds decides she and Ms. Winters should start a school for mothers who think their little girls have what it takes to be the next Shirley Temple. With platinum-dyed hair, Reynolds patterns herself after Jean Harlow. Reynolds inexplicably tells Winters she looks like Marion Davies...Both women reveal more in their past than murderous sons. Winters is the winner when we see a flashback to her plowing mishap. Mystery man Micheal MacLiammoir (as Hamilton Starr) joins the dance school as a voice coach. Reynolds begins seeing wealthy Texan Dennis Weaver (as Lincoln "Linc" Palmer). Winters is jealous. Increasingly loony, she visits religious talk-show host Agnes Moorehead (as Alma). "What's the Matter with Helen?" will be answered. This cycle began with "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) and Winters went directly into "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?" (1972).****** What's the Matter with Helen? (6/30/71) Curtis Harrington ~ Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters, Dennis Weaver, Micheal MacLiammoir

Director Curtis Harrington and actress Shelley Winters collaborated on two movies in 1971 - this one, and Whoever Slew Auntie Roo; both are disappointing. This one appears to err more on the edge of drama than horror and is much higher quality the other collaboration; but overall, it's not much better. The plot takes place in the 1930's and we focus on two women who move to Hollywood to open a dance school after their sons were sent down on a murder charge. One of the pair, Helen, is not exactly normal, however, and begins sinking deeper into insanity. The film is rather slow and not a great deal happens for the majority of it. Director Curtis Harrington packs in plenty of song and dance scenes; and these serve only in breaking up what little tension there might have been as they are generally overlong and boring. Shelley Winters delivers a rather good performance in the lead role, however and manages to give the film a little bit of credibility. It does boil down to a rather good ending; but getting there is not a great deal of fun. Overall, I can't really say that this is a bad film; but it's not very good either and plenty of films have taken similar plots and made more out of it. I can't recommend going to the trouble of tracking this down.