What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)
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33% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
46% of users liked it
(322 ratings)
Though it bears more than passing resemblance to his macabre hits Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, this lesser-known outing from screenwriter Henry Farrell takes a more satirical turn, skewering the eccentricities of the Hollywood studio system. The story opens… More Though it bears more than passing resemblance to his macabre hits Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, this lesser-known outing from screenwriter Henry Farrell takes a more satirical turn, skewering the eccentricities of the Hollywood studio system. The story opens during the advent of talking pictures, where a school for would-be child stars is opened by voice coach Helen Hill (Shelley Winters) and dance instructor Adelle Bruckner (Debbie Reynolds). Haunted by a dark secret -- each of the women's sons was convicted of murder -- Hill and Bruckner are pursued by a cloaked interloper whose incessant snooping leads to a fatal altercation. Suspicion builds between the two until the expected climax, where it is revealed that one of the two women is even more lethal than her homicidal son. Though the film's absurdist tone is a harsh about-face from the deadly deadpan camp of Farrell's Gothic 1960s thrillers, the period flavor is a nice touch, and accomplished director Curtis Harrington frequently achieves the right balance of horror and humor. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- Curtis Harrington
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense
G,
- In Theaters
- Jun 30, 1971 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The same thing that's wrong with Helen, is what's wrong with this pic%u2014it's too loony to be taken either seriously or humorously.
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Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
The layers of pastiche that fuel What's the Matter with Helen? multiply like Shelly Winters's titular character's fat white rabbits.
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Scott Weinberg, Apollo Guide
An unseemly vibe of failed comedic horror, or - depending on your point of view - successfully bad high camp, with an inordinate number of incongruous dance numbers.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Bizarre cultish thriller from the underrated Curtis Harrington.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Debbie Reynolds
as Adelle
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Shelley Winters
as Helen
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Dennis Weaver
as Lincoln Palmer
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Agnes Moorehead
as Sister Alma Evangelist
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Michael MacLiammoir
as Hamilton Starr
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Samee Lee Jones
as Winona Palmer
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Minta Durfee Arbuckle
as Old Lady
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Peter Brocco
as Old Man
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Timothy Carey
as Tramp
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Paulie Clark
as Mrs. Plumb
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James Dobson
as Cab Driver
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Molly Dodd
as Mrs. Rigg
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Pamelyn Ferdin
as Kiddy M.C.
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Helene Heigh
as Widow
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Robbi Morgan
as Rosalie Greenbaum
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Logan Ramsey
as Detective West
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Peggy Rea
as Mrs. Schultz
- Vicki Schreck
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Debbie van den Houten
as Sue Anne Schultz
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Yvette Vickers
as Mrs. Barker
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Helene Winston
as Mrs. Greenbaum
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Gary Combs
as Matt Hill
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Bill Fritz
as Musician
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Douglas Deane
as Fanatical Man
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Swen Swenson
as Gigolo
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Harry Stanton
as Malcolm Hays
