In the grand tradition of Baby Jane we have this star turn shocker about the mothers of two thrill kill killers. Adelle (Reynolds) and Helen (Winters) are shamed and disgraced by the murder their sons committed, so they pick up and leave Iowa for Hollywood where they open a dancing school for children. All is not well, however. They've been targeted by their son's victim's former boyfriend who has sworn to make them pay for their sons' act. Several odd men start showing up in their lives in Hollywood. Could one of them be their tormentor? Meanwhile Adelle has struck up a romance with one of her student's father, and Helen is acting strangely.
The production values of this film are particularly good with well rendered details in the sets and costumes that were nominated for an Academy Award. Look for Agnes Moorehead's cameo as an evangelist.
This film has been released on DVD as a double bill with another shocker - Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? It's also available in full on YouTube, though the uploader has disabled embedding. You can see it here. The trailer above is uploaded by punkymom76.
Obscurity factor: 7 (has a cult following, available on DVD, largely unknown to the general public)
I have that double-bill DVD. Both movies were well-done. I wonder how Debbie and Shelley got along, at least with respect to how they approached their roles. Shelley was very "Method," which I doubt Debbie ever even dabbled in.
ReplyDeleteI read that the studio wanted the lesbian content toned down, but Shelly Winters did exactly as she pleased and played it full on anyway. There was a lesbian kiss that was cut and some other scenes they objected to.
ReplyDeleteI've got the DVD too, and I found AUNTIE ROO far more disturbing than HELEN. The ending's actually quite sad.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Propagatrix. Even though what Shelley did in Auntie Roo was not right, she was a sympathetic character. If I remember correctly, she did not mean to harm the children - but it has been a few years since I saw it.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...and the director, Curtis Harrington, was gay as a picnic basket.
ReplyDeleteIt shows... It's a very gay film. I just found out that James Bridges, who directed China Syndrome, among other great films was too.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the movie came out Shelly Winters gave an interview where when asked about working with Debbie Reynolds she said something to the effect of: Don't you think she's too old to be called Debbie? I mean really!
ReplyDeleteYes, you get a sense of what might have inspired that comment when you watch Debbie's early 70's interview on The Dick Cavett Show.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the poster gives away too much...
ReplyDeleteYes, it does. It's a total spoiler. Odd that they decided to go in that direction. The same can be said for the trailer for The House on Telegraph Hill. If you've never seen the film, don't see the trailer first.
ReplyDeleteIt's really great fun. The similarities to "Baby Jane" are all over the place...the fright wig on Debbie, the Shirley Temple stuff and the dialogue near the end of the film. The soundtrack is brilliant and the costumes superb. They don't make 'em like that any more. What about Glenn Close and Meryl Streep in something like these films. I've seen them all and they're scary and camp...the perfect combination. Debbie is great throughout. I read that Shelley was difficult to work with because she may actually have been having a nervous breakdown through filming. Great genre. A real classic of the type. If you haven't already seen this gem, please do. Dim the lights and enjoy the popcorn, too. Lol.
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