What's the Matter With Helen?

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What's the Matter With Helen?

R

1971

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

55%

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11 Reviews

41%

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250+ Ratings

After their sons are convicted of homicide in a highly publicized trial, Midwesterners Adelle (Debbie Reynolds) and Helen (Shelley Winters) begin receiving threatening phone calls and decide to begin their lives anew in Hollywood, Calif. They open a dance school for young girls, and, while the business succeeds, their troubles continue. Helen becomes dangerously neurotic and increasingly clings to Adelle, who longs to marry the wealthy parent (Dennis Weaver) of one of her students.

Tom Milne

Financial Times

I wouldn't exactly claim What's the Matter With Helen? as a masterpiece, but I haven't enjoyed myself so much in months.

Mar 19, 2020

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Nigel Andrews

Sight & Sound

What's the Matter with Helen? provides considerable pleasure -- not least in the performances of Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters as the heroines, and Michael MacLiammbir's scene-stealing, histrionically sinister drama teacher.

Feb 12, 2020

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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.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 20, 2005

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Dilys Powell

Sunday Times (UK)

Agnes Moorehead as an Aimee McPherson-type gospeller contributes some happy moments; and with Luclen Ballard's evocative camerawork to help the nineteen-thirties setting, a hideously enjoyable time is had by all.

Mar 17, 2020

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Richard R. Harmetz

Los Angeles Free Press

The adrenalin flows, the audience gasps but [director Curtis] Harrington ends up with a good, not an excellent horror movie.

Jan 10, 2020

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz 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.

Rated: C+

Apr 17, 2009

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Tim S

Thoroughly entertaining film. It pulls you in. Great performances from Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds. Interesting plot twists and turns.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/24/25

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Stephen C

Failure in 1 hour and 41 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

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Daniel C. M

Great production value and acting with a fine story, though it's buried in 100-different layers of camp, which, at a certain point, starts to devolve from a positive attribute to a bad one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/25

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Blobbo X

No one better Shelley Winters when come act bonkers. Good cast, fair plot and direction. (Maybe deserve more stars, Blobbo feel down.)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

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Dave S

When Adele (Debbie Reynolds) and Helen (Shelley Winters), the mothers of two boys convicted of murder, leave smalltown Iowa to start a new life in Los Angeles, they find that their troubles have not been left behind. What's the Matter with Helen? is part mystery, part thriller, and, strangely enough, part musical. The production values are decent, Winters hams it up as only Winters can and Reynolds does a decent enough job tagging along as her sidekick, but the movie is ultimately dragged down by the inclusion of far too many scenes and shots that simply don't need to be there, most of them dance numbers to show off Reynolds' considerable dance skills or children tap dancing their way into the hearts of the audience. It's not all bad, but it is all weird.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

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Audience Member

I liked this movie. It has a Hitchcock, Tales From The Crypt Kind of vibe.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Curtis Harrington

Director

Debbie Reynolds

Adelle Bruckner

Shelley Winters

Helen Hill

Dennis Weaver

Lincoln Palmer

Micheál MacLiammóir

Hamilton Starr

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Sister Alma

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Synopsis

After their sons are convicted of homicide in a highly publicized trial, Midwesterners Adelle (Debbie Reynolds) and Helen (Shelley Winters) begin receiving threatening phone calls and decide to begin their lives anew in Hollywood, Calif. They open a dance school for young girls, and, while the business succeeds, their troubles continue. Helen becomes dangerously neurotic and increasingly clings to Adelle, who longs to marry the wealthy parent (Dennis Weaver) of one of her students.

Director: Curtis Harrington
Producer: George Edwards
Screenwriter: Henry Farrell
Distributor: United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Filmways Pictures
Rating: R (Some Violence/Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 1971, Original
Release Date (DVD): Sep 5, 2006
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Mono