What's the Matter With Helen?

R

Released Jun 30, 1971

1 hr. 41 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

55%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

41%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

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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

Full Review

liza s

Very enjoyable! I liked it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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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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joe m

Kinda campy, kinda creepy and really kinda good. It doesn't rise to the level of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", but "What's the Matter with Helen?" has decent performances by Reynolds and Winters while holding your interest through the rather twisty plot.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What would have been a 'major' release in 1971 was marred by the film's poster, and revealing lobby cards, after which most studios forbade stills of films that gave away the ending. Despite a few lagging moments, the film itself moves rather steadily with good character development and what would have been a 'shock' ending, still is executed very well. Nominated for an OSCAR for best costume design, Director Curtis Harrington takes us back to a time when Shirley Temple was #1 at the box office, and even the best of friends can be deadly. Released in 1971 to luke warm audience reception, it has since become a cult hit, despite the current wave of 'torture porn' horror flicks, and current critics who were not even born during the film's release...

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

Yes, a tap dancing horror thriller........with Shelley and Debbie--Helen's a bit of a Nutball!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Curtis Harrington

Director

Debbie Reynolds

Adelle Bruckner

Shelley Winters

Helen Hill

Dennis Weaver

Lincoln Palmer

Micheál MacLiammóir

Hamilton Starr

Agnes Moorehead

Sister Alma

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Edward S. Feldman
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
Sound Mix: Mono