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What's the Matter With Helen?

Play trailer Poster for What's the Matter With Helen? R Released Jun 30, 1971 1h 41m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
55% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 41% Popcornmeter 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.

Critics Reviews

View All (11) Critics Reviews
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 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (42) audience reviews
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 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Audience Member It's decent, not too horrifying, but not too dull. The characters are alright, and the ending is fairly fitting. It is a bit slow at points, but for the most part it manages to be a clever cheap little thriller. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews
What's the Matter With Helen?

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Movie Info

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