What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Curtis Harrington

Writer:

Henry Farrell (writer)

Release Date:

26 May 1972 (Finland)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Musical | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Two middle-aged women move to Hollywood, California after their sons are convicted of a notorious murder and open a dance school for children eager to tap their way to stardom.

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | School | Hollywood California | Children | Evangelist

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Debbie Reynolds	...	Adelle Bruckner (Stuart)
Shelley Winters	...	Helen Hill (Martin)
Dennis Weaver	...	Lincoln "Linc" Palmer
Agnes Moorehead	...	Sister Alma
Micheál MacLiammóir	...	Hamilton Starr (as Micheal MacLiammóir)
Helene Winston	...	Mrs. Greenbaum
Peggy Rea	...	Mrs. Schultz
Logan Ramsey	...	Detective Sergeant West
Paulle Clark	...	Mrs. Plumb
Yvette Vickers	...	Mrs. Barker
Molly Dodd	...	Mrs. Rigg
Samee Lee Jones	...	Winona Palmer
Robbi Morgan	...	Rosalie Greenbaum
Timothy Carey	...	The Tramp
Swen Swenson	...	Gigolo
Debbie Van Den Houten	...	Sue Anne Schultz
Teresa De Rose	...	Donna Plumb
Pamelyn Ferdin	...	Kiddy M.C.
Allen Pinson	...	The Man
James Dobson	...	Cab Driver
Sadie Delfino	...	Little Lady
Tammy Lee	...	Adelle's Kiddystars: Charlene Barker
Sharann Hisamoto	...	Adelle's Kiddystars (as Sharon Hisamoto)
Stacey Hollow	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
Marcia Garcia	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
Bambi Meyers	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
Roxanne 'Rocky' Meyers	...	Adelle's Kiddystars (as Roxanne Meyers)
Vicki Schreck	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
Keri Shuttleton	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
Shawn Steinman	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
Madelon Tupper	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
Sian Winship	...	Adelle's Kiddystars
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Brocco	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Gary Combs	...	Matt Hill (uncredited)
Annette Davis	...	Spinster (uncredited)
Douglas Deane	...	Fanatical Man (uncredited)
Minta Durfee	...	Old Lady (uncredited)
Helene Heigh	...	Widow (uncredited)
Peggy Patten	...	Ellie Banner (uncredited)
Harry Stanton	...	Malcolm Hays (uncredited)
Peggy Walton-Walker	...	Young Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Curtis Harrington

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Henry Farrell		writer

Produced by
George Edwards	....	producer
Edward S. Feldman	....	executive producer
James C. Pratt	....	associate producer

Original Music by
David Raksin

Cinematography by
Lucien Ballard

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Casting by
Caro Jones

Art Direction by
Eugène Lourié

Set Decoration by
Jerry Wunderlich

Costume Design by
Morton Haack

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair creations
William Tuttle	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Binyon Jr.	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bud Grenzbach)
Al Overton Jr.	....	sound mixer

Music Department
Ralph Ives	....	music editor
Matty Malneck	....	composer: song "Goody Goody"
David Raksin	....	conductor

Other crew
Tony Charmoli	....	choreographer
Paulle Clark	....	production assistant
John Franco Jr.	....	production assistant
Alan Greedy	....	script supervisor (as Allan Greedy)
Phill Norman	....	title designer: Cinefx
Tad Tadlock	....	assistant choreographer
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Filmways Pictures
• Martin Ransohoff presents
• Raymax Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (video)

Other Companies

• Cinefx  titles
• Edit International Ltd.  sound effects

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating)

Company:

Filmways Pictures

Trivia:

Shelley Winters decided that after they came in from the rain, her Helen character should have a moment when she kissed Debbie Reynolds Adelle character on the lips. This unscripted moment was filmed but removed from the final print of the movie to avoid attaining an R-rating.

Goofs:

Continuity: The second time Linc drives Adelle home, he reaches down with his right hand to shut off the car. In the subsequent shot, his right arm is firmly wrapped behind Adelle's shoulder.

Quotes:

Helen Hill: Men can be quite a bit lower than the angels.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Connie and Carla (2004)

Soundtrack:

Animal Crackers in My Soup

"You will find that men are just a little bit lower than angels."

This is certainly NOT a movie to laugh at, rather than with, as one commentator indicates. This move has an understated black comic humor running through it that is simply delirious fun! And that "borders on a bad musical" that another commentator mentions? Well, I believe it's supposed to be bad. In fact, frightening so. One of the major points of the film is how we live our dreadful lives in sad imitation of equally dreadful Hollywood stars. And these kids are but the sad tools of monstrous parents, forcing them to play bad imitations of Shirley Temple, or worse, trashy child vamps! And the worst of them all is Debbie Reynolds, who - when given a bouquet of gardenias - can only remark, "Oh! Joan Crawford's favorite!

See this movie. Observations like the one quoted in the title to this post will surely make you wet your pants. And if that doesn't, then Agnes Morehead's milking her flock for donations in support of her CHURCH OF THE OPEN HAND should do it. Or how about the poem she recites that goes something like, "Give it up for to God. It's time you took action. You should make Jesus your main attraction!"

The audience at the screening I went to the other night was actually on their feet cheering after the film.