What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) User Reviews

"How does your garden grow?" might have been a better title...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 2 October 2006]

Lots of mordant humor and a clever plot twist at the end are sufficient reason for watching WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE?, but when a cast includes GERALDINE PAGE, RUTH GORDON and MILDRED DUNNOCK and promises to be a suspenseful film along the lines of BABY JANE and HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE, you owe it to yourself to watch it.

It works not so much because the story (an eerie one, to be sure) is so original, but because the cat-and-mouse aspect of the story which has Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon as adversaries in a household fraught with suspicion (of murder), is what hooks the most interest in this vastly entertaining little shocker.

However, it's a quiet one, building its suspense slowly as we come to realize just how manipulative and cunning Page's character is. She's a woman, believing her husband has left her penniless, who moves to Arizona where she will be near her nephew. But she's intent on hiring lonely housekeepers and murdering them to steal their savings. (Not unlike some real-life events depicted in a gruesome TV documentary recently). After disposing of her victims she buries them in her garden and plants another tree to mark the spot. It seems they flourish nicely, hence my suggestion above for a better title.

Gordon pretends to apply for a job after the last housekeeper has gone missing and is actually doing some detective work on her own. It's her scenes with Page that make the whole film so satisfying.

It's not a great horror film but it does have its moments, thanks mostly to GERALDINE PAGE who does a marvelous job at showing us all the tics and nuances of a very eccentric woman who means to get her way, no matter what she has to do. It's a ruthless, cunning role and Page makes the most of it.

Two Old Pros Hoist a Potboiler Several Notches

[micklest · 7/10 · 4 April 2006]

Really just another attempt to squeeze some juice out of the aging-diva-as-murderous-nut-job genre, this one gets quite a sizable lift from two memorable actresses. Ruth Gordon doing her patented, deceptively off-center, crazy-like-a-fox character, and making the most of it. She's delightful.

And the extraordinary Geraldine Page giving conviction and ultimately a scary poignancy to the role of the murderess. Her last scene could have been so easily overplayed by another actress, but she gives it an unsettling aura of truth. Page never had quite the film career one would have hoped for, but here she gives you a taste of what she was capable of, for those who never got to see one of her legendary stage performances.

Worth a look for those interested in the genre and in the two star performances. Gordon had won her Oscar for "Rosemary's Baby" the year before, and Page would ultimately win one for "The Trip to Bountiful."

''What a fraud you are!''

[phillindholm · 8/10 · 30 August 2005]

Not-so-grieving widow Claire Marrable is horrified to hear that her supposedly wealthy husband has apparently left her penniless. But, being a practical (and resourceful) type, she hits on a scheme to keep her in the comfort to which she wishes to become accustomed. Relocating to the Arizona desert, she hires elderly housekeepers with no known relatives (but tidy nest eggs) and sends them to their rewards a bit sooner than they planned. And their remains become mulch for the widow's growing garden as each is buried under a quickly flourishing sapling. This later entry in the "horror hag" sweepstakes features absolutely wonderful performances from Geraldine Page, who has a high old time as the haughty, demented and thoroughly relentless Mrs. Marrable, and Ruth Gordon, as Alice Dimmock, her new housekeeper, who isn't quite what she seems to be. On the sidelines are Rosemary Forsyth, herself a (young) widow with a nephew, Robert Fuller as Miss Gordon's nephew, and Joan Huntington as the scheming wife of Page's nephew. With a cast made up of widows and nephews, how scary can "Aunt Alice" be? Not very. But it's a delicious black comedy which allows Page and Gordon the opportunity to give the performances of their lives. There's also a neat cameo from Mildred Dunnock ("Death Of A Salesman") as the luckless servant who precedes Miss Gordon. One of the best "Grand Guignol" films ever made!

Marvelously enjoyable thriller

[willowgreen · 23 February 2003]

Although this movie looks a tad dated in certain respects - for instance a stupid subplot could have been eliminated and no one would have missed a thing - it works because of the brilliant playing of Ruth Gordon and - especially - Geraldine Page. I first watched this film at age the age nine when it was released theatrically: it was actually more enjoyable than the supposed "bigger" picture of the double feature! It is very obvious that Geraldine Page relished playing her role of Claire Marrable: she's totally awesome, so witchy and natural-like in her acting technique. Ms Marrable is a rather narcissistic woman who goes through an astonishing array of household help. Enter Ruth Gordon, a sly fox who comes to Marrable for a position in her lovely desert home. Once hired, the viewer is in for a tour-de-force game of cat-and-mouse. Played to the hilt, this little sleeper creeper is most enjoyable.

A thrilling and suspenseful flick with great performances from veteran actresses

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 22 May 2021]

An intriguing film with plenty of twists and turns , dealing with an aging widow : Geraldine Page who carries out dark and sinister activities with grave consequences . As a poor , eccentric widow develops an awful habit to inherit states from old women by stealing their savings . Meanwhile , an elderly woman : Ruth Gordon takes a job in hopes of solving a mystery . Whatever happened to Aunt Alice was more terrifying than what happened to Baby Jane ! . The only evidence is a growing number of trees by the drive ! . You'll know ..when the horror starts to grow ! .What makes her garden grow ...wouldn't you like to know !

This is a horrific tale with high body-count , violence , thrills , chills , plot twists and portentous interpretations . It packs an adequate cinematography by Joseph Biroc , as well as moving musical score by Gerarld Fried . Main and support cast are frankly top-notch . As Geraldine Page is terrific as the suspect widow who hires maids and hides a deadly secret which she will do anything to keep buried . She is excellently accompanied by the always great Ruth Gordon -of Harold and Maude fame- as Mrs Dimmock acting there just as odd , along with the beautiful Rosemary Forsyth , Robert Fuller and especial appearance by Mildred Dunnock . This film belongs to a sub-genre developed in the Sixties and Seventies , dealing with deranged widows or unsettling spinsters , middle-age women who often commit grisly killings , whose main representatives were Robert Aldrich with his big hit "What ever happened to Baby Jane ?" Stars Bette Davis , Joan Crawford, "Hush ...Hush Sweet Charlotte" stars Olivia De Havilland , Bette Davis and Curtis Harrington with "Whoever slew Auntiee Roo ?" Stars Shelley Winters , "What's the matter with Helen ?" Stars Debbie Reynolds , Shelley Winters , "The Killing Kind" with Ann Sothern and "Games" with Simone Signoret .

The motion picture well produced by Robert Aldrich was competently directed by Lee H Katzin and direction assistant Bernard Girard , providing a tense and competetent filmmaking . Rating : 7/10 notable . Well worth watching . Essential and fundamental seeing for the awesome interpretations of the magnificent actresses .

A Memorable Performance by Geraldine Page

[aimless-46 · 7/10 · 26 June 2005]

This is a fun little black comedy from television director Lee Katzin. Playing off the title of "Whatver Happened to Baby Jane", it is not ruined by its television look and feel because of a particularly memorable performance by Geraldine Page.

Page plays an older women who has essentially been driven mad with rage after her husband dies and leaves her only his debts and .the contents of his briefcase. She moves to the desert and lives very comfortably by dispatching a series of live-in housekeepers who have turned over their life savings to her. Katzin tells the story mostly from the POV of Page's character so that after a while the audience is actually identifying with her.

Ruth Gordon is essentially wasted in a very straight role. Rosemary Forsyth and Robert Fuller make an appealing couple but are very minor to story.

Page is absolutely brilliant and plays the ironic twist at the end of the film beautifully (recently reprised in "The Upside of Anger"). At the same time that she is found out, she finds out that her husband actually made a provision for her to live comfortably after his death. She plays this final scene in such a way that we understand that discovering he actually loved her is far more important to her than getting away with murder.

Creepy Woman

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 11 December 2017]

After the death of her husband, the widow Clare Marrable (Geraldine Page) finds he has lost his fortune in bad investments and receives only a briefcase with a rusted dagger, a butterfly collection and a stamp collection. Completely broken, Clare moves to Tucson, Arizona where her unknown nephew George Lawson (Peter Brandon) gives an isolated house in the desert for her to live. Clare poses as if she has investments and kills her lonely housekeepers to steal their money. Then she buries their bodies in her garden and plants pine trees on their graves. After killing the housekeeper Miss Edna Tinsley (Mildred Dunnock), Clare receives the application of the mysterious Alice Dimmock (Ruth Gordon) that snoops around her house to investigate the disappearance of Tinsley helped by Mike Darrah (Robert Fuller). Meanwhile George leases an empty cottage in front of Clare's house to lodge his friend Harriet Vaughn (Rosemary Forsyth) and her ten year-old son. What will Clare do?

"What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?" is a suspenseful film with a creepy woman. The evil Clare Marrable is one of the scariest serial-killer in the cinema history and Geraldine Page has a top-notch performance, supported by a great cast composed by the veteran actresses Ruth Gordon and Mildred Dunnock. The ironic conclusion is perfect to the story. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Mansão dos Desaparecidos" ("The Mansion of the Missing Ones")

For Geraldine Page Fans

[Lechuguilla · 10/10 · 23 September 2004]

Geraldine Page and a lively script lift this otherwise b-grade film to the status of cult classic. With her unique voice and mannered style of method acting, Page has never disappointed me in any of her many performances. And in this thriller, Theodore Apstein's clever screenplay gives the inimitable Page ample opportunity to portray a woman who, although inwardly venomous, amuses viewers in a stylized, aristocratic sort of way. In a major support role, feisty Ruth Gordon adds spunk. All of which adds up to 101 minutes of viewing fun, despite a grating, fingernails-on-the-blackboard music score, and dubious production values which, toward the film's end, have a black Lincoln turning yellow, then black, then yellow again, and back to black, in the span of 43 seconds. Charming.

Bizarre thriller

[sdave7596 · 7/10 · 28 January 2012]

"Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice" (1969) is another in the line of crazy old lady movies that became popular with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" in 1962. That film was directed by Robert Aldrich; here he is the producer, and turned over directing to Lee Katzen, known more for his TV work. This film has the look of a TV movie somewhat; the editing, the style, etc. The story is strange: a nutty widow (Geraldine Page) left penniless by her husband embarks on a way to make money: hire elderly female companions to work for her. Of course, the women have tidy savings, and so she kills them to get the cash, then buries them under a newly planted tree in her garden. Enter Ruth Gordon, who is suspicious when one of her dear friends goes missing after working for the widow. She goes "undercover" as a maid and is hired by Page. Stangely enough, Page takes to Gordon's character, and although she bullies and belittles her like she does her other companions, it is clear she respects her in an odd way. The story gets complicated; of course Ruth Gordon knows she has killed her friend, and the two have it out in a fairly violent scene. Ruth Gordon is charming and spunky here, fresh off her Oscar-winning role in "Rosemary's Baby." But is it Geraldine Page who is the real star of this B-film. She elevates the bizarre script with her wonderful acting; playing her character with all the venom she can muster, but hidden beneath a layer of ladylike charm. This odd little film is worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of Page or Gordon.

Geraldine Page is the poster woman for psycho-biddies everywhere with her chilling performance in `Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?'

[Queen Bea · 10/10 · 28 August 2000]

What's a poor widow to do when her husband dies and leaves her penniless? Move to the Arizona desert, start a pine tree garden, and fertilize it with human mulch? Well.wouldn't you?? Geraldine Page has quite the green thumb as Mrs. Claire Marrable--the wicked widow with the pine tree fetish--in the chilling thriller "Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?"

Grand dame Bette Davis once quipped: "Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy night!" Bette, you are so right! If you remember Geraldine Page as the sweet li'l ol' lady from `Trip to Bountiful'.FUGETABOWTIT! Page does a 180 as she transmogrifies from helpless Southern widow to cool, calculating murderess with money and murder on the brain--and a means to achieve both. Page hits the bulls-eye with each scene. All of her nervous ticks are appropriately timed. She is at her best when putting on airs and verbally sparring with unarmed opponents. What a stellar performance! Geraldine, girlfriend, you is flawless!!

Many deliciously diabolical scenes abound, like when pesky canine Chloe threatens to dig up the dirt on her murderous past-time, Page as Marrable barks back: "I have not taken loving and diligent care of my garden to have it wrecked by this vagrant bitch!" Page's character is equally disenchanted with her new next door neighbor, Ms. Vaughn, whom she refers to as "crabgrass, never really quelled, only cropping up secretly and victoriously in another spot". The only one Page can stomach is Ruth Gordon as the inquisitive Aunt Alice--an undercover housekeeper on a mission to get to the root (haha) of all evil and discover the whereabouts of a friend last seen in Page's employ. But when she's tardy serving up cocktails, an impatient Geraldine rips her a new one: `Punctuality is essential to a gracious way of life, which I do not intend to give up on account of you.' Ruth returns fire: `If you wanna live like some Dutchess of Maharati, you better learn how to behave like one!' Geraldine shakes furiously from head to toe after a fiesty Ruth flat-out inquires: "How MANY women have you killed?" Try to suppress a snicker as you watch a pint-sized Ruthie scamper away from Page, who smugly stalks her throughout her secluded desert home to the beat of bongos and a psychotic musical score. Page's wicked laughter is sprinkled spuriously throughout the film to the backdrop of swaying pine trees-how ingenious! Not even Bette Davis cackled with such nefarious mirth as Baby Jane Hudson!

Praise be the master of psycho-shrews on film, Robert Aldrich--who directed the cult smash "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"--for producing this special gem, and a hearty kudos to Lee Katzin for his superlative directing skills. This movie will make you bow down and pray to the Church of Geraldine Page. So what are you waiting for? Rent it tonight.and START PRAYING!!

Trying to get good help

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 17 January 2012]

Poor Geraldine Page has been left penniless by her late husband who left her the house and a huge stamp collection. The love went out of that marriage years ago and her being left with nothing, but debts has really put a crimp in her plans to live good in her sunset years.

Then she hits on a plan to hire housekeepers with some assets and kill them for same. She succeeds with Mildred Dunnock, but that also leaves Dunnock's friend, Ruth Gordon with a mystery to find out What Ever Happened To Aunt Alice?

Though there are a number of supporting roles Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice is a two woman show with Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon dividing up the scenery equally so they could chow down. But this kind of black comedy really calls for it.

If your taste runs to black comedy this is your kind of film. And I do love the fact that it turns out in the end Page is not quite so penniless after all. Good thing because she'll need a good lawyer.

Whispering Pines in the Desert

[BaronBl00d · 10/10 · 14 June 2001]

Claire Marrable has just lost her husband, her fortune, and her rich and refined way of life. What is a spoiled, wealthy, egotistical woman to do? Why pack up and move to Arizona to be near your nephew, and begin killing housekeepers/live-in companions for their life savings of course. Aunt Claire seemingly has a green thumb as she transplants her housekeepers to the ground and plants a pine tree over them. As we see in the first part of the film, there are at least three pine trees before we see the first woman bashed in the head with a rock and then planted. We then see another housekeeper, Edna Tinsley, killed in similar fashion with a shovel. Now, five pine trees in the desert. Enter Mrs. Dimmock, a woman in disguise as a housekeeper out to find out what happened to her long-time friend Edna. This cat and mouse relationship between Claire and Mrs. Dimmock serves as the basis of the film. This film was produced by Robert Aldrich, who was responsible for bringing us films like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Hush..Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Aldrich made films that had older female protagonists popular in the sixties by giving these starring roles to ladies that were a bit aged and considered passe. Geraldine Page stars in this film as Aunt Claire, and if you had any doubts about her talent as an actress prior to seeing this film, no doubts should have remained afterward. Page is simply stunning. She has an aura and charm about her. She has a wonderfully sadistic and maniacal laugh. She has an ability to take dialogue which would not work for any one else and make it sound meaningful. Her portrayal of this wicked, cruel, greedy woman is one of the best I have seen for roles of this ilk. Aiding Ms. Page is Ruth Gordon. Ms. Gordon gives a very good performance as Mrs. Dimmock out to find the truth no matter what the cost might be. Gordon and Page act and interact very well together, and it is their relationship which really makes this film work. The rest of the cast is okay and the direction is okay, but everything is brought up a notch by the two outstanding performances of these two incredible actresses. After seeing this film twice in two days, I am still stunned at the magnificent performance given by Geraldine Page. WOW!

Method Melodramatics

[char treuse · 7/10 · 17 May 2006]

The Grand Guignol/Grande Dame sub-genre of suspense in its decadent phase (though that might sound redundant). Lacking the cinematic iconography of waning Hollywood movie queens like Joan Crawford or Bette Davis, Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon (and Mildred Dunnock, in a featured part) compensate for it with Method histrionics -- and a thrilling confrontation scene to boot -- rising above the stale directing and prosaic mise-en-scenes. Indeed, Page's manic looniness largely carries the contrived but entertaining script (based on "The Forbidden Garden" by Ursula Curtiss), nicely matched by the perpetually plucky Gordon, both wearing bad fright wigs. A respectable entry in the pantheon of menopausal malevolence and, certainly, the type of film they don't make any more. The movie pretty much just runs out of steam, however, unfortunately lacking a satisfactory end, its hair-raising climax coming too early. Gerald Fried's score is expressive and stirring, and certainly a plus.

What Ever Happened to Pacing and Suspense?

[brefane · 5/10 · 20 February 2017]

Despite an interesting premise and some enjoyable black comedy, What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? is a tepid thriller that holds the attention thanks to Page and Gordon whose cat-and-mouse game could be memorable were it not for slack pacing, uninspired writing and a weak, poorly staged finale involving warm milk, a sculpture, and a wheelchair that is more laughable than scary. The supporting cast made up of vaguely familiar faces is flat, and they serve no purpose other than to provide tired exposition. At an hour and 41 minutes the material feels stretched-out and the production values of the film, largely confined to one setting, give it a made-for-TV feel. Page's hammy performance is fun and a rather restrained Gordon is immensely likable. Still, the film disappoints. Not as memorable as Baby Jane, but less tedious than Die! Die! My Darling!

Creepy....

[Teenie · 23 August 2000]

Geraldine Page gives a stellar performance as a whacked-out nutzo who delights in making compost out of her housekeepers and then stealing their money. Alas, along comes Ruth Gordon (at her snoopiest, sneakiest best) to investigate her friend's death, and then the gray hair flies. The scene in which these two senior citizens duke it out makes you see that adrenaline still pumps after age 60 (see Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck in the climax of "The Boys from Brazil" if you don't believe me). Ruth Gordon's character reminds me of a sweet yet feisty grandma who wouldn't hesitate to deck you with a right hook if her words didn't get to you. I actually wanted to jump in there and help her kick butt since I liked her character so much. If you like the kind of film that startles you to attention, check this one out. It's very much worth a look.

What's the problem with my housekeepers?

[ulicknormanowen · 7/10 · 7 October 2020]

Although he's only a producer here,it's the third installment in Aldrich's grand guignol trilogy ,after "whatever happened to Baby Jane " and "hush hush sweet Charlotte "; it possesses a strong appeal for fans of ladies 'feud ,but is definitely inferior to the previous works ; "Baby Jane "was a camp masterpiece ,and "Charlotte " was not far behind.

The main problem is that Geraldine Page (excellent when directed by Don Siegel's Gothic tale "beguiled" ) overplays all along the movie;in "hush hush sweet Charlotte" ,Olivia De Havilland saw the danger and suggested that the screenplay should be modified :her character would be a well-mannered lady ,considerate ,all smile ,before she revealed her true colors .The movie was all the more successful and did not suffer for Joan Crawford's absence.

Here Page is the absolute baddie,and her actions are too predictable, but it's mainly the director's fault ; on the other hand , Ruth Gordon (brilliant as Maude in "Harold and Maude" and unforgettable as Minnie Castevet in "Rosemary's baby") gives a more restrained performance ,but her character is not very interesting ,being too straight.In "Baby Jane " and "Charlotte" there're no nice persons, and Aldrich's faultless direction perfectly masters camp excesses.

Watch it anyway :its several creepy moments are worth your time.

Good help IS hard to find...

[JasparLamarCrabb · 7/10 · 21 August 2010]

Light years better than you'd expect given that this was released amongst the glut of horror films featuring faded leading ladies. Ruth Gordon is hired on as Geraldine Page's maid in an attempt to locate a missing friend. She's very quickly on to the macabre shenanigans of her new employer. Suffice to say, Page has an inordinately beautiful garden (for someone living in the desert of Tucson)! Director Lee Katzin creates a really creepy movie, utilizing two great actresses, cinematography by Joseph Biroc and a perfectly malevolent music score by Gerald Fried. The acting is excellent, with Page really running wild. Gordon, surprising in a purely dramatic turn, is every inch her equal. The supporting cast is fine and includes Robert Fuller, Mildred Dunnock and Rosemary Forsyth as one of Page's few curious neighbors. Produced by Robert Aldrich, this is a terrific companion piece to his earlier WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE & HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE.

A neat story but way too many plot holes to be taken very seriously,

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 15 September 2013]

"What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?" is certainly a guilty pleasure in the tradition of such films as "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", "Who Slew Auntie Roo?" and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte". All three were old lady thrillers--an odd genre in the 1960s and early 70s that featured old women doing VERY bad things. And, as I said, they are all guilty pleasures--films that were never meant to be deep and intellectual--just kitschy entertainment.

The film begins with Clare Marrable (Geraldine Page) bashing her servant over the head and burying her in her yard. Considering she lives in the middle of the Arizona desert, it's not surprising she's not been caught. You soon learn that nasty Clare has made a habit of this sort of thing--she kills off her servants and steals their savings. While you cannot get rich that way, Clare deals in volume--and obviously she is out to add to her growing collection of bodies in the yard. The next one, it seems, is Mrs. Dimmock (Ruth Gordon)--though you aren't terribly sure who is actually hunting who.

The film has quite a bit going for it. Geraldine Page's performance is ridiculously florid and over-the-top---and her scene stealing actually adds to the fun. The plot is also really cool. However, the film also has TONS of plot holes--tons. They are especially apparent during the huge (and very violent) confrontation scene between Page and Gordon---and the scene was VERY awkward and ridiculous. Overall, while certainly not a great film, it is VERY entertaining...in a low-brow sort of way.

'Help Wanted: Live-in Housekeeper, Very Short-Term'

[riverheadestelle · 10/10 · 17 October 2005]

This might have been an ad that Mrs. Marrable ran in the local papers. But prospective applicants would have been better off applying for work as stable hands! This was an independent film. Although it wasn't one of ABC's television movies, it quickly became a favorite on the the 'Movie of the Week' line-up because of its suspense factor. It still creeps me out to this day. Nobody can play disturbed female characters like Geraldine Page! She even starred in an episode of Rod Serling's 'Night Gallery'.

The irony of the film is her finding out that she didn't have to go through all that trouble to keep living comfortably. Turns out that her late husband's stamp collection - that she used to bribe the next door neighbor's son - was a lot more valuable than she thought. I absolutely loved this movie!

A slightly lesser follow-up

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 1 June 2018]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE? is the unofficial follow-up to the Robert Aldrich two-fer WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? and HUSH, HUSH...SWEET CHARLOTTE. Oddly, it feels a bit more dated than either of those films, probably because it's in colour rather than classy black and white. The quality of the script isn't quite up there either; this is predictable and a little drawn out, although the premise is still irresistable. Geraldine Page makes for a thoroughly despicable villainess from the outset, while Ruth Gordon is unusually cast as the heroine of the hour and excels in the role. The film is a slow burner that builds to an expected but satisfying twist climax; overall, it reminded me of an extended COLUMBO episode.

Loved the film, disliked the music!

[eb1111 · 8/10 · 14 January 2023]

I loved this film, you can't go wrong with a Page / Gordon combo! However...the choice of over-the-top music composition and too much volume in certain scenes, made it a bit cheesy in parts. The beginning has more than a few scenes that pan to the trees and then the "monumental" music bellows (a bit hoaky, like a bad episode of Dark Shadows)! There was even a scene with the dog in the shed that sounds like a composition that came right from the original Star Trek tv show (I kid you not. It was almost identical).

I gave it 8 stars though, because of the story and those 2 iconic actresses, which made it highly enjoyable!

Sorry, but I don't really care what happened to Aunt Alice...

[The_Void · 6/10 · 11 January 2007]

I went into this film with fairly high expectations given all that I'd heard about it, but the simple fact is that What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice did little for me. Given the fact that the title is an obvious rip-off of Robert Altman's 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, I was expecting this to be more of a comedy, but despite the fact that it's extremely camp; there's not a great deal of 'fun' to be had with it. There were a lot of horror films released during the sixties that featured a strong female lead, and while many of them (Altman's film and Lady in a Cage spring to mind instantly) were very good, this one is surprisingly lacking. The plot follows a woman who loses her fortune after the death of her husband. She decides to start taking in housekeepers and then dispatching them in order to steal their savings and rectify her financial situation, but after ridding herself of her latest housekeeper; she doesn't realise that the new applicant, an Alice Dimmock, was a friend of the old housekeeper and has taken the job with the intention of investigating the mysterious disappearance.

Director Lee H. Katzin doesn't do a very good job of creating atmosphere, and the film feels like it should be really be a comedy. The plot is very thin, and despite attempts to bulk it out with a number of sub-plots, the film still feels like it needs a little more impact than it has. The film relies on its female leads; Geraldine Paige and Ruth Gordon, too much and despite the fact that both give nice performances, neither one has enough to completely carry the film. The decision to film it in colour was a bad one as well - it gives the film a really cheap feel and I don't doubt that it would have been a hell of a lot better in black and white! The story flows quite slowly overall, and this is something of a nuisance as the attempts to build interest with plots involving a dog and a few other things don't provide enough of a distraction when the film starts to drag. It's all pretty tame until the part towards the end when the two leads finally have their battle...but even that is disappointing and while the twist at the end may please some, I was left rather unfulfilled. Overall, What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice was a huge disappointment for me and therefore I don't recommend it!

"...to order toothpaste and STOCKings!!"

[bsfraser2003 · 9/10 · 20 April 2017]

I hadn't seen this at all, until very recently on YouTube, and boy was I hooked! I found it a delicious black comedy in every sense of the word. Geraldine Page (a fine actress) very clearly enjoying herself here camping it up as the snooty and obnoxious Mrs Marrible. Geraldine was in good company with Ruth Gordon playing Mrs Dimmock. A very entertaining film, despite its dubious production values. I'd even go as far as to say that I was surprised to find out that this little gem was the supporting feature to the MAIN film, when theatrically released! See it, you will enjoy it!

It Takes Courage Too Kill

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 17 January 2012]

This is a solid macabre film about the ultimate way to make a living by killing. Geraldine Page is creepy as the woman who is left poor by her husband's death but manages to get by by killing housekeepers and stealing their life savings. Ruth Gordon plays the housekeeper who gets wise as she is looking for a friend of hers who was the prior maid.

While Gerald Fried did some good music, his original music in this one sometimes distracts from the movie, particularly some of the string sequences. Fried did good music on TV in Mannix, and Emergency. Speaking of Emergency, Robert Fuller plays Mike Darrah whose Aunt Alice (Ruth Gordon) is the current maid. Fuller was later a star on Emergency.

There are some indications of abuse of a dog in the PRE-PETA era film.

The film is clever but suffers when you compare it with some of the other films done in this genre. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane are more powerful than this one. Still the film has some good points because of all the talent in the cast.

Peter Bonerz is in support and he would later go on to The Bob Newhart Show and lots of other television shows. Rosemary Forsyth is in support too. This movie makes the police look like they are way behind until the end of the movie when they have finally put the plot together. The film is a mild diversion.

Battle of the Old Ladies!

[TonyDood · 5/10 · 24 June 2005]

I was really crazy about this film when I was a kid, and it would show up on t.v. late at night sometimes, I still don't know why. I even sought out the book by Ursula Curtiss that it's based on. For some reason a movie about a hateful old woman who badgers and then kills her housekeepers, takes all their money and buries them in the backyard, and laughs about it, really spoke to me as a kid.

I saw this again recently and was reminded that overall it is, basically, a low-budget 70's t.v. movie. It's slow and sometimes tedious. There's no gore or swearing and the action is minimal. It's depressing and even kind of sad, and the Arizona location shots, while beautiful, leave you feeling dry and dusty inside. The acting is acceptable enough, the subplots are peculiar (what's up with the one lady with all the make-up wanting to start dramas everywhere?), the whole logic behind the plot is debatable, could this have "really happened?" But there are really only two reasons to keep returning to this movie: Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon! Geraldine as "Claire Marrable" is beyond over the top as a woman who has lost everything she held dear (her money, basically) and devises a grisly way to continue living "the good life." It's a tricky situation for a movie--Claire is the one we're going to follow through the whole movie, yet she's a thoroughly despicable character, at least on paper. And yet, the way Ms. Page plays her, there's a hint of vulnerability underneath the captivating madness, and her bullying ways. This is a woman who never had anything to begin with, and so she has nothing to lose by being evil, cruel and even homicidal. It's hard not to feel for her when she's being read her husband's will or in the final scenes, where she still refuses to give in. On the other hand, if you have a somewhat black heart, it's hard not to appreciate the obvious joy that "Claire" feels every time she succeeds in committing another murder. Who hasn't occasionally wanted to "silence" an annoying neighborhood animal? Claire is a living ego, selfish, childish, irrational and pitiless, and she's the film's "hero." It's dark territory to explore and this movie dives right in without timidity.

Then there's Ruth Gordon as "Alice Dimmock," the only one who could possibly be a foil to Claire. Ruth is...well, just Ruth! If you've seen her in any of her other films you know what to expect--a feisty, dominant little old lady who doesn't take crap from anyone. She's always fun, of course, and she has some great moments here. It's unfortunate that her role is so brief and never takes off, but the few moments when Ruth gets to be "Ruth," are amazing and satisfying.

Overall, this is a dark, nasty little movie very typical of a lot of late 60's/early 70's films--cynical, morally ambiguous, ugly to look at and think about and without an easy conclusion of affairs. Not something to race out and see but a decent ride to go on if you happen to be in a dark and quiet mood, and have the time for a movie about old ladies fighting each other...