vlchaser Love this movie. Debbie is gorgeous & her dancing is superb. Dennis Weaver is a suave & debonair as her boyfriend. Shelley Winters is perfect as the unstable Helen with her peculiarities. It moves along fast with some nice spooky scenes & moody characters. Great locations & atmosphere. Wonderful story & actors. I saw it on TCM & taped it so I can watch it again.

gavin6942 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.Curtis Harrington and George Edwards approached writer Henry Farrell soon after "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" was a hit, hoping to get a screenplay. Farrell told them of a story outline titled "The Box Step", the story of two contemporary ladies who ran a dance studio. Eventually the story wound up with Harrington and Edwards, who had input on the screenplay. It was their idea to change the setting to a 1930s dance academy for little girls.I think this works great, and although the horror aspects are minimal compared to the weird kid acting and dancing scenes, it is an effective story. Allegedly the film went through various cuts, and the lesbian aspect was toned down a lot (though it can still be seen). Which makes me wonder if these cuts were in the script or in the film itself, because it would be great to get that footage back.

wes-connors After a sensational 1930s murder trial sends their sons to prison, middle-aged mothers Debbie Reynolds (as Adelle Bruckner) and Shelley Winters (as Helen Hill) decide to escape the glare of photographers and nosy reporters. They move to Hollywood, California. Possessing an obvious skill in dance, Ms. Reynolds decides she and Ms. Winters should start a school for mothers who think their little girls have what it takes to be the next Shirley Temple. With platinum-dyed hair, Reynolds patterns herself after Jean Harlow. Reynolds inexplicably tells Winters she looks like Marion Davies...Both women reveal more in their past than murderous sons. Winters is the winner when we see a flashback to her plowing mishap. Mystery man Micheal MacLiammoir (as Hamilton Starr) joins the dance school as a voice coach. Reynolds begins seeing wealthy Texan Dennis Weaver (as Lincoln "Linc" Palmer). Winters is jealous. Increasingly loony, she visits religious talk-show host Agnes Moorehead (as Alma). "What's the Matter with Helen?" will be answered. This cycle began with "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) and Winters went directly into "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?" (1972).****** What's the Matter with Helen? (6/30/71) Curtis Harrington ~ Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters, Dennis Weaver, Micheal MacLiammoir

bensonmum2 After their sons are sentenced to life in prison, Adelle (Debbie Reynolds) and Helen (Shirley Winters) begin receiving threatening phone calls because someone fells their sons got off easy. The pair decides to move to California to escape the publicity of the trial and to start a new life. They start a dance school that is soon very successful. One of the students has a rich unmarried father with whom Adelle quickly falls in love. In the meantime, Helen is busy raising rabbits and becoming a little too infatuated with an evangelist on the radio. It's only a mater of time before everything falls apart and the women enter a world of madness and murder.I can't help but compare What's the Matter with Helen? to Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?, also starring Shelly Winters. Where that movie seemed almost restrained in its presentation of Auntie Roo's madness, there's nothing holding Helen back in this movie. It may take a good deal of the movie's running time, but once she snaps, Helen is one Bad Mad Mutha. You don't want to mess with her. Winters is so delightfully demented that it was impossible for me not to enjoy her performance. I'm not going to spoil the movie, but the things Helen is capable of are totally over-the-top.As good as Winters is, Reynolds is totally ridiculous in her role as the gold-digging tap dancer. I got the impression that she thought she was in a movie that would get her nominated for some award. This ain't Citizen Kane! Quit acting so serious. Hey, Debbie, don't you realize that you're main purpose is to be a victim of Winters' insanity.I just love these former-female-stars-in-the-twilight-of-their-career horror movies. What's the Matter with Helen? is as fun as any.