What's the Matter with Helen? (starring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters)

It's been discussed numerous, numerous times here, OP....but perhaps never in its own thread.

It would be more of a fave if it didn’t look so goddam cheap. If the sets were going to be that cheap, the lighting should have been darker. Terrible.

Geraldine Page almost replaced Shelley when Shelley had a breakdown.

Just watched this after recording it off TCM via YouTube TV. Debbie made sure she got plenty of dance numbers. Shelley is perfectly bat-shit. Dennis Weaver was hot. Agnes is, of course, incredible. It’s amusing, but not great.

OP, it's a favorite with me! I love this one

According to Reynolds, Winters's psychiatrist advised her not to portray "a woman having a nervous breakdown because she was having an actual nervous breakdown!"[5] "But nobody knew that, and so all through the film she drove all of us insane! She became the person in the film."[5] Reynolds witnessed Winters's questionable mental status off of the set. The two had been friends many years before, and Reynolds offered to chauffeur Winters to and from the set. "I was driving one morning on Santa Monica Boulevard and ahead of me was a woman, wearing only a nightgown, trying to flag down a ride,"[5] recalled Reynolds. It was Winters, saying "I thought I was late."[5] According to a Los Angeles Times article published while the film was in production, Winters was so difficult on the set that the studio threatened to replace her with Geraldine Page.[8]

One of my faves!

Geraldine Page was still relatively thin when WTMWH was made. She wouldn’t have provided much physical contrast with Debbie, the way Shelley did.

The trailer

I finally got to see this movie, but I didn't like it.

I had no idea Shelley was so nutty. Knew she was a little nutty but not that much.

Spoiler - I can’t remember - Did Shelley finish off Dennis at the end?

As far as Grande Dame Guignol films go, "Where in the World is Aunt Alice" is the better film. It starred Geraldine Page and Ruth Buzzie.

One of the first movies I saw on my own, I walked down to the theater, I think I was 11 or 12...scared the hell out of me.

R12. SPOILER

yes

More proof that Debbie was an excellent actress.

R15 is lying,, Dennis does NOT get murdered - by Shelley or anybody -at the end.

Turns into a Debbie Reynolds musical at one point.

[quote]As far as Grande Dame Guignol films go, "Where in the World is Aunt Alice" is the better film. It starred Geraldine Page and Ruth Buzzie.

That's "Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?" with Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon

R17. Oops. I'm sorry....I read that as Debbie and not Dennis. I'm old and my glasses were foggy. Apologies.

Geraldine Page may have been thinner but her hammy acting style probably would have seemed a lot like Shelly Winters having a nervous breakdown.

I'd rather watch Shelley Winters having a nervous breakdown than Geraldine Page's voice.

*than listen to Geraldine Page's voice.