What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Lee H. Katzin

Writers:

Theodore Apstein (writer)
Ursula Curtiss (novel)

Release Date:

20 August 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A horrific tale...with grave consequences!

Plot:

As Aunt Alice, Ruth Gordon applies for the job of housekeeper in the Tucson, Arizona home of widow Claire...

Plot Keywords:

Question In Title | Wheelchair | Murder | Smoking | Barking Dog

Cast

Geraldine Page	...	Claire Marrable
Ruth Gordon	...	Alice Dimmock
Rosemary Forsyth	...	Harriet Vaughn
Robert Fuller	...	Mike Darrah
Mildred Dunnock	...	Edna Tinsley
Joan Huntington	...	Julia Lawson
Peter Brandon	...	George Lawson
Michael Barbera	...	Jim Vaughn
Peter Bonerz	...	Mr. Bentley
Richard Angarola	...	Sheriff Armijo
Claire Kelly	...	Elva
Valerie Allen	...	Dotty
Martin Garralaga	...	Juan
Jack Bannon	...	Olin
Seth Riggs	...	Warren

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:16 | Australia:M (tv rating) | West Germany:16 | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Aldrich Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

Lee H. Katzin replaced Bernard Girard as director after four weeks of filming

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: A microphone is visible at the sheriff's and Juan's feet in the police station.

Quotes:

Juan: You have a very green thumb. Your pine trees grow good - very good.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Die, Mommie, Die! (2003)

Marvelously enjoyable thriller

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.