What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969)

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:

Continuity: During the cocktail party scene, Aunt Alice eats the olive in her martini twice.

Quotes:

Claire Marrable: You are the only mistake I made.
Alice Dimmock: Didn't you ever think you'd be found out?
Claire Marrable: No and I won't be.
Alice Dimmock: Giving yourself away like that...
Claire Marrable: To you? You are a dead woman.
Alice Dimmock: Oh no, I'm alive. See, I'm very much alive. And I'm not gonna be your next victim.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Die, Mommie, Die! (2003)

one of my favorites

Hey now, this is one of my favorite movies. A woman living in an isolated house near the desert (in Arizona) is having trouble with housekeepers. None of them seem to stay very long. But every time a housekeeper leaves, a new tree gets planted along the driveway? Hmm. Well, along comes Ruth Gordon, who seems to have lost one of her friends somewhere along the way and this house is the last place of residence. So Ruth goes "undercover" as a feisty and weird housekeeper to Geraldine Paige (who fancies herself to be quite the goddess, I reckon, expecting the housekeeper to light her smokes and fix her drinks). Ruth though, is in cahoots with her nephew, the dude that played a doctor on Emergency eons ago. So while she's sticking her neck out, he's got her covered. Or does he? Hmm. Anyway, this is a VERY well done and awesome whodunnit, with more than a few creepy overtones. Anyone that enjoys the late Ruth Gordon will delight in this. Highly recommended!