What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?

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.

The original ads for this movie read, "Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? was more terrifying than what happened to Baby Jane", and to my way of thinking, they weren't far off. The brilliant Geraldine Page heads the cast of this ultra-stylish shocker as Mrs. Marrable, a not-so grieving widow whose husband left her only a stamp album. Unable(and unwilling) to cope with poverty, Mrs. Marrable solves the problem of living up to her station by inviting a succession of women into her home to work as housekeepers, and later murders them for their private incomes. Mrs. Marrable's plan works quite well until she makes the mistake of eliminating Miss Tinsley(Mildred Dunnock) whose suspicious friend, Mrs. Dimmock(the delightful Ruth Gordon), promptly arrives at the Marrable residence to apply for a position as the next housekeeper and potential victim. It's a spine-tingling tale of suspense with some dark humor and unforgettable performances by Page and Gordon. Highly recommended!

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.

I don't really care what the credits say about who directed this movie. The director may have directed everyone else, but Geraldine Page directed herself in this fabulous, campy movie of desperation. Every single tick, nuance and mannerism which you have enjoyed watching Geraldine do is in this movie. I have never seen a movie before where the lead actress so blatantly chews up the scenery. She is absolutely magnificent in this thriller sleeper. Where else can you see an actor act against children and animals and STEAL the scene. No where except here. She has a scene in a shed with a dog and SHE comes out on top. I'm sure the dog resigned from acting after this movie; far too much competition. You have got to see this movie if you are a fan of Geraldine's. Her performance is the ONLY thing that makes this movie work and she's up against the timeless Ruth Gordon and a couple of other pretty good actors. Enjoy.

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.