When I was a kid, this movie drove me crazy. The image of Debbie Reynolds, dead, strung up like a painted marionette, is one of my favorite childhood horror memories. I watched it recently and noticed a similarity, in plot, to Whatever Happened To Baby Jane and Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, (originally entitled Whatever Happened To Cousin Charlotte.) Then I saw, in the credits, that it was written by Henry Farrell, who penned Jane and Charlotte.
shareYes, indeed. "What's the Matter with Helen" is one of the most well-crafted films inspired by these two great suspense films. A real gem.
shareApparently stories about two women in mysterious, frightening circumstances is what Henry Farrell did best - some years ago I was watching a Perry Mason episode titled (I think) "The Case of the Wrongful Wraith" or something like that - something about its plot seemed familiar, and I thought "this is like something out of Henry Farrell." Sure enough, when the final credits rolled, I saw that Farrell wrote the episode.
"Stone-cold sober I find myself absolutely fascinating!"---Katharine Hepburn
[deleted]