What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?

Claire Marrable, a destitute widow, finds a way to keep herself living the good life by hiring a series of housekeepers whom she eventually murders, steals their life savings and buries them in her desert pine tree garden. An incredibly fun movie which derives pleasure from the lead actors. Geraldine Page (as Mrs. Marrable) and Ruth Gordon (as Alice Dimmock, the latest housekeeper who is actually trying to find out what happened to her friend who mysteriously vanished while working for Marrable) chew the scenery to the hilt and it is so much fun watching the interactions between the two. Watch Page's reaction when Gordon tells her the amount in her savings account - priceless! The film as a whole suffers somewhat from some dull supporting characters and a dreary romantic sub-plot involving Gordon's nephew and Page's neighbor. Still worth it for the acting dynamo of Page and Gordon and even Mildred Dunnock manages some nice moments in her few scenes. And you'll never forget the frenetic zither music score!

The quality of the dvd is very good. The picture is sharp and the colors are strong. The only extra feature is a trailer for the film which delivers the memorable tag-line - "Whatever happened to Aunt Alice is more terrifying than what happened to Baby Jane"!

I LOVE THIS MOVIE, IT IS HIGH CAMP, FUNNY AND BLACKLY HORRIFYING ALL AT THE SAME TIME. BOTH GERALDINE PAGE AND RUTH GORDON HAVE FUN WITH THEIR ROLES, ESPECIALLY THE FORMER, USING HER FACIAL EXPRESSIONS TO THE HILT, ROLLING HER EYES AND INFLECTING A SARCASTIC TONE INTO HER VOICE. RUTH GORDON, IF MORE RESERVED, IS JUST AS GOOD, AND VERY DIFFERENT THAN IN ROSEMARY'S BABY, SHE SEEMS REFRESHINGLY SANE IN THIS. THE PLOT MOVES ALONG AT A FAST BUT ENJOYABLE SPEED, WITH ONE OR TWO RED HERRINGS A LONG THE WAY. IF YOU LIKE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS, A WITTY SCRIPT AND GOOD ACTING, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE. I RECOND HITCHOCK WOULD HAVE ENJOYED IT TOO.

Anchor Bay is to be graciously commended for delivering this delicious concoction to DVD. A very black murder tale is marvelously enacted by two top ladies of the old school of acting---Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon. They are perfectly matched in a deadly cat & mouse game that is one of the most entertaining films of it's kind. Page is left high & dry (she thinks) after her husband passes on so she moves to Arizona to make the best of it. However, her lifestyle is not to be denied as she carries out a wicked plan to supplement her modest income. What follows is a series of "companions" who mysteriouly disappear after allowing Page to "invest" their savings. Meanwhile, new pine trees keep popping up around her house. This is where Gordon comes in as she hires on to be the next companion. Actually on the trail of a friend who vanished while employed with Page, she has to match wits with the devious woman while trying to keep one step ahead of her at all times. The two Grande Dames go at it in high style and the viewer can just sit back and enjoy. Rosemary Forsyth co-stars as a new neighbor with a small son and a dog who runs afoul of Page and suspects something is wrong. The scene with Page trying to kill the dog (who just won't cooperate) is an amusing highlight. A most enjoyable thriller and very recommended---especially for fans of Page and Gordon.