Taglines: What makes her garden grow… wouldn’t you like to know!
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? movie storyline. Claire Marrable (Geraldine Page), the vainglorious ageing widow of a prominent businessman, is distraught upon discovering that her husband’s estate has been stripped of all assets, leaving her in debt and with nowhere to live. His only personal effects include a briefcase, a butterfly collection, and a stamp collection. Claire relocates to Tucson, Arizona to be close to her nephew, George, and his wife Julia (Joan Huntington).
Late one evening, Claire lures her live-in housekeeper, Rose Hull, outside to plant a pine tree, and clobbers her to death with a rock before burying her in a shallow grave. She hires the timid Edna Tinsley as a replacement housekeeper shortly after. Edna invests money in stocks Claire claims to have gained significant capital on; when she inquires about them, Claire murders her in the same fashion as the last housekeeper, burying her in the yard beneath a new pine tree. She burns all of Edna’s belongings except for her Bible, though she disposes of the front page which bears Edna’s name.
At one of George and Julia’s dinner parties, Claire is introduced to Harriet Vaughn, a young widow from the East Coast whose husband was a stock broker. Harriet and her young nephew, Jim, rent a cottage from George neighbouring Claire’s property, much to Claire’s displeasure. Harriet subsequently begins a romance with Mike Darrah, a car restorationist from Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Claire hires retired nurse Alice Dimmock as her new housekeeper. Alice discovers Edna’s Bible in Claire’s library and is visibly perturbed, and later retrieves pieces of Edna’s mail; the letters enquire about Edna’s whereabouts. Claire claims Edna was a drunk and she fired her, but Alice appears sceptical of her story.
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? is a 1969 American neo noir thriller film directed by Lee H. Katzin with Bernard Girard (uncredited), and starring Geraldine Page, Ruth Gordon, Rosemary Forsyth, Robert Fuller and Mildred Dunnock. The screenplay by Theodore Apstein, based on the novel The Forbidden Garden by Ursula Curtiss, focuses on an aging Arizona widow who hires elderly female housekeepers and cons them out of their money before murdering them.
The music score was by Gerald Fried and the cinematography by Joseph F. Biroc. The film was funded by American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Palomar Pictures Corporation, and The Associates & Aldrich Company, and distributed by Cinerama Releasing Corporation.
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? premiered theatrically in New York City on July 23, 1969 in 48 theatres and grossed $540,000 in its first week, placing number one at the box office in the United States. It was subsequently given a wide release on August 20, 1969. The film opened the 1969 Cork Film Festival in Ireland, and received its European premiere in London on September 21, 1969. The film earned rentals of $2,025,000 in North America and $1.2 million in other countries. After all costs were deducted, it recorded a loss of $860,000.
About the Production
The Forbidden Garden by Ursula Curtiss was published in 1962. The New York Times called it “chilling”. The Guardian said it was one of the author’s best and should be “read in one sitting”. Film rights were bought by Robert Aldrich who had produced two successful horror films, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).[5] Both films dealt with aged women who become scheming or demented, resorting to violence and murder.
In September 1967, Aldrich announced he would make the film under the title What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? It would be made by his production company, The Associates and Aldrich. In October Aldrich announced the film would be part of a four-picture deal his company signed with ABC Pictures, the others being The Killing of Sister George (1968), (then uncompleted) The Greatest Mother of ’em All (1970), and Too Late the Hero (also 1970). William Inge signed to write the script. Aldrich did not direct Aunt Alice, but he did produce it. Bernard Girard was the original director.
By August, Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon had signed to play the leads and the script was written by Theodore Apstein. “It’s a wonderful part and a wonderful script”, said Gordon. Geraldine Page’s character, Claire Marrable, portrayed an aging woman, when in fact, Page was 43–44 years old at the time during the film’s production and release.
Filming for What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? began on October 23, 1968 on location in Tucson, Arizona, with additional photography taking place at Aldrich Studios in Los Angeles. Principal photographing was completed on January 5, 1969. Robert Fuller, who had a support role, had been signed to a three-picture contract with the Associates and Aldrich. In November, it was announced that Bernard Girard, who was directing the film, “has withdrawn due to differences in interpretation” and would be replaced by Lee Katzin.
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969)
Directed by: Lee H. Katzin, Bernard Girard
Starring: Geraldine Page, Ruth Gordon, Rosemary Forsyth, Robert Fuller, Mildred Dunnock, Joan Huntington, Peter Brandon, Michael Barbera, Peter Bonerz, Claire Kelly, Valerie Allen
Screenplay by: Theodore Apstein
Production Design by: Fred Ahern
Cinematography by: Joseph F. Biroc
Film Editing by: Frank J. Urioste
Costume Design by: Renié
Set Decoration by: John Brown
Art Direction by: William Glasgow
Music by: Gerald Fried
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Cinerama Releasing Corporation
Release Date: July 23, 1969 (New York City), August 20, 1969 (Wide)
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