Grande Dame Guignol

[ClassyCo]

So I just recently realized that Wikipedia has morphed their "psycho-biddy" (their preferred term for Grande Dame Guignol) into a page their calling "gender in horror films".

I'm not exactly sure why, but this how thrown me for a whim. I don't like that Grande Dame Guignol doesn't have its own page. But I guess I shouldn't cry too much because we've got a discussion that's being going strong here for several years.​

I love the term "grande dame guignol" for this genre (some call it "psycho biddy" but that's way too queen-y somehow for my tastes). When done well, it's one of my favorite cinema trends -- even though George Cukor found it lamentable, not surprisingly.

A lot of the appeal comes from that end-of-the-world/Psycho/TwilightZone-y vibe that existed in the early-to-mid-'60s. And if you mix that up with quality B&W camerawork, a decent director, and the just exactly right maniacal diva, then how, frankly, could you possibly lose?

My favorite is HUSH... HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE, and as Bette is being whisked away in a squad car at the end, the old world twentieth century seems to go with her. It's the last vestiges of something.

STRAIT-JACKET for me is the most frustrating, because you can see how it could have worked --- I mean, Joan Crawford with an axe? What's not to love?? But Bill Castle, who reportedly hoped to make his "classic" with this movie, instead did some of his sloppiest work even for Castle. It was a C-level film from a B-movie maestro.

LADY IN A CAGE always makes me think of WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR with Sal Mineo in that it was a rare glimpse, albeit thru a B-movie horror prism, of the mid-'60s meltdown of the inner cities that Hollywood never showed. CAGE gets a bit long winded, though.

DEAD RINGER is a good B-movie, and much better than STRAIT-JACKET.

THE NIGHT WALKER with Stanwyck has a marvelous prologue montage obviously put together by someone other than director Bill Castle, and the movie offers a fabulously creepy Vic Mizzy score. And you get Constance and Cecil Colby together! But it falls apart quickly.

THE NANNY is an excellent A- movie from Hammer and one of Bette's best, early or late, in her big screen career.

FANATIC (also know as "DIE DIE MY DARLING") gives us a terrific performance from Tallulah Bankhead, a laughably to-period elocution lesson from Stefphanie Powers, and a fun production design. But once Powers gets locked up in the attic, it begins to get draggy as well.

PICTURE MOMMY DEAD is in color, so it doesn't work for me. But it's definitely of that child-eye-view, nursery rhyme school of period chillers.

BERSERK was much better when they called it CIRCUS OF HORRORS several years earlier. In my head, the two movies get mashed up with Crawford as Anton Diffring's ex. lol

THE ANNIVERSARY and WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE are acceptable.

Doesn't THE MAD ROOM also have Michael Burns in it? That's all I care about, the cute little nerd-monster.

NIGHT WATCH with Taylor is also a downright good movie, with its shrouded, overcast (okay, so it is London) early-'70s vibe. Much underrated and underseen.

I haven't seen the others, I don't think.

I can't tell you how frequently I go back and re-read your briefings on these films. When I think about one of them, I jump to your comments for a quick reference.​

 

[ClassyCo]

OK everyone, don't rake me across the coals, but I just ordered this Blu-ray double-feature from Amazon literally seconds ago. I know these aren't the best of Grande Dame Guignol, but they went on sale today for under $10 (US) to purchase and have shipped to my house. I've read the Blu-ray quality of these transfers aren't necessarily stellar, but that's never bothered me. We're going to be watching them on my laptop anyway.​

 

[ginnyfan]

^^ They are essential Grande Dame Guignol viewing . High camp and good fun!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

As I've said before, I always want to combine CIRCUS OF HORRORS (1960), the much better film, with its knock-off BERSERK (1967) starring Joan.

 

[ClassyCo]

@Snarky Oracle I know... I know. STRAIT-JACKET and BERSERK aren't the cream of the crop, but the deal was just too good to pass up. If I could've found these movies online -- preferably for free -- I would've downloaded them. But if I'm going to buy them, I'd rather have the physical copies.​

They are essential Grande Dame Guignol viewing . High camp and good fun!

Well, most of the hagsploitation movies fall within that campy B-movie territory, so I guess I'm not missing the mark too much. The only A-level ones were BABY JANE and CHARLOTTE, and I've been had those.​

CIRCUS OF HORRORS (1960)

I remember your earlier comparison, but I've yet to see this movie.​

 

[ClassyCo]

With such quality pictures as BABY JANE and CHARLOTTE behind her, Davis continued to find relatively steady work in movies in cheaper, less formidable Grande Dame Guignol outings.

Here is a clip from THE ANNIVERSARY she did in 1968.

A good photo of Olivia and Bette from CHARLOTTE.

 

[ClassyCo]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE? premiered in 1969, seven years after the genre was ignited with BABY JANE. The title makes me think that maybe... just maybe... this movie might've starred Davis and Crawford if they had gotten their acts together and completed CHARLOTTE as originally planned. The theatrical even says that what happened to AUNT ALICE is "scarier than what happened to BABY JANE", comparing the two right off the bat, while doing its best to elevate the latter.

Somewhere out there I read there was another movie to be made that was titled WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO DEAR ALVA?, which I'd be willing to bet concerned the falling away of some former newspaper advice columnist. One wonders if these could've been another Davis-Crawford vehicle, and what other actresses might've been tabled for leading roles in the never-made picture.​

What y'all think? Modern-day Grande Dame Guignol?

 

[ClassyCo]

I watched THE NANNY yesterday for the first time entirely. Before I had stirred away from this movie basically because it was British, and I know some of their mid-'60s horror flicks can be cheesy. There was also the rumor that I had heard repeated for years that THE NANNY -- like other films of the time -- was a poor imitation of BABY JANE, and therefore simply not as good. But a lot of Bette's fans countered those claims, proclaiming this to be one of her finest on-screen portrayals.

There were several things I liked about this film. First, one cannot leave a Bette Davis film and not be compelled by the performance she gave. Bette plays the nameless title character here, a tidbit that I think only serves to heighten the proposed notion that Nanny isn't what she's cracked up to be. Her consistent performance strengthens this movie and saves it from being completely campy. The cast members around her are also quite good, especially William Dix as a young master Joey, and Jill Bennett as the boy's Aunt Pen.

Singling out Bette is quite easy to do because she brings such nuance to a character that, in less capable hands, would've been viewed as strictly villainous. Of course, we know that this movie aims to allude to the fact that Nanny isn't all sunshine, but Davis brings layers that make you question whether she's victim or the suspect.

Another thing that I'll give THE NANNY kudos for is its B&W cinematography. Grande dame guignol films are especially good when they're accompanied with some stylish B&W camera work. Props should also be given to the level of tension this movie conveys from all areas of the story. Practically the entire run time one sits on the edge of their seat wondering if Nanny is going to snap or if Joey is going to be the culprit. That's good movie-making regardless of the genre.



Having watched it now, I can understand why many fans of the hagsploitation sub-genre hold THE NANNY in such high regard. It is quite a good film, and proves that films outside of BABY JANE and CHARLOTTE can be of good quality and execution. All it takes is a good script, director, good B&W camera work, the right Old Hollywood diva to make a good hag horror. And this film mixes up all the ingredients quite nicely.

In saying all that, I know I still like BABY JANE more than THE NANNY, with the primary reason being that I cannot get over such a dynamic pairing of Davis and Crawford in one outstanding picture. Once I revisit CHARLOTTE, I can reassess where the movies would fall in a trio ranking, although I wouldn't be scared to say that THE NANNY might've pushed CHARLOTTE out of second place. Of course, I can't necessarily say for sure until I've reviewed the latter again.​

 

[ClassyCo]

SAVAGE INTRUDER (rereleased as HOLLYWOOD HORROR HOUSE) has been issued on Blu-ray since March 2021.

 

[ClassyCo]

So SAVAGE INTRUDER (or HOLLYWOOD HORROR HOUSE, whichever you want to call it) is trash.

Providing Miriam Hopkins' swan song after 50 years in show biz, this SUNSET BLVD/PSYCHO/BABY JANE smash-up is not rewarding of her at all. Perhaps that opinion isn't too fair, especially since I hold no admiration -- or tolerance for that matter -- for gory, shlocky trash. The blood and gore in this movie is just too much for me, but maybe... just maybe... I might've been more agreeable with the content if the movie was B&W and had the writing and acting been better.

Alas, they're not.

Poor Miriam Hopkins (an actress I only know as the "scene stealer" Bette Davis fussed about during her late-in-life talk show gigs) looks next-to-death here. Perhaps it's just my eyes, but she appears to be very weak and frail (she died two years after this movie premiered). Her character -- former movie queen Katharine Packard -- is basically the down-trodden, trashier cousin to Norma Desmond from SUNSET BLVD, walking the halls of her mansion hallucinating that her snooty Hollywood friends have come to honor her at a party she's thrown. The BABY JANE inspiration comes from the casting of Hopkins herself, which is basically geared up even further once her character is wheelchair-bound, similar to Crawford's Blanche Hudson. The killer -- a guy named Victor (John David Garfield) -- takes a few cues from Norman Bates and PSYCHO when he finally knocks poor Katharine off and parades around with a mannequin he's passing off as her.

Whoops! I spoiled the plot there towards the end of that.​

Overall, SAVAGE INTRUDER is a mess. And it's not even an enjoyable mess. It's tacky and I haven't any desire to revisit it.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

As a Scorpio Rising (like Bette, Joan, Gloria and Mary Astor) Miriam was perfect for the genre. But the '70s was too late.

 

[Crimson]

I've never heard of it, or was even aware Hopkins ventured into the genre; or even in its proximity.

I guess it's not surprising. So many actresses of that generation made their final film appearances in horror movies so dismal and inept, TROG looks like a masterpiece in comparison.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I've never heard of it, or was even aware Hopkins ventured into the genre; or even in its proximity.

I guess it's not surprising. So many actresses of that generation made their final film appearances in horror movies so dismal and inept, TROG looks like a masterpiece in comparison.

TROG might've been acceptable if it weren't for that armless monkey suit.

 

[ClassyCo]

Miriam was perfect for the genre.

Miriam Hopkins seemed tailor-made for the genre, or at least what I know of her has lead me to that assumption.​

But the '70s was too late.

Yeah, the genre was long past its heyday and what movies could generously be called Grande Dame Guignol were trash and not any good. Long gone was the "prestige" and mainstream appeal of vehicles like BABY JANE and CHARLOTTE.​

I've never heard of it, or was even aware Hopkins ventured into the genre; or even in its proximity.

I was personally unaware for years that Miriam Hopkins indulged herself in the genre. I now wish I had never found out.​

I guess it's not surprising. So many actresses of that generation made their final film appearances in horror movies so dismal and inept,

You're right. A lot of former movie queens were drug -- or, in some cases, leaped -- out of retirement to make these movies. Too bad all of them didn't share the outcome of DeHavilland when Robert Aldrich persuaded her away from Switzerland to save CHARLOTTE from getting canned.​

TROG looks like a masterpiece in comparison.

And that's saying something. TROG is shlocky trash as well. Poor Joan, she deserved a stronger swan song, but the chances of that were gone.​

TROG might've been acceptable if it weren't for that armless monkey suit.

Yeah, it might not have been half-bad if Trog -- the character -- didn't consist of a poor actor in a very unconvincing and tacky costume.​

 

[ClassyCo]

I watched WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE? last night for the first time. I can't tell you all how many times I've watched the trailer for this film, and how I've eagerly awaited the time I'd finally get to watch it. The trailer had my geared up for a good, tension-filled outing. And with Geraldine Page at the helm, I just knew it had to be good.

I'll just say it right off the bat: AUNT ALICE isn't quite what I expected. Now, I want it made clear that I did enjoy this movie, and I thought it was really one of the better hagsploitation-type movies ushered out in rapid succession in the early-to-late-'60s. Geraldine Page stars as Mrs. Marrable, who, at the beginning of the film, is mourning the death of her husband. Once she finds out (or thinks she's found out) that her husband left her broke, she flees to Arizona, where she gets into a mess when several of her housekeepers mysteriously vanish. Ruth Gordon comes aboard as Mrs. Dimmick -- the revealed "Aunt Alice" of the piece -- and takes a job as Mrs. Marrable's newest housekeeper.

I can honestly say that this movie had me going for a little bit. I wasn't entirely sure where everything was going to go. With Aunt Alice -- or Ruth Gordon more specifically -- being the titular character, I generally assumed that she'd be the lady going crazy in the story. That assumption was wrong, because it Geraldine Page as the increasingly unbalanced Mrs. Marrable that takes that cake. So, yeah, that part of my mind was blown.

I don't want to say anything more about the plot, just in case there are any of you that would like to eventually watch this movie. If the twists aren't spoiled for you, I'm sure you'll enjoy it better, especially the first go-around.

AUNT ALICE was a good movie. I was somewhat weary that I'd be put off if the movie turned too gory or bloody, but nothing too severe is ever shown. I was also worried that I'd be dissatisfied because the movie was in color instead of the spookier B&W. The performances here are quite good, although Geraldine Page seems a little miscast as an aging woman (she was only in her early-40s at the time this was shot). But if you didn't know she was younger, you wouldn't know. Yeah, her performance is that good.

If you haven't seen AUNT ALICE, I'd urge you to do so. It is currently uploaded in its entirety You-Know-Where.​

It's practically inevitable not to compare AUNT ALICE to the genre-starting BABY JANE. In comparison, I'd argue that AUNT ALICE holds up nicely to the original, but yet lacks some of the creepiness. I'd put AUNT ALICE near the top of my list of favorite hag horrors, or at least in the Top 4 so far.​

 

[ClassyCo]

I watched WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO? (or sometimes called WHO SLEW AUNTIE ROO? for U.S. releases) for the first time this past Saturday. It offers actress Shelley Winters' second venture into the psycho-biddy sub-genre, with the first being WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? I actually have both movies on a double feature DVD set.

AUNTIE ROO is basically a modernized (of the early-'70s at least) version of the old Hansel & Gretel story. Rosie "Auntie Roo" Forrest (Winters) is a wealthy American widow living in England. She hosts large Christmas parties for children from a nearby orphanage. One Christmas, she takes a special liking to a young girl named Katy (Chloe Franks), who bares a striking resemblance to her dead daughter (a daughter Roo still tries to communicate with through seances, and who she... ummm... I won't spoil it for you). But Katy's older brother, Christopher (Mark Lester), is very suspicious of Auntie Roo and declares her witch.

I won't spoil the rest of the story for you, y'know, just in case you want to watch it.

AUNTIE ROO was an enjoyable little movie. It progressed nicely and I thought the acting and story was good. Shelley Winters is very good at playing crazy, probably better than Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. Winters aligns stronger with the more derogatory "psycho-biddy" sub-genre. She seems to be a natural at playing older, slightly crazy women.

AUNTIE ROO is a good movie, but it definitely shows that the genre was slowly dying out. The budget is apparently low, but the production seems to make the most of what it has. I'd argue the story is good -- if also predictable and a little dated -- and that Winters and the remainder of the cast turn in good performances. Even though Auntie Roo was a little nutty and deserved some sort of punishment, I don't think she deserved the fate she got in the final scenes.​

AUNTIE ROO would make a double feature with WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? which stars Winters and Debbie Reynolds.

 

[ClassyCo]

OK everyone, don't rake me across the coals, but I just ordered this Blu-ray double-feature from Amazon literally seconds ago. I know these aren't the best of Grande Dame Guignol, but they went on sale today for under $10 (US) to purchase and have shipped to my house. I've read the Blu-ray quality of these transfers aren't necessarily stellar, but that's never bothered me. We're going to be watching them on my laptop anyway.​

View attachment 34319

It came in yesterday. Can't wait to watch them!

 

[Crimson]

I have never seen most of these later entries of grand dame guignol and, safe to say, I never will. My patience for low budget shlock is extremely limited but, looking at this photos, one thing is clear to me: I don't like this genre in color. The horror aspects of these films are pretty tepid and being in color makes it all look cheap and tacky rather than atmospheric.

 

[ClassyCo]

I have never seen most of these later entries of grand dame guignol and, safe to say, I never will.

I wouldn't be so quick to write some of them off. You might actually like some of them if you actually watched them. Several of them -- such as AUNT ALICE and maybe even AUNTIE ROO -- are currently You-Know-Where for free. You could give those two a gander before writing them off. You might be surprised. Might not be... but you might.​

My patience for low budget shlock is extremely limited but, looking at this photos, one thing is clear to me:

AUNTIE ROO would definitely fit this description, but AUNT ALICE and HELEN are pretty good movies. Not necessarily high-art, but good.​

I don't like this genre in color. The horror aspects of these films are pretty tepid and being in color makes it all look cheap and tacky rather than atmospheric.

There, I can agree with you. I don't really like these movies in color. It makes them appear cheesier and less effective. The shadows and creepiness of B&W cannot be as easily replicated in color.​

 

[Crimson]

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? is being re-released to theaters in 2022!!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE is back in theaters this Sunday and next Wednesday. I'm going for the second showing.