Girls, let's face it, that Sara Haden as Aunt Martha Winthrop, was some grade A bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you notice how closely this film resembles "Gaslight?"
Poor Phyllis Allenby, played by June Lockhart. She was so sweet; who would suspect her? Haunted by a family werewolf curse, which Aunt Martha (who is really not an aunt, but a rejected woman from Phyllis' father's past, who stays on as housekeeper, and raises her unsuspecting daughter, Carol (Jan Wiley) as Phyllis's cousin.) exploits, in order to drive Phyllis insane. Aunt Martha, desperate every minute, wishes to do this, so her daughter can marry Phyllis' intended, Barry Landfield, played by Don Porter. Are you with me so far???????????????
Of course, only I knew all this, having seen the film before. What surprised me this time around was the blatant low budget. Instead of the mysterious woman being apprehended and unmasked in the park, as Aunt Martha, the producers obviously wanted to wrap this one up, so they concocted a self-confessional monologue, which Martha delivers over Phyllis, who chases after her, leaving Aunt Martha to fall down the stairs, and on her knife!
I would have preferred my own ending, mentioned above. Also, I felt so sorry for poor Carol, who had no idea how despicable her mother was; even if the two have had words. As for Aunt Martha, it was all for naught; I think Phyllis would have allowed Martha and Carol to stay on in the house, had auntie just stayed out of it.
This film makes the best argument for never taking in relatives.
You know what they say about fish and guests, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, some questions I have about the film.
1. Martha's last name was Winthrop? Did she marry a man by that name, and have Carol that way?
Or--
2. Had she been impregnated by Allenby, with a maiden name of Winthrop, and that was why she and Carol were kept on?
Lastly--
3. Phyllis is an orphan. She mentions her parents having been killed, but never says when, or how. Could Aunt Martha have had something to do with that?
As the beloved Dorothy Parker said, "I wouldn't be at all surprised!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
2 comments:
I don’t know about New York, but around here it seems like deadbeat tenants have more rights than landlord
Victoria,
Right now, in NYC, rents are plummeting?
And who knows if NYC will return to what it was
in totality. There is bound to be fallout.
Today, if we wanted to, but don't, we could
ALMOST afford to move to Manhattan.
Unheard of, before!
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