Picture Mommy Dead

Picture Mommy Dead is a 1966 American psychological horror film directed by Bert I. Gordon and starring Don Ameche, Martha Hyer, Susan Gordon, and Zsa Zsa Gabor. It follows a young girl who, after being released from a psychiatric hospital following her mother's death, begins to experience strange events in the family's mansion.

Plot
Socialite Jessica Shelley is killed in an apparently accidental fire in her mansion. Three years later, her adolescent daughter, Susan, has been released from a psychiatric hospital, where she was incarcerated after suffering a nervous breakdown. Though deemed mentally healthy, Susan is still confused about the details of her mother's death, and is unable to remember the events of the night she died. She is released to her father, Edward, and new stepmother, Francene, formerly Susan's governess.

Upon release, Susan is read her mother's will, which details her inheritance of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which she will receive in full at age twenty five. It is also stipulated that Susan can remain in the family's home for as long as she would like, but that its various contents will first need to be auctioned, generating income that Edward states he needs due to bad business dealings. Later, the venal Francene suggests Edward have Susan recommitted in order for him to gain control of her trust fund.

Susan is soon haunted by disturbing visions and disembodied voices. One night, Susan finds a portrait of her mother bleeds after she scratches it, and she is subsequently met by an apparition of Jessica which bursts into flames before her eyes. Susan becomes convinced her mother was murdered, and that evidence of it exists in the house. Meanwhile, Jessica's cousin and the Shelley's caretaker, Anthony, tells Francene that Jessica was murdered, while Francene becomes determined to find a valuable necklace owned by Jessica.

Late one night, Susan is attacked by Anthony's pet hawk, which she kills by beating with one of her dolls. Inside the tattered doll, Susan discovers her mother's necklace. Moments later, Francene enters the room, posing as Jessica, and requests the necklace. Susan feigns mental regression. During an altercation, the two knock over a phone receiver, through which Francene overhears Anthony phoning police to report Susan as her mother's murderer. Francene confronts Anthony, and their conversation is overheard by Susan—it is revealed the two, lovers, are conspiring to steal Susan's will, and that Anthony was at one time Jessica's lover. Anthony derides Francene, claiming he never actually loved her and has always despised her. An enraged Francene responds by murdering Anthony with a large antique fishing hook.

Francene discovers Susan holding her mother's necklace. She confronts Susan on the stairs for stealing the necklace, replicating the same scenario that occurred between Susan and Jessica the night Jessica died. Edward interrupts their interaction, and is misdirected by Francene to check on Susan in her bedroom. Francene approaches Susan with a pair of scissors, and pursues her through the house. While fighting in the bedroom, Susan renders Francene unconscious, knocking over a candle and igniting the bed in flames. Edward stumbles upon the scene and extinguishes the fire. Francene awakens, gripping the necklace in her hand, and claims that Susan killed both Jessica and Anthony.

Francene attempts to blackmail Edward with Susan's alleged culpability, and tells him she is going to divorce him. Edward admits to Francene that it was in fact he who killed Jessica in an attempt to appease Francene. Listening to Edward's admission, Francene laughs hysterically, just as Jessica had before Edward killed her. In a rage, Edward strangles Francene in the same manner he had Jessica. Susan emerges from behind a curtain, and takes her mother's necklace from Francene's neck. Susan calmly tells Edward that she will help hide his crime—just as she had when he murdered her mother—before lighting the bedroom aflame with a candle. The two exit the house hand in hand as it begins to burn.

Production
Gene Tierney was originally announced for a lead role and Hedy Lamarr was signed to support Ameche and Hyer. However, Lamarr was fired from the film when she collapsed during filming from nervous exhaustion. She was replaced by Gabor.

Box office
Picture Mommy Dead opened theatrically in Roanoke, Virginia on September 29, 1966. It opened in New York City on November 2, 1966, before being released citywide in Los Angeles in December 1966. The film was a box-office failure.

Critical response
The film opened to largely negative reviews upon its release in New York City.

Home media
Kino Lorber released the film for the first time on Blu-ray in October 2020.