The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane **** (1976, Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith, Scott Jacoby) – Classic Movie Review 8643

Director Nicolas Gessner’s 1976 The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is a dark, taut, extremely well-done Grand Guignol suspense thriller, teetering on the edge of bad taste.

Jodie Foster stars as the 13-year-old girl Rynn Jacobs, who is ready to kill to keep her secret about her dead father and what is in the cellar.

Martin Sheen plays Frank Hallet, who gets more than he bargained for when he starts snooping around. It also stars Alexis Smith as Mrs Cora Hallet and Scott Jacoby as Rynn’s friend Mario Podesta, with Mort Shuman as friendly Officer Ron Miglioriti.

Also in the cast are Dorothy Davis, Clesson Goodhue, Hubert Noël, Jacques Famery, Mary Morter and Julie Wildman.

At its rock solid base is a model screenplay by Laird Koenig, adapted from his own novel. But it is also impeccably handled by director Nicolas Gessner, bringing out all the nuances, menace and tension.

Incredibly, given its sensitive, very adult subject matter, it was originally planned for TV.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is directed by Nicolas Gessner, runs 94 minutes, is made by Braun Entertainment Group, Carnelian Productions, ICL, and Filmedis-Filmel, is released by American International Pictures (US) and Rank (UK), is written by Laird Koenig, is shot by Rene Verzier, is produced by Zev Braun and is scored by Christian Gaubert.

Scott Jacoby’s most recent film is the 1991 Son of Darkness: To Die for II, and he now works as a producer and director, running a recording studio in Los Angeles.

The nude scene with Jodie Foster’s older sister Connie as her body double and Jacoby’s F-word were cut but have been reinstated for the MGM DVD release.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8643

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com