The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
promotional poster for US release
Directed by	Nicolas Gessner
Produced by	Zev Braun
Written by	Laird Koenig
Starring	Jodie Foster Martin Sheen Alexis Smith Mort Shuman Scott Jacoby
Music by	Christian Gaubert
Cinematography	René Verzier
Editing by	Yves Langlois
Distributed by	1977 AIP - USA, theatrical release 2005 MGM - USA, DVD release
Release date(s)	25 December 1976 26 January 1977 10 August 1977
Running time	100 min / 91 min (USA)
Language	English (mono)
Budget	CAD 1,100,000 (est.)
IMDb profile

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is a 1976 film directed by Nicolas Gessner and written by Laird Koenig, based on Koenig's 1974 novel of the same title. The film fits mostly in the genre of psychological thriller drama with elements of romance and horror. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (481x755, 71 KB) movie poster for the American theatrical release of the film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) Source URL: http://www. ... Nicolas Gessner (b. ... Zev Braun (born 1928 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American motion picture producer. ... Jodie Foster (born November 19, 1962) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, director, and producer. ... Martin Sheen Martin Sheen (born Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez August 3, 1940 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American actor, best known for his roles in the film Apocalypse Now and, most recently, as President Josiah Bartlet on the television drama The West Wing. ... Alexis Smith Alexis Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was an actress. ... Mort Shuman (November 12, 1936 _ November 2, 1991) was an American singer and songwriter. ... The early AIP logo. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining for the year. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Monaural (often shortened to mono) sound reproduction is single-channel. ... ISO 4217 Code CAD User(s) Canada Inflation 2. ... Estimation is the calculated approximation of a result which is usable even if input data may be incomplete, uncertain, or noisy. ... // Events March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas Star Wars science fiction film. ... Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Nicolas Gessner (b. ... Screenwriters, scenarists or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... See also: 1973 in literature, other events of 1974, 1975 in literature, list of years in literature. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Plot

The film opens on Halloween evening in a New England seaside town, where Rynn Jacobs (Jodie Foster) is celebrating her thirteenth birthday alone in her father's house. Frank Hallet (Martin Sheen), the landlady's adult son, drops by; he is an ephebophile with an unwholesome interest in Rynn, and although he leaves quickly that night when his stepchildren come to the door trick-or-treating, the next day he is waiting in his car to offer her a ride. She studiously ignores him. Halloween or Halloween is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other treats. ... The states marked in red show New England. ... Jodie Foster (born November 19, 1962) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, director, and producer. ... Martin Sheen Martin Sheen (born Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez August 3, 1940 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American actor, best known for his roles in the film Apocalypse Now and, most recently, as President Josiah Bartlet on the television drama The West Wing. ... A landlord, is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called the tenant. ... Ephebophilia (in Greek ephebos έφηβος = teenager and philia φιλία = friendship), also known as hebephilia or Lolita syndrome, is the sexual attraction of an adult to adolescents. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Later, Cora Hallet (Alexis Smith), the landlady, arrives at the house. She snoops about, attempting to find out where Rynn's father is, and discreetly asking Rynn whether Frank has been bothering her. Rynn claims her father is in New York, and taunts the landlady about her son. Rynn's snappy answers and self-confidence unsettle Mrs. Hallet. The situation gets tenser when Mrs. Hallet wants to get her jelly glasses from the cellar. Rynn steadfastly refuses to let her in the cellar, despite Mrs. Hallet's threatening her with truancy and slapping her face; finally, the frustrated Mrs. Hallet leaves. Alexis Smith Alexis Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was an actress. ... A landlord, is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called the tenant. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Manhattan Queens Brooklyn Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Glass canning jars, also known as fruit jars or mason jars (named after its inventor not masonry) have been around since the early 1850s and today are eagerly sought after by collectors. ... Truancy (in Great Britain, colloquially known as bunking off, wagging, skiving or Mitching. ...

In town, Rynn again runs into Frank, but he is deterred by the appearance of Officer Miglioriti (Mort Shuman) in a police cruiser. Officer Miglioriti drives Rynn home, and the two strike up a kind of friendship, in contrast to Rynn's relationships with the other adults in the film. Miglioriti asks where Rynn's father is, and she tells him that he is working and cannot be disturbed. Mort Shuman (November 12, 1936 _ November 2, 1991) was an American singer and songwriter. ...

After Officer Miglioriti leaves, Mrs. Hallet stops by to pick up her jelly glasses. Rynn has retrieved them from the cellar but forgotten the rubber seals. Mrs. Hallet, refusing to be put off again, opens the trap door to the cellar and steps down to get the seals herself. Suddenly terrified by something she sees there, Mrs. Hallet screams and tries to rush up again; she knocks the cellar door support and the cellar door slams down on her head. When Rynn opens the trap door, Mrs. Hallet is dead. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Rynn, after a few moments of shock, tries to hide the evidence; she stuffs Mrs. Hallet's umbrella between the sofa cushions, and goes outside to try to move Hallet's car. Her inability to start the car attract the attention of Mario (Scott Jacoby), the teenaged nephew of Officer Miglioriti, who is passing by on his bicycle on the way to perform magic tricks at a party. (Mario is dressed in a magician's cape and top hat and carries a cane, but the cane is more than a prop; he walks with a limp due to a childhood bout with polio.) He sees that Rynn is trying to hide something from him, but he agrees to come back and help her move the car after the party. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A mysterious man in a cape, in Seinfeld, in episode 6-4. ... Duke Ellington wearing a top hat. ... Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ...

Later in the evening Rynn and Mario have dinner together at Rynn's house. Officer Miglioriti stops by to tell them that Frank Hallet has reported his mother missing; again, he asks to see her father, but Mario tells him that Rynn's father has gone to bed. This act of loyalty cements the bond between Rynn and Mario.

Frank Hallet makes a surprise visit that same night. He is suspicious and looking for answers about the whereabouts of his mother and Rynn's father. He tries to scare Rynn into talking by torturing and then killing her pet hamster, but eventually Mario chases Frank away with the help of a sword hidden in his cane. Rynn now trusts Mario enough to show him the cellar. Down in the cellar are two corpses: Mrs. Hallet, and Rynn's own mother. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... A swordstick is a cane incorporating a concealed blade. ...

Rynn fixes tea and tells Mario everything. Rynn's father had a terminal illness. He and her abusive mother had divorced long ago, and he wanted to protect Rynn from winding up back in her mother's custody after his death. He moved them to an isolated area and made plans to allow Rynn to live alone; finally, he committed suicide in the ocean so his body would not be found. He left Rynn with a jar of powder, telling her that it was a sedative to give to her mother if she ever came for her — but really it was potassium cyanide. Rynn coolly describes how she put the powder in her mother's tea, how her mother remarked the tea tasted like almonds and she replied that it was only the almond cookies, and how her mother died. (Meanwhile, during this narrative, Mario has been drinking his tea, and now begins to get uneasy; but when he sees Rynn take a drink from her own cup, the two laugh at his momentary fear.) Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ... A sedative is a substance which depresses the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in calmness, relaxation, reduction of anxiety, sleepiness, slowed breathing, slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes. ... Potassium cyanide or KCN is the potassium salt of hydrogen cyanide or hydrocyanic acid. ... Binomial name Prunus dulcis (Mill. ...

The romance between Rynn and Mario continues to blossom, and Mario gets more and more involved in the goings-on at Rynn's house. One day, the two move the bodies out of the cellar and bury them by the side of the house. It starts to rain heavily, and Mario catches a terrible cold, despite Rynn's climbing under the covers with him. After dinner, Officer Miglioriti returns to the house, inquiring about her father — he has begun to suspect that her father does not exist. But Rynn calls upstairs, and an old man comes down the stairs, wheezing, to autograph a book of poetry for Miglioriti. Miglioriti does not notice that the old man is Mario, wearing a rubber mask, and with his voice deepened by his cold. After Miglioriti leaves, Mario and Rynn undress and return to bed; Rynn confesses that she has grown to depend on Mario. ...

Mario's cold develops into pneumonia, and he is sent to the hospital. Rynn comes to see him, but he is unconscious; she feels lonelier than ever before. It has been suggested that CURB-65 be merged into this article or section. ...

As Rynn is going to bed that night she hears the noise of the trap door slamming shut. She goes downstairs and is shocked to see Frank coming out of the cellar. He has put the pieces together and realized that Rynn's father is gone and that Rynn killed Mrs. Hallet. He offers to protect Rynn's secrets in exchange for sexual favors. Rynn is hesitant, and suggests they have a cup of tea. Into her own cup she places a dose of the cyanide her father gave her. But she plays on Frank's suspicions, and he uses an excuse to switch his teacup for hers. They drink. He remarks that the tea tastes like almonds, and Rynn replies that it is only the almond cookies. Frank drinks more and coughs a little. Rynn sits still, waiting, while Frank talks slowly about how nice her hair shines and coughs a little more...

Censorship

In order to earn a PG rating, the US version of the film differs from the international release in two ways. First, a line of dialog containing an expletive is absent in the US version. Second, the international cut contains a scene in which Rynn is naked, with her buttocks and part of her breast visible. (Jodie Foster's body double for that scene was her older sister Connie, who was 21 at the time.) MGM's Region 1 DVD for the film contains the international version of the film, though the packaging still lists the PG rating. The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, whether videotape or film. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with DVD-Video. ... DVD (sometimes called Digital Versatile Disc, or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ...

Cast

• Rynn — Jodie Foster
• Frank Hallet — Martin Sheen
• Mrs. Hallet — Alexis Smith
• Officer Miglioriti — Mort Shuman
• Mario — Scott Jacoby

Jodie Foster was at a career peak in 1976, having just finished Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, and Freaky Friday while only 13 or 14 years old. She a similar character in the film Foxes (1980): an independent-minded teenager growing up without much help (but some problems) from adults. Jodie Foster (born November 19, 1962) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, director, and producer. ... Martin Sheen Martin Sheen (born Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez August 3, 1940 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American actor, best known for his roles in the film Apocalypse Now and, most recently, as President Josiah Bartlet on the television drama The West Wing. ... Alexis Smith Alexis Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was an actress. ... Mort Shuman (November 12, 1936 _ November 2, 1991) was an American singer and songwriter. ... Taxi Driver is a 1976 American film drama directed by Martin Scorsese. ... Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in Chicago, Illinois in the Prohibition era, specifically, the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone as dramatized in cinema. ... Freaky Friday is a childrens novel by Mary Rodgers first published in the USA in 1972, in which a teenage girl and her mother switch bodies and learn to understand each other better. ... Foxes is a 1980 dramatic movie directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Gerald Ayres. ...

For Martin Sheen, this role fell between his performances in Badlands (1973) and Apocalypse Now (1979). Badlands is a 1973 film directed by Terrence Malick from his own script. ... Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American film about a soldiers journey during the Vietnam War. ...

Mort Shuman, who played Officer Miglioriti, is better known as a songwriter and composer of music for films. He was the music supervisor for this film, as well.

Awards

1977 Saturn Award (by the American Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films) [1]: The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. ... Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. ...

• Best Horror Film
• Best Actress: Jodie Foster

Trivia

• The film was shot in Canada in November and December 1975.
• Rynn is sort of a latchkey kid. She wears a key around her neck, but it's the key to the safe deposit box on the bank, not to the house.
• Differences from the novel:
  • In the novel, Rynn has been born and raised in England ("mostly London") and speaks with a (sometimes exaggerated) English accent. In the film, however, Rynn speaks in Jodie Foster's Southern American accent.
  • Mario is introduced wearing a fake magician's moustache in the novel.
  • The novel emphasizes the budding romance between Rynn and Mario more than the film.
  • In the film Mrs. Hallet is killed accidentally when she knocks the cellar door support and the door falls on her head. In the novel, Rynn intentionally murders her by locking Mrs. Hallot into the cellar and using the hose from the gas heater to poison her.

Latchkey kid or Latchkey child refers to a child that returns from school to an empty home because their parents are away at work, or a child that is often left at home with little or no parental supervision. ... Safe deposit boxes inside a Swiss bank. ...

Adaptations

As a novel by Laird Koenig: A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ...

• The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan; 1974; hardcover, 217 pgs.)
• The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (London: Corgis; 1975; softcover)
• La Petit Fille au bout du Chemin (French translation)

As a drama by Laird Koenig: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

• The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.; 1997; chapbook, 71 pgs.)

As an (unofficial) poetic interpretation by R. W. Watkins:

• New England Country Farmhouse (Newfoundland: Nocturnal Iris Publications; 2005; chapbook of haiku based on or inspired by The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane; with an introduction by visual artist and former Fifth Column musician G.B. Jones, 24 pgs.)
• Continuity Errors: Film Criticism as a Haibun, The Haibun as Film Criticism (from Koenig/Foster fanzine Cellar No. 1 [see below]; Watkins meticuously outlines the film's continuity foul-ups in the form of a haibun - the Japanese literary form consisting of prose interspersed with haiku of a similar theme; 10 pgs.)
• "La Petit Fille au bout du Chemin" (from Contemporary Ghazals No. 1, 2003; Watkins represents some of the key elements of the novel/screenplay's plot in the form of a ghazal--the Middle Eastern/Indian subcontinent form of poetry written in couplets that feature inner rhyme and end-word/phrase repetition; 1 pg.)

As subject of a fanzine: Haiku ) is a mode of Japanese poetry, the late 19th century revision by Masaoka Shiki of the older hokku ), the opening verse of a linked verse form, haikai no renga. ... A fifth column is a group of people which clandestinely undermines a larger group to which it is expected to be loyal, such as a nation. ... G.B. Jones is an influential artist, filmmaker, and musician from Toronto. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In poetry (and as the lyrics in songs), the ghazal (Persian/Arabic/Urdu: غزل; Turkish gazel) is a poetic form consisting of couplets which share a rhyme and a refrain. ... A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ...

• Cellar (Newfoundland: Nocturnal Iris Publications; 2003- ; R. W. Watkins ed. A Laird Koenig/Jodie Foster "Appreciation Journal", focussing primarily on The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane; featuring essays, poetry, artwork, etc. by R. W. Watkins, Robin Tilley, Rynn Jacobs, Jena von Brücker, etc.)

Soundtrack albums: A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music from a particular feature film. ...

• The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Christian Gaubert (Japan: Polydor Records, 1976; "small press run"). This album has never been reissued on CD or in any other format, and no "official" bootlegs are known to exist.
• Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eliahu Inbal and featuring Claudio Arrau on piano (UK: Philips, 1968). Side 1 of this record was featured prominently on the film's soundtrack, but was not included on the official soundtrack album. This LP has since been reissued in CD format.

Polydor Records is a record label once headquartered in Germany. ... Look up bootleg in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The London Philharmonic Orchestra (frequently abbreviated to LPO), based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ... Claudio Arrau Claudio Arrau León (February 6, 1903 – June 9, 1991) was a Chilean pianist of world fame for his deep interpretations of a huge, vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers. ...

External links

• The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane at the Internet Movie Database. The user comments include critic R. W. Watkins's eccentric comment on the film's symbolism, continuity errors, influences, and other trivial matters difficult to find elsewhere on the Web [2].
• http://www.jodiefosterhome.com/: A review of the film (a little different) and more about latchkey kids.
• http://www.geocities.com/rynnfrink/favmovie.html Brief fansite featuring rare cover artwork of early VHS versions, promo poster, film stills, etc.
• http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/l/little-girl-who-lives-down-the-lane-script.html Uncensored transcript of the film's dialogue.