Lady in White (1988)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Frank LaLoggia

Writer:

Frank LaLoggia (written by)

Release Date:

22 April 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The year is 1962. The place is Willowpoint Falls. Nobody talks about what happened in the school cloakroom 10 years ago. Now, in the dead of night, Frankie Scarlatti is going to find out why.

Plot:

Locked in a school closet during Halloween 1962, young Frank witnesses the ghost of a young girl and the man who murdered her years ago...

Plot Keywords:

Halloween | Ghost | Psychological Thriller | Child's Point Of View | Investigation

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Lukas Haas	...	Frankie Scarlatti
Len Cariou	...	Phil Terragarossa
Alex Rocco	...	Angelo 'Al' Scarlatti
Katherine Helmond	...	Amanda
Jason Presson	...	Geno Scarlatti
Renata Vanni	...	Mama Assunta
Angelo Bertolini	...	Papa Charlie
Joelle Jacobi	...	Melissa Anne Montgomery
Jared Rushton	...	Donald
Gregory Levinson	...	Louie
Lucy Lee Flippin	...	Grace La Della
Tom Bower	...	Sheriff Saunders
Jack Andreozzi	...	Tony
Sydney Lassick	...	Mr. Lowry
Rita Zohar	...	Mrs. Agnes Cilak

Also Known As:

The Mystery of the Lady in White (Australia) (poster title)

Runtime:

112 min | USA:118 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Australia:M | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Berkshires, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

New Sky Communications Inc.

Trivia:

Rochester, New York, native Frank LaLoggia based the film on a popular and long-standing local urban legend known as "The White Lady." Legend has it that the White Lady had a daughter who disappeared at the hands of a predatory young suitor, and so the White Lady roams the lake front to this very day, searching for her missing daughter. The supposed residence of the White Lady is actually the base of a demolished hotel that was built in the 1800s. Known as the White Lady's Castle, it has become a popular tourist attraction and party site for teenagers.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Though CPR has been commonly used by medical officials since 1957, it wasn't promoted as a technique for the public to learn until the 1970s.

Quotes:

Melissa Anne Montgomery: Help me find her!

Movie Connections:

References "Broken Arrow" (1956)

Soundtrack:

(HOW MUCH IS THAT) DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW

Very Atmospheric

Despite a few plot gaps, this is a very charming, atmospheric movie. The view is through the eyes of the main child-character, Frankie Scarlatti, and we see what he sees. This is a wonderful ghost story, not a horror film at all. Lukas Haas' character, Frankie, is vulnerable, yet determined to get at the heart of the mystery. Katherine Helmond is touchingly effective in her role as the grandmother of the murdered girl. My only complaint is that I get no clues from the plot or characterizations about what caused the killer to act. Yet I can suspend belief long enough to go with the childlike curiosity into the mysterious story. This is what I call a "little movie", no splashy special effects or over-the-top story lines, just a simple, sweet movie.