Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

In 1961, a divorced catholic couple's life is turned upside down when one of their two adolescent daughters is suspected of her younger sister's brutal murder during her First Communion, and a series of subsequent stabbings.

Director:

Alfred Sole

Writers:

Rosemary Ritvo (original screenplay), Alfred Sole (original screenplay)

Stars:

Linda Miller, Mildred Clinton, Paula E. Sheppard

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Linda Miller	...	Catherine Spages
Mildred Clinton	...	Mrs. Tredoni
Paula E. Sheppard	...	Alice Spages (as Paula Sheppard)
Niles McMaster	...	Dom Spages
Jane Lowry	...	Aunt Annie DeLorenze
Rudolph Willrich	...	Father Tom
Michael Hardstark	...	Detective Spina
Alphonso DeNoble	...	Mr. Alphonso
Gary Allen	...	Jim DeLorenze
Brooke Shields	...	Karen Spages
Louisa Horton	...	Dr. Whitman
Tom Signorelli	...	Detective Brennan
Lillian Roth	...	Pathologist (as Miss Lillian Roth also)
Patrick Gorman	...	Father Pat
Kathy Rich	...	Angela DeLorenze

Storyline

Alice Spages is a withdrawn 12-year-old girl who lives with her younger sister Karen and their mother Catherine. Karen gets most of their mother's attention, and Alice is often left out of the spotlight. When Karen is found brutally murdered in a church before her First Holy Communion, Alice is in the spotlight of suspicion, but is a 12-year-old girl really capable of such savagery? As more people die at the hands of a merciless killer, Alice's family and the police don't know what to believe.

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Plot Keywords:

masked killer | 1960s | sister sister relationship | north american giallo | serial killer | 

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Taglines:

If you survive this chiller...no nightmare will ever scare you again. (release titled "The Mask Murders")

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The knife used in the film was created by Alfred Sole's neighbor, who was an engineer, and was designed with a retractable blade. It was the only knife used in the film, the filmmakers never made any duplicates.

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Goofs

When Mrs. Tredoni answers the door for Catherine at the rectory, the boom mic is visible in a mirror.

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Quotes

Mrs. Tredoni: [accusingly to priest] But you give it to the whore!

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Crazy Credits

During the ending credits there is no music and the screen doesn't turn black, the last frame of the film remains in the background forever.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD edition has a few other differences in sound between the original 1980's video release. The new version has several seconds of missing soundtrack music and dialogue, while the original release has dramatic music and dialogue during the same scenes.

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Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Hardly Working/The Howling/'Breaker' Morant/Mon Oncle D'Amerique/Caveman (1981)

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Soundtracks

Soul of My Saviour
(uncredited)
Lyrics by J. Hegarty, translated by Edward Caswall
Music by Lorenzo Dobici
Performed by Lucy Hale

User Reviews

Seriously underrated 70's chiller

"Alice, Sweet Alice", unfortunately listed here under its more tame alias "Communion", is a modest but sublime thriller that excellently fits in the superior horror decade that were the 70's. It's in fact a thriller with just that tad bit extra… Despite of the modest budget Alfred Sole had to work with, his film doesn't look dated like many others and the influence it had on the slasher sub-genre is amazing. Who killed little Karen Spages during her first communion service? This question with a seemly obvious answer keeps you entertained and – especially – frightened throughout almost the entire film. Too bad the story loses some of its impact around the hour, due to a few tedious sequences and unexciting dialogs. Luckily, Sole rapidly continues where he left off and delivers us a truly marvelous finale where even Hitchcock himself would show respect for. There's a terrific catholic atmosphere and symbolism featuring in this film, stressed extra by the chilling musical score. Although the movie more or less became famous because it introduces Brooke Shields, it's in fact Paula E. Sheppard who gives away a flawless and imposing acting performance as Alice. She has this brilliantly nihilistic glance in her eyes that makes you feel uncomfortable. "Alice Sweet Alice" is definitely a film I would recommend to every horror fan. It contains several highly memorable sequences like, for example, all the ones involving the fat filthy and perverted neighbor. Fundamental horror viewing for Gothic lovers.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Holy Terror

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$340,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harristown Funding

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min 98 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1