Ruby (1977)

Sixteen years after Ruby Claire's gangster boyfriend was shot and killed by four associates, a series of gruesome murders takes place at the drive-in movie theatre she now owns. Meanwhile, ... See full summary »

Director:

Curtis Harrington

Writers:

George Edwards (screenplay), Steve Krantz (story)

Stars:

Piper Laurie, Stuart Whitman, Roger Davis

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Piper Laurie	...	Ruby Claire
Stuart Whitman	...	Vince Kemper
Roger Davis	...	Dr. Paul Keller
Janit Baldwin	...	Leslie Claire
Crystin Sinclaire	...	Lila June
Paul Kent	...	Louie
Len Lesser	...	Barney
Jack Perkins	...	Avery
Eddy Donno	...	Jess (as Edward Donno)
Sal Vecchio	...	Nicky Rocco
Fred Kohler Jr.	...	Jake Miller (as Fred Kohler)
Rory Stevens	...	Donny
Raymond Kark	...	First Man
Jan Burrell	...	First Woman
Kip Gillespie	...	Herbie

Storyline

Sixteen years after Ruby Claire's gangster boyfriend was shot and killed by four associates, a series of gruesome murders takes place at the drive-in movie theatre she now owns. Meanwhile, the behaviour of her mute daughter Leslie is becoming increasingly strange and a visiting psychic claims that forces from beyond are out for revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

mute | drive in | murder | drive in movie | drive in movie theatre | 

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Taglines:

Christened in blood, raised in sin, she's sweet sixteen, let the PARTY begin!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blood Ruby

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 96 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The producers wanted Tina Louise for the part, before Piper Laurie's name was mentioned.

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Goofs

The story takes place in 1951, but Ruby's drive-in has a wide screen, two years before wide screens were being built.

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Alternate Versions

Scenes added to the TV version:

• Deputy Len tells Sheriff Rich that he was investigating a report of a hanging and spotted Mae Belle, the sheriff's wife, with another man.
• Rich questions Mae Belle about her whereabouts the previous night.
• Kenny asks Barney about the old days at the drive-in.
• Lila June talks on the phone and defends her actions to her mother.
• The sheriff comes to the drive-in and question Barney.
• Dr. Keller goes searching for an answer to what happened on the night Nicky died. He visits newspaper editor George Whitehouse, the sheriff, and an unseen third man who greets him with gunfire.

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Connections

References The Omen (1976)

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Soundtracks

Love's So Easy
Written by Sally Stevens
Performed by Piper Laurie

User Reviews

Solid little supernatural shindig.

Despite a multitude of minor blemishes, RUBY stands as an effectually devised psychological/supernatural chiller which gainsays its deficient funding.

Piper Laurie turns out an impressive performance as Ruby, a hard-drinking harlot in ownership of a weatherbeaten old drive-in movie theater. In years past, she was a knockout gangster's moll whose man was murdered gangland style. Before he died, he vowed to return from the grave...a promise which, it seems, he has kept.

A cleverly formulated B quickie thick with gloom and disquietude, RUBY is an honorable short-order undertaking which emanates a pleasingly differential mood of foreboding creepiness.

6/10