Alice

 

 (imdb)

COMMUNION-(aka ALICE SWEET ALICE)-1976-A weird young kid named Alice (Paula E. Sheppard) takes delight in tormenting her little sister Sally (Brooke Shields) who is getting ready for her first communion. They live with their divorced religiously devout mother Catherine (Linda Miller; Jackie Gleason's daughter) in a rooming house run by the ginormous Mr. Alphonso (Alphonso DeNoble). Alice likes to wear a yellow raincoat and a Halloween mask, so when Sally is killed right before the ceremony by someone dressed like that, it seems Alice has gone too far. Catherine's shrewish sister (Jane Lowry), who has a wimpy husband, suspects her niece. Alice's estranged father Dom (Niles McMaster) with the help of police detective Brennan (Tom Signorelli, a terrible actor), who says “people do crazy things”, snoop around. A priest, Father Tom (Rudolph Willrich) tries to help out too. Mr. Alphonso tries to put the moves on Alice (eek!) but she kills his cat to get away. Alice has a secret room in the basement where she raises cockroaches! Later someone dressed in a yellow raincoat attacks the sister. Alice is examined by Dr. Whitman (Louisa Horton) who wants to lock her up. A long scene involves dad in a warehouse where the real killer is revealed. Father Tom's grouchy housekeeper (Mildred Clinton), who's own daughter died before her first communion is jealous of mom's relationship with her boss. She kills dad while Alice is released from the mental ward. Alice puts roaches on the sleeping Alphonso who's then killed when he accidentally runs into the killer in the hall. During Alice's own communion, the housekeeper slits Father Tom's throat. In the panic everyone ignores Alice who takes the killer's bloody knife... 

This is a really wacko production that got some notice later because of the involvement of the future famous Brooke Shields. 

This movie also marked the first film for singer/actress Lillian Roth (who plays a pathologist) since her last in 1939. A popular entertainer in her time, a series of personal tragedies and alcoholism ruined her career for a while but in the fifties, she made a successful comeback in nightclubs. Her autobiography “I'll Cry Tomorrow” was made into a film starring Susan Hayward. 

Pro wrestling legend Argentina Rocca also has a cameo as an undertaker (don't blink). McMaster and Alphonso were in the notorious BLOOD SUCKING FREAKS the same year. Co-star Paula Sheppard was in one more movie, the cult film LIQUAD SKY (1981) and retired from acting. Director Alfred Sole, usually a production designer, also made the bizarre TANYA'S ISLAND.

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