What a brilliant career Jodie Foster has had. Starting off in commercials, providing Saturday Morning cartoon voices and appearing in a number of TV comedies and dramasin the late 60s and early 70s, she later gained much attention playing an adolescent street walker in Martin Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER (1976) for which she earned an Academy Award nomination. During the mid 70s, she continued to star in kiddy matinee fare such as FREAKY FRIDAY, BUGSY MALONE and CANDLESHOE, but somewhere in between was THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE. Made in Canada by a Hungarian born director, LITTLE GIRL is the first really serious leading role for the young actress, and though it may be just a title on an enduring resume which includes two Oscar trophies, it’s an engrossing film worth revisiting and a showcase of how talented she was at such a young age.

A 13-year old giftedly intelligent orphan named Rynn (Foster) is determined to be self sufficient after the passing of her father, an acclaimed poet. Living in a seaside house that's paid up in rent for the next three years, she puts up a façade that dad is not home or in his study every time there’s a visitor at the door/ The truth is, he’s dead and lying in the cellar which can be entered through an opening on the dining room floor. The isolated world she has created for herself is threatened by the hatefully pushy landlady Mrs. Hallet (Alexis Smith), Mrs. Hallet's 30-something pedophile son Frank (Martin Sheen) and friendly but nosy police officer Miglioriti (Mort Shuman). Rynn does become friendly with a crippled older boy named Mario (Scott Jacoby) who does magic tricks and is pretty much an outcast himself. Cautious at first, she eventually tells him her dark secrets, and he covers up for her and defends her when it counts the most.

A pseudo psychological thriller with a plotline somewhat linear to PSYCHO, THE LITTLE GIRL LIVES DOWN THE LANE is a taut little suspense film, but not at all a hack and slash affair. The violence is all implied, and the repulsion of knowing what sights are actually lying beneath the house remain unseen, making it more unsettling to watch. Jodie Foster is intense as Rynn, sometimes naive, sometimes creepy, but always cunning and one step above the adults who try to challenge her. The character is well developed, always thinking and planning her next move and rushing her own adulthood with her “head of the house” status in which she does everything for herself. Rynn is a survivalist who only becomes monstrous when her freedom is endangered, and this happens quite often within the context of things. Still, it's irresistible for an audience to side with this anti hero, especially with some of the despicable people she has to deal with.

The screenplay by Laird Koenig (adapted from his novel) is one of those efforts that allows some genuinely nice performances, however major or minor they might be. As the prying, snobby landlady Mrs. Hallet, Alexis Smith makes the character so despicable, you hope she gets done in any time she’s on screen. Before his breakthrough role in APOCLYPSE NOW, and after his unforgettable turns in THE INCIDENT and BADLANDS, Martin Sheen has a scene-stealing role as a perverted deviate who we assume has a sorted history. He is constantly harassing Rynn any chance he gets with intents of molestation, and he shows an ultimate cruel side when he rubs his cigarette out on her pet hamster and throws it on the fire. As Mario, Scott Jacoby seems irritating at first, but his character quickly adds flavor to the film, as a loyal companion to Rynn, and he has good chemistry with Foster. Seeing him in old age make-up, pretending to be Rynn’s father, is a highlight. Jacoby previously starred in BAD RONALD, a memorably morbid 1974 telefilm that might make a good double feature with this. Mort Shuman is also good as the likable cop who is naturally suspicious about Rynn and the whereabouts of her father. Shuman acted in films sporadically, but was better known as a songwriter who penned several hits for Elvis Presley, and he also served as musical supervisor here.

Though this DVD is the 92-minute version that AIP released here theatrically in 1977, a longer Canadian version is reported to exist. Though rated PG, it’s pretty shocking to see Foster do brief nudity while barely in her teens, and it’s surprising that this, along with Jacoby hollering the “F” word didn’t push the film to an R rating back then.

Long out of print on home video, it’s great that the film has finally arrived on DVD, and anyone who owns the grainy old VHS tape can now throw that in the trash. Presented anamorphic in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, MGM apparently went back to original vault materials because the transfer looks flawless, with rich detail. No damage or dirt to be seen here, and the colors look excellent, with well-defined fleshtones, and good contrast. The mono sound is also in great shape, with optional English and French subtitles. No extras present (not even the trailer), except for some previews for several unrelated Sony releases of recent vintage. Sony, please keep the AIP films you now own from the MGM library coming out on DVD at a rapid rate! (George R. Reis)

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