Horror Hunks: The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane

'On Halloween in the seaside town of Wells Harbor, Maine, Rynn Jacobs is celebrating her thirteenth birthday alone in her father Lester's house.'

First off, there is no male nudity in 1976's The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane. But... there were two actors who peaked my interest, and a very interesting story about the films one brief nude scene. Directed by Nicolas Gessner, the 70's horror flick is considered by many as being an underrated gem, and also as the film which presented Jodie Fosters's first great performance.

Filmed in rural Quebec, on a very small budget, the film focus's on 13 year old Rynn (Foster), a child who's absent poet father and secretive behaviors bring about suspicious from her conservative small-town neighbours in the the Maine town in which the movie is set.  The movie was originally adapted at a play, as you can see how well it would on stage as you watch.  There are only really four main roles, all characters who get great opportunities to shine.

As a fan of Foster's, I heard of this film, and seen promotional images, awhile ago, but it was only this past year, with a cable airing, that I finally watched.  It was creepy, it was silly, it was incredibly engaging.  The acting was first rate, maybe especially by the late great Canadian film and stage actress Alexis Smith.

Foster, 14 at the time of filming, is also incredibly engaging as Rynn and both of her male co-stars, Scott Jacoby and Martin Sheen really intrigued me.  Martin plays the skin crawling creepy Frank Hallet, a man with a little too much interest in the 13 year old Rynn.  Soctt Jacoby plays Mario, the young magician who's also drawn to Rynn, but in a more murderous, but age appropriate way...

I knew that I had seen Jacoby before, but couldn't quite place him.  A quick IMDB search solved the mystery.  Although Jacoby had many great roles in the 70's and 80's, it was his turn, over 20 years later, as Dorthy's son Michael Zbornak on The Golden Girls that triggered my déjà vu.

Scott is the half brother of actors Billy and Bobby Jacoby.  I featured Billy on FH in a piece about 1985's Just One of the Guys. (HERE:) and also loved his role in 1981 Bloody Birthday (HERE:) in which Jacoby's character murders the stunningly hot, and naked John Avery, just after having sex in a van.

Some of you may also know Scott from roles on The Rookies, Trapper John M.D and Marcus Welby M.D.  Scott also co-starred with Martin Sheen 4 years later in That Certain Summer. (1973).  In that film, Jacoby plays a teenager who discovers that hi father is gay.  Hal Holbrook played his father, and Sheen played Holdbrook's character's lover.  I haven't seen That Certain Summer yet, but will add it to my long list.

Oh, and about that nude scene... it wasn't one of the male co-stars, but it was Foster's character Rynn.  Although Foster was only 14, and her character only 13, they included a rather creepy (word of the day) nude scene of Foster nude in a love scene with Mario. (Jacoby).  The stories are that Foster wasn't thrilled about the scene so her mother suggested using Foster's sister Connie, who was 21 at the time.

The scene was incredibly controversial at the time for the film's release and was edited out of some copies of the release.  Although there were rumors Foster walked off the set in protest, Gessner claims Foster only regretted the scene after it was shot, not before.  Foster's request that the scene be deleted was denied by the Canadian producers of the film.  I'm of two minds, it was gratuitous for sure, but it also made sense given how adult like Rynn was portrayed.  It also added to the ick factor which was part of Rynn's interactions with both Mario, and especially Frank.

If you like character driven horror you may enjoy The Little Girl Who Live Down The Lane, I certainly did.  I also didn't realize how hot Martin Sheen was, and at certain moments is the spitting image of his son Emilio.  This of course had me looking for Sheen nude scenes, two of which I found.  Check them out on PAGE 2 HERE: