The
Story is set in England in the 1920s, and is a modern day re-telling of the
Hansel and Gretel story.
The
protagonist is an insane and elderly widow named Mrs. Forrest (Shelley Winters)
who keeps the mummified corpse of her little daughter, Katharine, in a nursery
in her attic.
To
the children and staff at the local orphanage Auntie Roo is a kindly American
millionaire who holds a lavish Christmas party every year at her mansion,
Forrest Grange, for 10 orphans, and they get to spend the night.
Christopher Coombs (Mark Lester) and his sister Katy were not invited so they stowed away
in the boot of Inspector Ralph Willoughby’s (Lionel Jeffries) car.
When they are discovered by her servant Albie
(Michael Gothard) Mrs Forrest allows them to stay.
On
that Christmas Eve, she holds a seance with Mr. Benton
(Ralph Richardson) she sees
little Katy who resembles her daughter Katharine and she wants her to stay.
When
she and Christopher are in the house, she kidnaps Katy and locks her up in the
attic nursery.
Nobody
believes her brother, Christopher, when he tells them what has happened,
because he has a history of trying to scare the children so he goes to Forrest
Grange alone to rescue her, so will he succeed or will he end up imprisoned
himself.
Vocal
talents provided by Cristina M. Medina, Brian Stivale and James Arnold
Taylor
