The Lady In White

Now that I find myself with some time to kill, I find myself re-watching some old gems that I loved as a kid. But to label the Lady in White as a rewatch would be a lie as I never did get to see the end, or even the middle.
This aired one Christmas Eve when I was small. And despite my loud protests I was sent to bed to await sleep and Santa’s visit. (Granted, the excitement of Santy did outweigh my disappointment over not being able to watch the whole film.) I was sent to bed with a glass of milk and a desire to finish the story of the lady in white in my head.
This is the thing with imagination. Your own is always better!

Locked in the school cloakroom over night by two of his classmates, Frankie, perched high on a shelf, witnesses the ghost of a young girl who died ten years ago. To his horror he then witnesses her death by an unknown assailant, and realises that the murderer has returned to the cloakroom to retrieve an item that could implicate him in her murder.
Noticing Frankie the killer attempts to strangle him, but for whatever reason – most likely interrupted by Frankie’s father who was out searching for his son – is unable to do so.
The lady in white that the title gives mention too, is the girls mother, who threw herself to her death upon finding out that fate of her daughter. With further visits by the younger ghost, Frankie sets out to reunited the girl with her long lost mother.

Out of five, this is getting a very special four. It was flawed, flawed like the divil, but oh so good for it because you can see the greatness peaking through. I think I say it all when I say ‘low-budget and 80’s.’
It had bad effects, and film-making that gave no thought to common sense (we see it turn from mid-afternoon light to ten o’clock darkness in a matter of seconds) but it was filmed in a real New England town and that, I think, is what saves it. It gives it heart. If it was filmed on a backlot in Hollywood I think you’d be less likely to let the other things slide.
Told by a present day Frankie - this does kill some of the suspense because you know he won’t be mortally injured - the story is predictable enough (I called the murderer very soon in) but it was a good concept and it pleased me that the ghost aspect wasn’t explained away by scientific means. It holds as a good old fashioned ghost story.

The Lady in White. It belongs up there with the other ‘Someone in Something’ items; The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, and my personal favourite, The Woman in Grey. (She used to haunt Druid Court - it was the one across road from my cousin’s house.
In truth the lady was probably just going about her daily routine in her favourite coat, doing nothing to justify us making her the topic of our ghoulish sleepover tales. But I thank her nonetheless, she was a great ghost there for a while!
Plus, Druid Court, isn't that such a great name? It's like the place was just MADE to the scene of something supernatural. I may use it in a story.)