Ruby Reviews

Fresh from her role as the fanatical mother in CARRIE (1976), Laurie returns to the horror genre as the owner of a Florida drive-in theater who, when she was a torch singer in 1935, had an affair with a gangster who was gunned down. Sixteen years later, his spirit returns through their deaf-mute daughter and sets out to get revenge from the survivors of the gang that killed him, most of whom are now employed by the kind-hearted Laurie. In time, the projectionist is discovered hanging by celluloid in the projection room, and the concessionaire is found dead in the Coke machine. While keeping the action moving at a brisk pace, director Harrington evokes a nice gothic flavor in this low-budget but effectively atmospheric effort. Allison Hayes fans will note that the drive-in shows ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT WOMAN, which is a bit strange considering that that film wasn't made until 1958 and RUBY is set in 1951.