A mob accountant, siphoning off funds and ready to tell all to the feds, is murdered, along with his wife and daughter, in their Bronx apartment. Before the thugs arrive, he manages to place his 6-year-old son Phil — and an incriminating ledger — in the care of his neighbor: a brassy, middle-aged blonde not terribly fond of kids. Gloria, whom we learn once had a relationship with a mobster connected to the killings, understands the situation: their survival will hinge on her wits (plentiful) and willingness to use a gun (high). John Cassavetes, who in the late ’70 was continuing a two-decade string of quirky idiosyncratic films, wrote the film on assignment. His wife Gena Rowlands (a frequent star of his movies) read the script, saw a great character in Gloria Swenson, and convinced her husband to direct the movie himself — her faith in the role and project earned her an Oscar nomination.
INTERESTING FACT: The overlooked (but generally well-received) film was remade using the same title in 1999 (the new version was directed by Sidney Lumet and had Sharon Stone in the title role) — and was one of the primary inspirations for Luc Besson’s The Professional.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaRSpR-NUgc]