Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?

Outwardly warm and generous, Auntie Roo is actually demented and mentally ill, keeping the mummified remains of her daughter Katharine in the attic. She orchestrates lavish Christmas parties to entertain the orphans, while scheming to replace Katharine with Katy. As the suspense builds, her fragile sanity crumbles as resistance closes in.

An orphaned brother who sneaks into the party and grows convinced that Auntie Roo is a witch intent on harming him and his sister. He acts with boldness and ingenuity, trying to warn others and then taking decisive action to protect Katy. His courage drives the chase and the eventual escape.

An orphaned girl who resembles Roo’s late Katharine, making her a target for replacement. She shows resilience and a cooperative spirit with Christopher as they plot an escape. Her presence heightens Roo’s obsession and the danger around the household.

A phony medium who runs the séances and pockets fees in cahoots with the butler. He helps stage the supernatural performances and profits from cruelty masked as ritual. His role embodies the film’s critique of fraud in the guise of spirituality.

The maid who participates in the deception, calling down the 'spirit' through the dumpty voice and aiding the scheme. She embodies the complicity of household staff in maintaining Roo’s dangerous illusion. Her actions help sustain the façade that shields Roo’s true aims.

The butler who colludes in the scam, distributing responsibilities and sharing in the profits. His role underlines the theme of exploitation within the mansion’s corridors. He helps keep the party’s dark underpinnings in motion.

A police inspector who ultimately takes the children back to the safety of the orphanage. He investigates the case and confronts the strange happenings around Roo’s party. His presence anchors the narrative’s move from mystery to resolution.

The household doctor who embodies the clinical, rational side of an otherwise superstitious setting. She interacts with Roo and the children in ways that reveal concern, but she is also part of the mansion’s social machinery. Her perspective highlights the tension between care and complicity.

A senior staff member within the mansion who helps manage the household. Her role illustrates the mundane operations that keep Roo’s operation running. She represents the everyday contact points through which the danger permeates the home.

Another staff figure connected to Roo’s world, contributing to the social atmosphere of the party. Her presence underscores the mansion’s class structure and the complicity of those who enable the deception behind closed doors.

A butcher delivering a piglet by horsecart, who becomes a peripheral witness to the mansion’s drama. He acts as a crossroads between Roo’s finery and the violent instincts that the family’s secrets provoke. His arrival foreshadows the fire and its consequences.

A young party attendee (uncredited in the film) who participates in the evening’s social web. Though not central to the plot, his presence helps paint the picture of a crowded, festive, and precarious gathering.

Another child at the party whose presence adds to the chaotic energy of Roo’s mansion. The character contributes to the sense of danger that each child experiences as Roo’s dark plans unfold.

A fellow child at the party, part of Roo’s circle of orphans. Her role reinforces the themes of vulnerability and the peril that lies behind Roo’s hospitality.