The horrific events which took place in 1976 involving the De La Roche family and the town of Montvale, NJ is being developed into a major motion picture. My company Starline Films invites all of you to participate in this collaborative film project.
We are seeking writers, actors, extras, consultants, investors, producers & industry professionals to assist us in the production, distribution & promotion of the film.
I have been living in Montvale most of my life. Not till recently, did I find out about these murders, but the house was right down the street from me ( I use to live on Cottage Ave). Everytime my friends drive past it, we get creeped out a little. It's going to interesting to see the movie and here what happened.
That was a horrible day. Nothing like that had ever happened in Montvale before. I always felt sorry for Harry. He was different and always looked sad. Good Luck with the film...
The name De La Roche still makes me a little cold.
Great idea for a film.
Best of luck!
I'll have to talk to you some more.
I live out in Santa Barbara CA now.
I'll be back in a month for a visit.
Even thought I lived in Woodcliff Lake and not Montvale, I will never forget two horrible things growing up....the murder of Joan D'Alessandro of Hillsdale and the murder of the De La Roche family over Thanksgiving weekend in 1976. I remember the headlines like it was yesterday...'family murdered, stuffed in to trunks, son reports finding family dead on military leave'. Driving past the house with it's yellow police tape gave me the chills for years. Even thought the new homeowners renovated the house over the years...it was still the 'De la roche murder'house. I wish you good luck on the movie...I live at the Jersey shore now and just found out that there was a book written about this horrible, terrific murder.
I think you should leave well enough alone. This was a horrible murder. I knew Harry, my brother was in his class. Everyone made fun of Harry. His father was hard on him, he pushed him to do sports and to be like everyone else. He just didn't fit in.
Guns were a part of this family's lifestyle. They went to the shooting range in Park Ridge on a regular basis. See where that got them. Leave this story alone. Many families were affected by this. It is still chilling to think of this.
Having guns in the house doesn't inspire everyone to use them to kill. People ALWAYS have choices. When someone makes the decision to take another life, he'll follow through however he can. If that gun isn't available, there's a knife.No knife?... baseball bat...No bat?...hit and run... etc. Don't blame a gun for what a sick, twisted mind did with it.
I think you did it this time!...4Chosen is awesome and may get nominated!!...anyone's Son just may get you your 1st win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHO REALLY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED THAT TERRIBLE NIGHT
October 2 2005, 2:22 PM
I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE FROM PARKRIDGE THAT HARRY FOUND SOME SOLACE WITH. I SPENT PLENTY OF TIME WITH HARRY AND WROTE TO HIM AT THE CITADEL.I KNEW OF HARRY'S TROUBLES AT SCHOOL AND AT HOME, BUT DID NOT SPEND ANYTIME IN HIS HOME. HOWEVER HE SPENT MANY HOURS AT MINE. I KNEW HIS FATHER WAS STRICT SO WE STAYED AWAY. I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE BRINGING ANYONE TO HIS HOUSE. HE WAS NOTHING BUT KIND TO ME AND MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I ALWAYS GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT HE JUST WANTED TO BE PART OF A GROUP OF FRIENDS, TO JUST FIND A PLACE TO FIT IN.HE WROTE ME OF HIS CONCERNS FOR RONNIE AND THE TERRIBLE TREATMENT AT THE CITADEL, AS A MATTER OF FACT I NEVER THRU OUT THOSE LETTERS. I'VE READ THE BOOK, HOWEVER I WAS YOUNGER AT THE TIME OF THIS TRAGEDY AND WAS CONSTANTLY BOTHERED BY REPORTERS. MY FIRST INITIAL THOUGHTS WERE THAT NOWAY COULD HARRY HAVE EVER DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS... I AM SADENED BY THE WHOLE THING AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HARRY EVER GOT A FAIR TRIAL. HE WAS GUILTY BEFORE HE WAS EVEN ARRESTED. HOW SAD IT IS THAT A YOUNG BOY WHO TRIES TO MAKE FRIENDS AND FIT IN IS CONSTANTLY PUT DOWN AND MADE TO FEEL LIKE A DOG AND THEN TO GO HOME AND NOT HAVE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM THERE EITHER. IT AMAZES ME HOW SUCH AN UPSTANDING TOWN AS MONTVALE, DIDN'T HAVE A SCHOOL SYTEM STRONG ENOUGH TO GET THIS BOY THE HELP HE NEEDED, AND DON'T TELL ME THE SCHOOL HAD NO IDEA. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT I'M NOT SURE THAT JAIL WAS THE RIGHT PLACE FOR HARRY, OR EVEN IF HE DID COMMIT THESE HORRIBLE CRIMES. DNA WAS NOT LIKE IT IS TODAY BACK THEN!!!! HARRY NEEDED HELP AS WELL AS HIS FAMILY NEEDED HELP, BUT NOONE WAS THERE TO TAKE CONTROL, AND GET HELP FOR THIS FAMILY. I'M SURE THE REST OF THE EXTENTED FAMILY KNEW SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT, BUT BACK THEN I GUESS PEOPLE DON'T GET INVOLVED IN OTHER PEOPLES PRIVATE BUSINESS... WHAT A SHAME THERE IS SO MUCH AVAILABLE THESE DAYS THRU THE SCHOOLS AND TOWNS AND CHURCHES, THAT IF THEY HAD THAT STUFF BACK THEN THIS FAMILY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE HELP THEY NEEDED AND BE HAPPY FUNCTIONING PEOPLE? I HOPE HARRY HAS FOUND A WAY OF COPING WITH HIS SITUATION AND HAS FOUND SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO HELP HIM COME TO TERMS WITH ALL OF THIS, BECAUSE ROTTING AWAY IN JAIL COULD ONLY ADD INSULT TO INJURY. Y QUESTION IS WHY A MOVIE NOW? AND HOW DOES HARRY FEEL ABOUT IT IF HE EVEN KNOWS? MY PRAYERS ARE WITH HIM AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN SINCE I'VE NEVER BEEN TOTALLY CONVINCED HE WAS GUILTY, AT LEAST THE HARRY I KNOW, PLUS THE MIND IS A COMPLICATED AND FRAGILE THING, WHAT ONE PERSON CAN ENDURE IS NOT THE SAME AS WHAT A DIFFERENT PERSON CAN ENDURE!
First, good luck on the film. I've read the book and corresponded briefly with the author.... very tragic.
I lived in Montvale - right there on Grand Ave....same as Harry. I'm class of '75 and remember him very clearly.
The kids I went to school with at PHHS were not very nice. I was a recipient of much taunting and abuse...verbal, physical (beaten up in the girls bathroom more than once) I made very few friends and doubt that anyone would remember me - in fact most of the few friends I had there are now deceased. I moved as far away as I could get - to California and have been here since 1976. I'm happy to say that I went on to have (and continue to have) a great life - working in a creative capacity in both the entertainment and design industries for over 20 yrs. but can still remember hiding in the 7-11 back room on Grand Ave (near Harry's) to escape the torment. Ah, nothing like childhood trauma to give you the desire to be the best you can be !
First, good luck on the film. I've read the book and corresponded briefly with the author.... very tragic.
I lived in Montvale - right there on Grand Ave....same as Harry. I'm class of '75 and remember him very clearly.
The kids I went to school with at PHHS were not very nice. I was a recipient of much taunting and abuse...verbal, physical (beaten up in the girls bathroom more than once) I made very few friends and doubt that anyone would remember me - in fact most of the few friends I had there are now deceased. I moved as far away as I could get - to California and have been here since 1976. I'm happy to say that I went on to have (and continue to have) a great life - working in both the industry and design industries for over 20 yrs. but can still remember hiding in the 7-11 back room on Grand Ave (near Harry's) to escape the torment. Ah, nothing like childhood trauma to give you the desire to be the best you can be !
Jon...good luck with the film. As someone who lived "arond the corner" it will be good for the truth to finally come out. Please don't "white-wash" over anything you learn about the nastiness from the students. Something like that should be exposed because it can help keep this kind of thing from happening to somebody else.
the kids in Pascack Hills could be very cruel and unaccepting. they didn't like anything or anyone outside of what they considered "the norm" or "acceptable". Harry never looked acceptable. he was quiet and at times, was teased unmercifully. he always had a sad look about him, but that's also because we only saw him at school and it could easily have been misinterpreted as his reluctance to be around a situation that made him feel uncomfortable. it was very easy to feel uncomfortable and unaccepted at hills. because harry kept to himself, it was difficult to know how bad his home life had been. harry and i were in the same grade in the same year at hills. when we moved from hillsdale to montvale, we used to drive past his house each day, i lived at the end of grand ave. anyday that we saw him walking to school, my mom would pull over and give him a ride. he never said much, was always polite, and always appreciative. i am thankful that my children attend a school district without the horrible cliche cliques that existed at hills. how sad it must have been to be young harry.
PHILIP BURRE OF EMERSON, WORKED FOR THE EMERSON DPW FOR MANY YEARS.... MAY STILL BE THERE..
HE AND A FEW FRIENDS PURCHASED THE HOUSE IN THE 80'S WITH THE INTENTIONS OF RENOVATING AND RESELLING (THEY WERE "FLIPPERS" BEFORE THEIR TIME....)
MANY STRANGE OCCURENCES HAPPENED DURING THEIR TIME THERE, THEY DID THEIR RENOVATIONS AND GOT OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WAS THERE ONCE AND WHILE NO ONE WAS UPSTAIRS, EVERY RADIO, TV, STEREO IN THE HOUSE WENT ON FULL BLAST ALL AT ONCE. I NEVER WENT BACK...WAITED IN THE CAR WHEN WE NEEDED TO BE THERE FOR ANY REASON.
SEE IF YOU CAN FIND HIM, LOTS OF INFO THERE.
GOOD LUCK, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE MOVIE... I REMEMBER THE DAY LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY...OUR OWN AMITYVILLE HORROR... AND GROWING UP RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD (KINDERKAMACK) A COUPLE OF TOWNS, IT WAS "THE" PLACE TO CRUISE PAST REPEATEDLY PRIOR TO KNOWING FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY BOUGHT THE PLACE.
John, I suggest that you (or your Web Master) be proactive and monitor comments being made about alumni on your website... or don't post these comments immediately (delay them until they're reviewed) ...other (more professional) web sites perform such tasks.... this site should NOT be an exception.
The project you are working on reflects upon "Horrific Events" (as you stated) which occurred 30 years ago ....let's not create new "Horrific Events" by allowing your site to slam people. I understand that this message board is a medium through which you collect more info for your project but IT MUST BE CONTROLLED.
Still, some of these people are making fools of themselves with no prompting whatsoever. I think it's kind of funny to watch people fall over themselves to get people to react to them and their stupidly petty things. Like anything else, these boards were started by the filmmakers with the best of intentions, and they have degenrated into name-calling and bickering, a way for the weak to strike back at their oppressed without fear of retaliation. I think it's great. I think it should continue. I think people that want to censor this stuff are mindless thugs afraid the real truths will rise to the surface. So I say, let people jab at each other if it gets at the truth. No censorship!
I went to school with Eric (6-8). We hung out in the same group of kids. We were all devastated! At that age we just didn't understand, "Why Eric?" I still think about him from time to time. Call it what you want, they were all murdered and they are still gone. This really effected alot of people.
I lived down the street at 8 forest ave..I remember going over to the De La Roche house almost every day. I would visit and help Harry's grandmother out. I remember going to the store for her all the time. She would give me old hats and old dress's to play dress up.The boys, myself and my brother bruce would play in their yard.Harrys grandma was like my grandma. She had her own room in the house and i can still remember her smell and how she looked.It's funny because i don't remember any of the boy's ever in her room when i was there.I do remember one day after school i went over like i always did, and i got to the driveway and heard terrible hollering from Harry,s Dad, I remember being very scared because i hadn't heard that before..I could see them at the kitchen window.I didn't go to the door that day.I don't remember the boy's ever being aloud at my house. We always played at their house.I was 2 years older than Harry, i can't remember the age's of ronnie and eric.When i would eat dinner over there it was always silent dinner. They never talked about school or anything.And the grandmother never ate dinner with then..I Don't know if it was harry sr.mom or not but she was not treated well.
