Also Known As: Mrs. Tredoni, The Communion Killer
First Appearance: Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
Most Iconic Form: A masked figure in a yellow raincoat stalking a Catholic parish
Kill Count: Four confirmed victims
Portrayed by: Mildred Clinton
Tier: Third Class Tier
Mrs. Tredoni is the true killer in Alfred Sole’s Alice, Sweet Alice, a grimy, religiously charged slasher set in 1961 Paterson, New Jersey. Working as a housekeeper for Father Tom, she appears at first to be a quiet and devout woman living in the shadow of the church. Beneath that piety, however, is a mind broken by grief, guilt, and religious obsession.
After losing her own child, Mrs. Tredoni becomes convinced that children are punished for the sins of their parents. When she learns that Catherine Spages is divorced and that her daughter Alice was conceived before marriage, she decides the Spages family must be punished. Her jealousy of young Karen, who receives Father Tom’s family crucifix before her First Communion, pushes her into murder.
Film Appearance
Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
Mrs. Tredoni commits the film’s first major killing when she disguises herself in a yellow raincoat and translucent Halloween mask, making herself resemble Alice. She strangles Karen Spages moments before her First Communion, steals the crucifix, then hides and burns the child’s body in a church storage bench. The attack turns Alice into the prime suspect, allowing Mrs. Tredoni to continue killing while suspicion gathers around the troubled older sister.
She later attacks Annie, murders Dominick Spages after revealing her religious motive, and kills the sleazy landlord Mr. Alphonso when he mistakes her for Alice. Her crimes are driven by a warped belief that she is carrying out divine punishment. In the finale, police close in at St Michael’s Cathedral, where Mrs. Tredoni plans further violence during Mass. When Father Tom denies her communion and tries to lead her away, she stabs him in the throat before the horrified congregation.
Character and Legacy
Mrs. Tredoni is one of the most unsettling early slasher killers because she is not driven by simple bloodlust. Her murders come from grief warped into fanaticism. She weaponises Catholic ritual, guilt, and moral judgement, turning the church setting into a place of fear rather than refuge. Her disguise also helped make Alice, Sweet Alice one of the most striking American giallo influenced horror films of the seventies.
The film itself has built a strong cult following, praised for its claustrophobic religious imagery, Paterson locations, unsettling score, and grim family drama. Originally released as Communion, later retitled Alice, Sweet Alice, and also reissued as Holy Terror, the film became notorious for its shocking violence, Brooke Shields’ early appearance, and its long history of confusing home media releases.
Its reputation has been further strengthened by boutique restorations. In the UK, 88 Films released Alice, Sweet Alice on DVD in 2014 and later gave it a Blu ray release in 2018 using a 2K restoration of a 35 mm print. Arrow Films also released a North American Blu ray in 2019 and a 4K UHD edition in 2025, helping restore the film’s status as a cult classic and bringing Mrs. Tredoni’s masked reign of religious terror to new audiences.
League Placement
Mrs. Tredoni belongs in the Third Class Tier. She is not a franchise icon, but her disturbing motive, memorable disguise, and place within a respected cult slasher make her a strong and important lower tier killer.