(Rock Rapids, IA) – A boxed set of the Mandie movie trilogy based on the popular book series by Lois Gladys Leppard is now available from Bridgestone Multimedia Group.
Told in the tradition of Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie, the novels have a timeless quality that is reflected in their decades of popularity among young girls throughout the world. In 2009, the owners of Kalon Media, Inc., Joy Chapman and Owen Smith, attempted to capture that old-fashioned charm by bringing the book series to film.
Set in 1899, Mandie and the Secret Tunnel begins as unexpected events drive Mandie from her log cabin. Guided by Cherokee friends across North Carolina’s treacherous mountains, Mandie arrives at Uncle John’s mansion, only to discover her uncle’s ship is lost at sea. Caretaker Jason Bond allows Mandie to stay, but imposters soon show up claiming to be heirs to her uncle’s fortune. Mandie then begins a race against time through hidden passageways to find the key that unlocks the mystery of her heritage.
That element of mystery surrounding Mandie’s ancestry continues in Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure. When Uncle John forbids Mandie from joining his dangerous quest to keep an old promise, Mandie, her newfound mother, and friends Polly and Joe embark on a harrowing journey by train to protect Mandie’s stubborn uncle. Grand adventure ensues as they scramble to outwit evil conspirators and dare to face the secrets of Lost Antler Cave. However, Mandie’s most difficult challenge arises when she realizes that success will land her face to face with the one person she never wanted to meet.
Mandie and the Secret Tunnel and Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure feature Lexi Johnson (The Sugar Creek Gang) in the title role, while newcomer Kelly Lynn Washington plays the heroine in Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas. In the third film of the series, Mandie struggles to grasp new rules and the finer points of high society after being thrust into Miss Heathwood’s School for Girls. As she tries to stay out of hot water with Miss Heathwood and discover what the headmistress seems to have against Christmas, Mandie stumbles upon a mystery in the school’s forbidden attic. While getting to the bottom of the strange noises beyond the boarded-up doors may lead to telling a lie, it might also unlock the memories of a long-forgotten Christmas.
The series also stars Amanda Waters (No Limit Kids: Much Ado About Middle School, Becoming Jesse Tate) and William Smith Yelton as Mandie’s sidekicks, Polly and Joe, as well as Dean Jones (The Love Bug, St. John in Exile) and Hayley Mills (The Parent Trap, Pollyanna).
Produced by Lost World Pictures, each Mandie movie is also available individually.
Related: Mandie Triple Feature