Director Robert Mulligan had hoped to shoot the film on location in Connecticut, where it takes place, but because it was autumn when the film entered production (and therefore the color of the leaves would not reflect the height of summer, when the story takes place) this idea was dropped. The film was shot entirely on location in Murphys, California and Angels Camp, California. In the film's final shot, Niles peers out from his bedroom window while being called downstairs for lunch. With Ada dead and his mother a catatonic, paralyzed invalid, no one suspects Niles' secret. It is revealed that Niles escaped the fire due to "Holland" previously cutting the padlock from the cellar door. Months later, the charred remains of the barn are cleared away. Informed of the discovery and realizing what has happened, Ada pours kerosene into the cellar and throws herself onto it with a kerosene lamp, causing an inferno that burns the barn down. Meantime, the posse finds the baby drowned in a wine cask, and an alcoholic immigrant farmhand is accused of the murder. She discovers him prowling the storage cellar and, speaking to "Holland", demands the whereabouts of the baby. But Ada, suspecting the worst, searches the barn for Niles.
Niles adores the child, but "Holland", who is fascinated with the recent kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, steals the infant. Later, Niles' older sister gives birth to a baby girl. Ada realizes that Niles has been using the game to keep his brother alive in his mind, and that it is in fact Niles who is responsible for the summer's tragedies. Further, she forces Niles to admit Holland has been dead since their birthday the previous March when he fell down a well, but Niles is unable to accept the truth. Ada now realizes the game is evil, and advises Niles never to play it again. Unfortunately, it's no innocent game, considering it leads to the freak "accidental" death of Cousin Russell, the paralysis of Alexandra, and a fatal heart attack suffered by a neighbor, Mrs. Ada has taught Niles to astrally project his mind into the bodies of other living creatures, an ability that runs in the Perry family they refer to this as "the game".
Residing nearby is their Russian emigrant grandmother Ada, with whom Niles shares a close relationship. In 1935 Connecticut, widow Alexandra Perry lives with her identical twin sons, Holland and Niles, on their family farm, overseen by Uncle George and his wife Vee, along with their bratty son Russell. It stars Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, and twins Chris and Martin Udvarnoky, with Victor French, John Ritter, and Jenny Sullivan in supporting roles. The Other is a 1972 American horror psychological thriller film directed by Robert Mulligan, adapted for film by Thomas Tryon from his 1971 novel of the same name.
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