Shadows on the Stairs (1941)

Occupants of a London boarding house become suspects as a string of murders are discovered.

Director:

D. Ross Lederman

Writers:

Frank Vosper (play), Anthony Coldeway (screenplay)

Stars:

Frieda Inescort, Paul Cavanagh, Heather Angel

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Frieda Inescort	...	Mrs. Stella Rosabelle Armitage
Paul Cavanagh	...	Joseph 'Joe' Reynolds
Heather Angel	...	Sylvia Armitage
Bruce Lester	...	Hugh Bromilow
Miles Mander	...	Tom Armitage
Lumsden Hare	...	Inspector Gregg
Turhan Bey	...	Ram Singh
Charles Irwin	...	Constable
Phyllis Barry	...	Lucy Timson, the Maid
Mary Field	...	Phoebe Martia St. John Snell
Paul Renay	...	Choong Thi, Hindu Sailor
Sidney Bracey	...	Watchman (scenes deleted) (as Sidney Bracy)

Storyline

Occupants of a London boarding house become suspects as a string of murders are discovered.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | husband wife relationship | murderer | chess | suicide | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1941 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min 64 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The play originally opened in New York on 11 September 1929.

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Soundtracks

"Comin' Thro' the Rye"
(uncredited)
Music Traditional
Words by Robert Burns
Sung a cappella by Charles Irwin at the end

User Reviews

delightful B-Movies Mystery

With a cast like this, a B-movie mystery just can't miss. But first you must skip over the juvenile leads, both male and female, and look beyond them to the talented, polished and very-experienced supporting cast.

Frieda Inescort, past her girlish good-looks stage, gives an outstanding performance as the duplicitous, cheating landlady of the boarding house where the murder takes place. Turhan Bey, then a young actor of considerable skill with an already notable acting history, plays another ethnic role-- the sort in which he was most typecast- that of the mysterious "easterner" --turban and all.

Veteran actors Paul Cavanagh and Miles Mander round out this superb cast. You may recognize both from many 1940's supporting roles; Mander was also a director of early silents.

Beware of nay-sayers who are always trying to compare films of this era with today's output-- Phrases like "it does (or doesn't) show it's age" or "it does (or doesn't) hold up today" are meaningless when viewing films of this genre. In fact, such comparisons are boring and tedious.

This is a fun low budget effort, with an able cast, a crazy plot-line (why not?), and a few hysterical scenes (like the boarder who won't talk to the police because she's lost her false teeth).

Recommended. Don't miss it.