IMDb > The Spiral Staircase (1945)
The Spiral Staircase
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The Spiral Staircase (1945) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
The Spiral Staircase (1945) -- A serial killer (circa 1916) is targeting women with 'afflictions'; one night during a thunderstorm, mute Helen feels menaced...
The Spiral Staircase (1945) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   2,894 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Ethel Lina White (novel)
Mel Dinelli (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Spiral Staircase on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
December 1945 (USA) more
Plot:
A serial killer (circa 1916) is targeting women with 'afflictions'; one night during a thunderstorm, mute Helen feels menaced... full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
NewsDesk:
50 Influential Scream Queens: Part 2
 (From Fangoria. 27 October 2009, 10:57 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
excllent psychological thriller more (75 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Dorothy McGuire ... Helen Capel
George Brent ... Professor Warren
Ethel Barrymore ... Mrs. Warren
Kent Smith ... Dr. Parry

Rhonda Fleming ... Blanche
Gordon Oliver ... Steve Warren

Elsa Lanchester ... Mrs. Oates
Sara Allgood ... Nurse Barker

Rhys Williams ... Mr. Oates
James Bell ... Constable
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Silence of Helen McCord (USA) (working title)
Some Must Watch (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
83 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Iceland:12 | UK:A (original rating) (1946) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (2004) | USA:Unrated

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The silent film within the film that the audience watches at the beginning is The Sands of Dee (1912), directed by D.W. Griffith. more
Goofs:
Continuity: As the projectionist hand cranks the projector which is on a shaky tripod, the projector wobbles noticeably but the image on the screen is steady. more
Quotes:
Constable: She's dead!
Dr. Parry: Well, in that case, Constable, I certainly can't do her any harm.
more
Movie Connections:
Version of The Spiral Staircase (1975) more
Soundtrack:
Waltz Op. 34 No. 2 in A minor more

FAQ

What were Helen's first words?
Where is that old Victorian mansion located?
Whodunnit and why?
more
32 out of 44 people found the following comment useful.
excllent psychological thriller, 2 April 2001
10/10
Author: telegonus from brighton, ma

This is one of the most elegantly crafted, paced, photographed and designed of all lady-in-distress thrillers, a sub-genre I am not altogether fond of, but in this case the result is something near to a masterpiece. The actors, especially Dorothy McGuire, are first-rate. I'm particularly in love with the house, a cavernous Victorian, over-decorated, visually and spatially 'busy' place, full of odd furniture and fixtures, rugs, lamps and mirrors, it is as much a character as any person in the film. Kudos to the RKO art department, fifty plus years later I salute them. The way the house is explored is a fascinating as the way the characters are presented. Bit by bit we grow accustomed to the place and its denizens, and when the inevitable thunderstorm happens we feel comfortable inside, aware of the menace within we are none the less seduced by the grandness of the place, indeed enveloped by it, as the air of danger becomes almost cozy, and the gothic surroundings become as comforting as they are baleful. This is no small trick; it's an art. Name a film of the past thirty years that comes close to The Spiral Staircase in its exploration of the various shades of meaning in what for want of a better term one would have to call the Great Gothic Place.

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more (75 total)

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