The Spiral Staircase (1945)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Ethel Lina White (novel)
Mel Dinelli (writer)

Release Date:

December 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A serial killer (circa 1916) is targeting women with 'afflictions'; one night during a thunderstorm, mute Helen feels menaced...

Plot Keywords:

Mute | Mansion | Murder | Serial Killer | Professor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

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

Also Known As:

Silence of Helen McCord (USA) (working title)
Some Must Watch (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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

Company:

Dore Schary Productions

Trivia:

Joan Crawford, after receiving critical praise for her performance in A Woman's Face (1941), at one point campaigned for the role of the deaf-mute girl played by Dorothy McGuire, but MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer vehemently opposed the idea, telling her "No more cripples or maimed women".

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.

Quotes:

Constable: She's dead!
Dr. Parry: Well, in that case, Constable, I certainly can't do her any harm.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Profondo rosso (1975)

Soundtrack:

Waltz Op. 34 No. 2 in A minor

Atmospheric old dark house thriller...quiet but deadly...

For sheer mastery in the art of black and white photography and its ability to provide the shadowy atmosphere necessary for mood, they don't come any better than this. The house alone is as much a part of the plot as the actors--but everything clicks...the acting, the script, the story, the direction and the brooding atmosphere that lets you know you're in for an intense and absorbingly suspenseful story. All of the suspense is relieved occasionally with just the right amount of humor. Particularly by Elsa Lanchester as the housekeeper who uses trickery to steal an extra bottle of liquor from the wine cellar. While thunder and lightning storms outside the mansion, we know that a serial killer is lurking on or near the premises, one who specializes in murdering women with physical afflictions. At the center of the story is Dorothy McGuire's character, a mute girl who lost her voice years ago during a traumatic experience. Around her are a number of people, all of whom become suspicious as the plot thickens--Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore and Gordon Oliver. Ethel Barrymore is especially good as a frightened old woman, bedridden and suspicious enough of everyone. For comparison, view the recent color TV adaptation, bland in overall effect. It will make you appreciate this black and white classic more than ever. As with most remakes, it doesn't stand a chance against the original.

My only complaint is that DOROTHY McGUIRE does not have much range in her expressions. Wide-eyed, but seldom wild, her restraint limits the amount of fear her character can express without using her voice. A more over-the-top performance might have been more useful, given the Gothic mood created so well by director Robert Siodmak. She is overshadowed by Ethel Barrymore as a bed-ridden invalid urging her to leave the house and Gordon Oliver, as the playboy step-brother who plays his role to the hilt. GEORGE BRENT does nicely for the most part, but seems too laid back in the final scenes to be as menacing as he is meant to be.

Still, well worth watching for its shadowy Victorian atmosphere alone.