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IMDb > The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960)

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   356 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Delbert Mann
Writers:
Harriet Frank Jr. (writer)
William Inge (play)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Dark at the Top of the Stairs on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 February 1961 (Finland) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
Everytime a woman turns her face away because she's tired or unwilling - there's someone waiting like me! more
Plot:
In Oklahoma in the 1920s, Ruben Flood loses his job as a traveling salesman, when the company goes bankrupt... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations more
User Comments:
Dated, But Still Powerful Americana With Great Cast more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Robert Preston ... Rubin Flood
Dorothy McGuire ... Cora Flood
Eve Arden ... Lottie Lacey

Angela Lansbury ... Mavis Pruitt, Beauty Parlor Proprietress
Shirley Knight ... Reenie Flood
Lee Kinsolving ... Sammy Golden

Frank Overton ... Morris Lacey
Robert Eyer ... Sonny Flood
Penny Parker ... Flirt Conroy
Ken Lynch ... Harry Ralston
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Additional Details

Runtime:
124 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
Finland:K-16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The original Broadway production of "Dark at the Top of the Stairs" by William Inge opened at the Music Box Theater in New York City on December 5, 1957, ran for 468 performances and was nominated for the 1958 Tony Award for the Best Play. Frank Overton recreated his stage role as Morris Lacey in the movie version. more
Quotes:
[Setting out to find a new job.]
Rubin Flood: Well, I sold everything else in my time. I guess I can sell myself.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in "Biography: Angela Lansbury: A Balancing Act" (1998) more

FAQ

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6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful:-
Dated, But Still Powerful Americana With Great Cast, 9 February 2005
7/10
Author: Hal-900 from WA, USA

I love William Inge's work. Inge's "Picnic (1955)" and the unappreciated "Splendor in the Grass (1961)," are among my favorite movies. One thing I like about Inge is his ability to get under the skin of rural, small town America. I also think he adept at exploring the repressed passions found underneath the normal façade of small conservative towns. I do not think "Dark at the Top of the Stairs" is one of the best films based on Inge's work. Director Mann fails to hide the fact that this is a movie based on a stage play. I also found Robert Preston's performance weak and uninteresting (maybe it is just me, but his performance is a carbon copy of his role in "The Music Man"). Some of the material has dated badly too, but in my view, the great supporting cast really saves this movie. Dorothy McGuire is wonderful as the good, but misguided mother. Shirley Knight (one of the most unappreciated beauties from the 1960s) is poignant in the pivotal role of the daughter. However, I think both Eve Arden and Angela Lansbury steal the movie. Knight received the Oscar nomination, but I thought Lansbury and Arden were simply brilliant in their small but unforgettable roles. These two actresses helped me forget about the flaws in the film – what a pleasure was to see them act! Anyhow, not a great movie, but an interesting one (mainly because of Arden and Lansbury).

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Available Online for Free at TV LINKS eldnepm
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Link to DVD for 'Dark at the Top of the Stairs' user-10506
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