Oct 11, 2018 the spiral staircase was based on ethel lina whites 1933 novel some must watch and its a fine example of the ability of a great filmmaker to take a very mediocre novel and turn it into a great movie. The spiral staircase, a murder mystery, knowingly paced by director robert siodmak and shrewdly acted by an expert cast, including ethel barrymore, is choice, eerie entertainment. The spiral staircase is set in a new england mansion shortly after the turn of the 20th century. The spiral staircase is a film directed by robert siodmak with dorothy mcguire, george brent, kent smith, ethel barrymore, year. Spiral staircase is a thriller about a mute servant dorothy mcguire who works in an spooky mansion that. The spiral staircase is a 1946 american psychological horror film directed by robert siodmak and starring dorothy mcguire, george brent, and ethel barrymore. My favorite ethel movie, and probably the most distinguished among ethels films, one that garnered her an academy award nomination.
Top movies of 1946 list, best movies 1946 page 2 by. Overly melodramatic plotlines tend to work a lot better on film than in books and the whole it was a dark and stormy night thing. This was followed by a national theatrical run, during which the film screened in various cities across the united states during the latewinter and earlyspring months of 1946. The book while different in some of the details was just as good and i can see why they made some of the changes in the movie. World, 1946 as a movie tiein to the film of that title. Rko, 1946 dorothy mcguire, george brent, ethel barrymore. As old dark house thrillers go, its one of the best. It is not in the same league as many of the films produced in that era. The wonderfully suspenseful psychological drama spiral staircase is the prototype of the old dark house, lady in distress thriller, full of dark corners, flickering candles and featuring a mysterious, menacing killer whose true identity remains hidden until the end. The spiral staircase is a magisterial film of its genre. The spiral staircase film by siodmak 1945 britannica. The plot focuses on a young woman named helen dorothy mcguire who suffered a childhood tragedy that left her mute. This is an odd movie with performances that are just this side of bad tv.
Screenwriter mel dinelli, changed the location from britain to early 20th century vermont. Not too concerned about the murderer at large in their new england town, dr. The film, like the play, is about an ageing gay couple who own a barber shop in the east end of london. The spiral staircase is a 1946 american psychological thriller film directed by robert siodmak, from a screenplay by mel dinelli based on ethel lina whites novel some must watch 1933. The spiral staircase 1946 directed by robert siodmak. The spiral staircase itself appears to be an after thought. The movie probably influenced psycho, as has already been mentioned. The spiral staircase 1946 full movie, audio fixed youtube. Buy the spiral staircase movie posters from movie poster shop. Released january 8th, 1946, the spiral staircase stars dorothy mcguire, george brent, forrest tucker, ethel barrymore the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 23 min, and received a score of out. The spiral staircase 1946 classic horror film board. By using a shot that focuses straight down the center of a spiral staircase, hitchcock creates a feeling of unrest and the loss of balance. Warrens two sons, albert a professor and womanizing impudent steven, also live in the warren mansion.
The gothic thriller the spiral staircase 1945 starred dorothy mcguire as a woman hunted by a serial killer. A dreaddrenched atmosphere permeates this spinetingling gothic thriller. The spiral staircase is a notable example of the kind of film noir that challenges traditional studies of film noir. Helen dorothy mcguire is a young woman who lost the ability to speak following a traumatic experience as a child. Three of her novels were adapted for cinema, beginning with the lady vanishes in 1938 uk, alfred hitchcock. The spiral staircase us 1946 the case for global film. Comments on robert siodmaks the spiral staircase 1946 included the films temporal and geographical settings. The spiral staircase 1946 page 2 classic horror film board. So either i really wasnt paying attention, or the summarys inaccurate. She is a servant in the house of an elderly invalid ethel. I just read the book this movie was based on, and i dont remember the heroine being crippled like this summary says she was. This 1946 film is one of siodmaks least interesting. Feel free to comment anytime and share your thoughts. Very similar to an agatha christie story, the films plot revolves around a group of people in a sprawling mansion cut off from immediate help as luck would have it, an enormous thunderstorm takes place during the films run, and the presence of such iconic thematic material makes for a.
Mar 29, 2020 the spiral staircase is based on the novel some must watch 1933 by british author ethel lina. The spiral staircase is a perennial psychological thriller starring ethel barrymore. The lady vanishes the spiral staircase by ethel lina white. However, compared to 39 steps, strangers on a train, shadow of a doubt, and suspicion, which are admirable and groundbreaking, the spiral staircase, is a selfcontained masterpiece with. I have seen the 1946 movie version of this book called the spiral staircase many times over the years.
With dorothy mcguire, george brent, ethel barrymore, kent smith. Ethel barrymore earned a nomination for the academy award in the best actress in a supporting role category. In 1916, a shadowy serial killer is targeting women with afflictions. Dorothy mcguire, george brent, ethel barrymore, kent smith, gordon oliver, rhonda fleming, elsa lanchester, sara allgood, rhys williams, james bell. In 1916, beautiful young mute helen is a domestic worker for elderly, ailing mrs. Spiral staircase, the 1946 movie clip go straight home. Dorothy mcguire helen capel, george brent professor albert warren, ethel barrymore mrs. Kino lorbers newly remastered high definition transfer beautifully displays the films wonderfully sinister. Adapted from an ethel lina white novel, robert siodmaks the spiral staircase 1946 is an effectively chilling gothic film noir with an ominous, expressionistic atmosphere. Alfred hitchcocks classic film vertigo uses a spiral staircase to set off detective john fergusons fear of heights and the plot for the rest of the movie.
The spiral staircase 1946 film wikipedia republished. Read the full synopsis of the spiral staircase, 1946, directed by robert siodmak, with dorothy mcguire, george brent, ethel barrymore, at turner classic movies. Nov 24, 2017 the movie probably influenced psycho, as has already been mentioned. A murderer embodying a nazilike eugenicist ideologythis son, tormented by his own incapacity, raised by a domineering monster. Dorothy mcguire gives one of her best and most convincing performances as the under threat helen. Oct 21, 2014 the spiral staircase theatrical trailer pedro benetone. The novel was adapted for a radio production starring helen hayes before reaching the screen. The spiral staircase is based on the novel some must watch 1933 by british author ethel lina. Summary of discussion on the spiral staircase melodrama. The actual plot is secondary to the atmosphere that siodmak creates. In a small village in 1906 vermont, a disabled woman staying at an inn is murdered in her room by a man hiding.
Parry kent smith and his new patient, lovely but mute helen dorothy mcguire, are waylaid by youngster freddy dickie tyler with an emergency, in robert siodmaks the spiral staircase, 1946. Columbia signed the band, but insisted that they change their name. Kino lorber to release the spiral staircase 1946 on blu. Young women with an affliction are being murdered in a new england town in the. Dorothy mcguire, ethel barrymore, george brent, kent smith. The spiral staircase by robert siodmak dorothy mcguire. The plot focuses on a young woman named helen dorothy. Warrens two adult sons, albert a professor and womanizing impudent steven, also live in the warren mansion. The movie builds to a suspenseful conclusion as helen finds herself in the midst of a lifeanddeath battle in the house, as the true identity of the murderer is revealed. The spiral staircase 1946 directed by robert siodmak genres mystery, thriller. The spiral staircase, first published in 1933 under the title some must watch is a routine murder mystery which gained its revised title from a derived movie in 1946. The spiral staircase 1946 official trailer, organic. The spiral staircase 1946 is a best of mystery drama, mystery movie starring dorothy mcguire and george brent.
Staircase is a 1969 film adaptation of a twocharacter play, also called staircase, by charles dyer. The killer preys on young women with mental or physical disabilities. With its questionable group of residents and servants, headed by ethel barrymores crusty matriarch, the warren household is already as twisted as the title stairs even before they suspect that a. The spiral staircase is een amerikaanse film uit 1946 onder regie van robert siodmak. The band was renamed after the movie the spiral staircase, but with a deliberate misspelling. The spiral staircase is based on a novel by ethel lina white, a british writer who turned to crime fiction in the 1930s.
It is the quintessential it was a dark and stormy night movie. A young mute woman who is working in a new england. The spiral staircase was based on ethel lina whites 1933 novel some must watch and its a fine example of the ability of a great filmmaker to take a very mediocre novel and turn it into a great movie. The spiral staircase 1946 stream and watch online moviefone. What flaws it has, and i dont even think of them as actual flaws, more like lapses in logic in the way the story unfolds, only serve to increase the suspense, ones sense of unease, while watching it. The spiral staircase remains a forceful example of 40s freudian hollywood stew, equal parts gaslight melodrama, gothic horror, and postwar trauma noir. Warren becomes concerned for helens safety when a rash of murders involving women with afflictions hits the neighborhood. The best movies of 1946 picked by critics and filmmakers and sorted by rank. Adapted from ethel lina whites british novel some must watch 1933 by screenwriter mel dinelli, the film follows a mute young woman in an early20th century vermont town being terrorized by a serial killer who targets disabled women. It stars dorothy mcguire, george brent and ethel barrymore. Another architectural element that has a significant role not only in the history of film noir but the history of horror movies, in.
When he made this film, siodmaks reputation for suspense rivaled hitchcocks. Their first two singles, produced by gary usher, were regional successes in markets like phoenix, arizona. At this time, sonny knight was brought in to produce their first album. During the southern reconstruction, a young boys father goes on a trip for a period of time leaving the boy and. A breathtaking mansion becomes the backdrop of grisly murders in the spiral staircase, a 1946 thriller costarring ethel barrymore and coming to bluray and dvd courtesy of kino lorber a release date, cover art, and special features for the sprial staircase bluray and dvd have not yet been revealed, but well keep daily dead readers updated on this release. The spiral staircase 1946 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. One of them is a parttime actor about to go on trial for propositioning a police officer. The spiral staircase 1946 page 2 classic horror film. Were your movie poster source for new releases and vintage movie posters. Dec 02, 2015 comments on robert siodmaks the spiral staircase 1946 included the films temporal and geographical settings. Oct 17, 2018 the spiral staircase theatrical trailer 2. Ruth warrick, bobby driscoll, james baskett, hattie mcdaniel, luana patten, lucile watson plot.
The spiral staircase is gothic horror at its best and, although it was filmed in 1945, well survives the test of time. Beautiful young mute helen is a domestic worker for old ailing mrs. For decades, terms and concepts that have been among the most frequently used to define film noir have not been applicable, in fact, to many movies that are considered film noir. Dorothy mcguire kent smith george brent sara allgood rhonda fleming gordon oliver elsa. Jun 19, 20 my own personal tribute to the 40s filmnoir classic. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the spiral staircase near you. In a small village in 1906 vermont, the mute helen attends a silent film screening in the. I remember liking the spiral staircase, made in 1946, and it seems like. In a small village in 1906 vermont, the mute helen attends a silent film screening in. The spiral staircase tells the story of a pretty young.
Despite having the constant cliffhanger chapters of a serial as well as the neverending crises the story was first published in 1907 in magazine installments, the story is truly engrossing, drawing one into reading a long time at night. For those who love the more restrained and less graphic thrillers of the 1940s, the spiral staircase should be right up your alley. The spiral staircase criss cross synopsis fandango. Director robert siodmak builds on the eerie atmosphere, making perfect use of the stark black and white photography to maximize the old dark houses shadowy passageways and cellar, blowing curtains and flickering. Arguably better was the killers 1946, which took the original ernest hemingway short story as its opening point and developed it in an elaborate series of flashbacks.