The Spiral Staircase

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the band, see The Spiral Starecase.

The Spiral Staircase
Image:The Spiral Staircase DVD cover.jpg The Spiral Staircase DVD cover
Directed by	Robert Siodmak
Produced by	Dore Schary
Written by	Ethel Lina White (novel Some Must Watch) Mel Dinelli
Starring	Dorothy McGuire George Brent Ethel Barrymore Kent Smith Rhonda Fleming
Music by	Roy Webb
Cinematography	Nicholas Musuraca
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Release date(s)	February 6 1946 (U.S. release)
Running time	83 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Spiral Staircase is a psychological thriller from 1946 directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Dorothy McGuire, Kent Smith, George Brent, Rhonda Fleming, Elsa Lanchester, and Ethel Barrymore. Cinematography by RKO regular Nicholas Musuraca.

[edit] Plot

This thriller is set in early 20th century New England, about a serial killer on the loose, murdering young disabled women in the community. The killer's next apparent victim is Helen (McGuire), a mute girl who works as a live-in servant for a wealthy old bedridden woman Mrs. Warren (Barrymore). Kent Smith plays Dr. Parry, a man who knows the real reason for Helen's loss of speech and wants to help Helen get her voice back.

Ethel Barrymore was nominated for an Academy Award, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, for her role. The screenplay was written by Mel Dinelli. The film is based on a novel by Ethel Lina White, Some Must Watch, in which the heroine was crippled rather than mute. The novel was first adapted into a radio production, starring Helen Hayes.

Remade in 1975 starring Jacqueline Bisset; and again as a TV movie in 2000 with Nicolette Sheridan as Helen.