The Spiral Staircase Reviews

• "Scream" not!

  
  By A5ZJFVV0564T6 on 2001-03-27
  Robert Siodmak's "The Spiral Staircase" is one of my all-time favorite thrillers. It was adapted from the book "Some Must Watch" by the prolific Ethel Lina White. 2 of White's books had been made into films by Alfred Hitchcock. "The Wheel Spins" became "The Lady Vanishes", and "Before the Fact" became "Suspicion". "The Spiral Staircase" deals with a pretty creepy premise: An unknown killer has been murdering women with "afflictions". (One victim was disfigured, another feeble-minded, another lame). Helen, a young mute servant girl working in a gloomy old mansion, is the killer's next intended victim. The killer is in the house with her, but who is it? Siodmak, a master of film noir, holds your attention for approximately 85 minutes, and never lets go. All of the classic elements are here: Old gloomy house, thunderstorm, chiaroscuro lighting, eerie musical score, colorful performances. The sets, by the way, are leftovers from Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons", the music score by Roy Webb, who had composed other goose-pimplers such as "The Cat People", "I Walked With a Zombie", "The Body Snatcher" and Hitchcock's "Notorious". Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman on the Theremin is featured on this score, providing added goosebumps. And the cast! Pretty Dorothy McGuire is excellent as the endangered Helen, in a house peopled by the likes of the very grand Ethel Barrymore, the wooden George Brent, marvelous character actors Elsa Lanchester, Rhys Williams and Sara Allgood, handsome Kent Smith and Gordon Oliver, and lovely Rhonda Fleming. Ellen Corby is in the film too, in a bit part-watch for her! Robert Siodmak was an excellent "B" movie director, having made masterpieces on relatively small budgets. His other films include "The Killers", "Phantom Lady", "Son of Dracula", the camp classic "Cobra Woman", "Criss Cross", and the Burt Lancaster romp "The Crimson Pirate". So, in this age of over-inflated budgets, it's a wonder and honor to see these well-made films from an era of almost non-existent special effects, modest budgets, and great actors. The picture and sound quality on this DVD are excellent-very clean and crisp, so you can really appreciate the gloomy Victorian sets and eerie musical score. There are practically no extras on the disc-just the theatrical trailer, but who's complaining? So, lock your doors and windows, because you never know who's watching you, and maybe even look under the bed, just to be on the safe side, and watch "The Spiral Staircase"-you will be thoroughly, enjoyably chilled!
  
  

• old fashioned thriller is eerie, tense and well acted.

  
  By A3LS07DQ3FRXP2 on 2000-06-18
  One of the most creepy and effective thrillers from the immediate post war era. The movie is in many respects a precursor to modern serial killer/stalker movies and used scare tactics that still remain in use more than 50 years later. The focus of the film is on a household where a cranky old grandmother is bedridden and waiting to die, being looked after by a mute nurse who is the serial killers obvious next target as he clearly goes after victims with afflictions in his attempt to restore perfection and beauty to a tainted world. The director manages to conjure up an effective feeling of dread and claustrophobia - this is a long, long way from William Castle's amiable ghost frolic The House on Haunted Hill which played more like a farce than a thriller. The film is a little reminiscent of another classic serial killer outing made much later in England, Peeping Tom and was clearly way ahead of its time when it came out in 1946. The cast headed by Dorothy McGuire and George Brent but watch out especially for one of the screen's immortal icons, Elsa Lanchester who will forever be remembered as The Bride of Frankenstein. The Spiral Staircase is a superior thriller, may be a touch over wrought by today's standards, but effective, tense and fairly creepy. Perhaps, along with M, the great great granddaddy of the modern serial killer thriller. Far superior to the horrid remake that was dished up in 1975.
  
  

• One of the most suspenseful movies I have ever seen.

  
  By ADZQ6GRC6YME2 on 2000-07-26
  When I first saw this movie at the videostore, I bypassed it. When I caught it on AMC, I realized how excellent the movie really was. The movie was spine tingling and hair raising as it also was bone chilling. The movie was well plotted and left you on the edge of your seat.

  A strangler of women are leaving a trail of bodies in his path. A man is determined to stop this. The strangler has chosen his next victim, a girl who has not spoken a single word. She begins to feel eyes watching her and someone stalking her. She tries to tell people, but they do not believe her. As the days go by, one fateful night brings the girl face to face with the heartless murderer.

  She searches for help in the house, but there is no one in the house to help her. She realized that she was alone in the house with a killer, and she could not scream for help. As the chase begins, you can't turn the station until the shocking ending. This movie contained all the elements needed to make a good film. Riveting performances as well as murder and suspense. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good spine tingling thriller.
  
  

• Near classic precursor to the modern serial killer thriller

  
  By A3LS07DQ3FRXP2 on 2000-06-26
  Spiral Staircase (1946) Dir; Robert Siodmak Stars: Dorothy MacGuire, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore, Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming

  One of the most creepy and effective thrillers from the immediate post war era. The movie is in many respects a precursor to modern serial killer/stalker movies and used scare tactics that still remain in use more than 50 years later. The focus of the film is on a household at the turn of the century where a cranky old grandmother is bedridden and waiting to die, being looked after by a mute nurse who is the serial killers obvious next target as he clearly goes after victims with afflictions in his attempt to restore perfection and beauty to a tainted world. The director manages to conjure up an effective feeling of dread and claustrophobia - this is a long, long way from William Castle's amiable ghost frolic The House on Haunted Hill which played more like a farce than a thriller. The film is a little reminiscent of another classic serial killer outing made much later in England, Peeping Tom and was clearly way ahead of its time when it came out in 1946. The cast headed by Dorothy McGuire and George Brent but watch out especially for one of the screen's immortal icons, Elsa Lanchester who will forever be remembered as The Bride of Frankenstein. The Spiral Staircase is a superior thriller, may be a touch over wrought by today's standards, but effective, tense and fairly creepy. Perhaps, along with M, the great great granddaddy of the modern serial killer thriller. Far superior to the horrid remake that was dished up in 1975.
  
  

• bone chilling

  
  By A3BVRA2QL3TIOQ on 2000-06-26
  Someone is going around killing handicapped citizens in this suspenseful thriller, and anyone else who gets in their way. Dorothy McGuire gives a stellar performance in this movie. In fact, many in show business say this was her best performance ever. Other superb actors and actresses include, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore, Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming, Gordon Oliver, Elsa Lanchester, and Sara Allgood. One of my favorite scenes is where Dorothy McGuire ( who, by the way plays a mute servant) is walking home through the woods when she hears noises and senses someone or something is following her. Will she become the killer's next victim? I won't say, heh heh heh. You'll need to get the movie and see for yourself. While this film isn't as graphic as many films are today, I wouldn't recommend it for viewers under age 14. This is a great film to watch at night, but definitely not alone.
  
  
• "I'm never more witty than when I've had a little nip."
  By A25ZVI6RH1KA5L on 2005-10-26
  I did some checking and I discovered this film, The Spiral Staircase, originally released in 1946, has been remade a few times over the years...once in 1961 with Eddie Albert, Hayley Mills, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Gig Young (a made for TV feature), again in 1975 with Jacqueline Bisset, Christopher Plummer, and John Phillip Law (a full length feature this time), and then yet again in 2000 with Nicollette Sheridan and Judd Nelson (this last one, also a made for TV feature, sounds like a real winner). Adapted from the novel "Some Must Watch" by Ethel Lina White, and directed Robert Siodmak (The Killers, Criss Cross, The Crimson Pirate), the film stars the demure, beautiful, and extremely talented Dorothy McGuire (Three Coins in the Fountain, Old Yeller, Swiss Family Robinson). Also appearing is George Brent (The Corpse Came C.O.D., FBI Girl), Kent Smith (Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People), Rhonda Fleming (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court), Gordon Oliver (Jezebel), Elsa Lanchester (Bride of Frankenstein, Murder by Death), Sara Allgood (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), Rhys Williams (How Green Was My Valley), James Bell (I Walked with a Zombie), and Ethel Barrymore, who won an Oscar in her previous, supporting role in the Cary Grant film None But the Lonely Heart (1944).
  
  The film, set at the turn of the century, begins with the murder of a woman at a hotel, one where a crowd of people just happen to be in attendance of an old timey picture show (the kind where a pianist plays the accompanying score), including Helen (McGuire), a mute woman who works as a servant for a local well to do family. Around this time we learn the murder is not an isolated incident, as someone is stalking women with physical infirmities and doing way with them (the woman in the hotel had a severe limp). Dr. Parry (Smith), who has a keen interest in Helen and her condition, makes the scene and offers her a ride home, but halfway there he's called away so Helen must walk the rest of the way, and it seems, along with the darkness (and a menacing figure lurking about), a storm is coming (in more ways than one). Once Helen arrives at her place of employment, a very large manor owned by a family named Warren, we meet a whole slew of interesting characters. There's Professor Warren (Brent), his secretary Blanche (Fleming), the Professor's playboy half brother Stephen (Oliver) who's just returned from a long European trip, their bedridden mother Mrs. Warren (Barrymore), Mrs. Oates (Lanchester), the cook, her husband (Williams), and finally Nurse Barker (Allgood). As the storm outside continues to build, so does the ominous sense of danger, due in part to Mrs. Warren's continual insistences Helen leave the house as soon as possible, as she seems to have serious doubts about Helen's safety (one couldn't blame her given her sons, one a smarmy mouth ne'er-do-well, the other a bookish fop). There's safety in numbers, but as various members of the household are called away for whatever reason, Helen soon discovers she probably should have listened to Mrs. Warren and got while the gettin' was good...
  
  I enjoyed this film a lot, especially in terms of the huge, slightly creepy manor which most of the story took place. The distinctive shadows, darkened corridors, elaborate sets pieces, combined with masterful directing, featuring some strong and off putting killer point of view shots, and spooky musical scoring, all went a long way towards creating an overall eerie atmosphere, a continual sense of evil present as right from the beginning...that and the fact we knew from early on the killer followed Helen home and gained entry into the house. The characters are very distinctive, and played expertly by a highly professional cast, the real standouts being Dorothy McGuire, who has practically no speaking lines throughout the film and must rely solely on her expressionistic abilities, and also Ethel Barrymore as the infirmed, but certainly not mentally impaired Mrs. Warren, once a woman of great strength, now confined to her bed by afflictions brought on by advanced age (she was actually nominated for an Oscar in her role here). The one thing that really gave me the heebie jeebies as far as this film went was Ms. Barrymore as she would often seem to be feigning sleep, but then you'd look over at her and her eyes would be wide open, taking in everything that was going on...Bette Davis may have had peepers distinctive enough for Kim Carnes to pen a song about, but Ethel Barrymore certainly could have given her a run for the money (that and the fact the words Bette Davis comes across much better in a song than the words Ethel Barrymore). And talking about eyes, the killer was often displayed only in much abbreviated form, hands, a foot, etc., but usually by a close up of one wide, glaring eye full of murderous intent. As far as the identity of the killer, it was really anyone's game up until a certain point, and by then the writers wisely saw no point in keeping it a mystery anymore, as most everyone should have gotten clued in by then. I did pick up on it a little earlier than I expected, but only because of the not entirely subtle pushing of other characters as suspects drove me to my own conclusions. As to the motive behind the murders, that aspect did remain secret until it was revealed. I suppose one might be able to discern it before the reveal, but I think this is a much more difficult element to peel away from the story, even though the pieces were there, which is, in my opinion, a real credit towards those who originally wrote, and then adapted this intricate story to the screen. For me, the most harrowing sequences involved the latter ones where various characters ventured, armed only with a candle, down into the dark, drafty, spooky, cobwebbed basement, filled with niches and hidey holes. All in all this is a wonderfully crafted film, and while I haven't seen the various remakes, I have a pretty good feeling the original is probably still the best.
  
  The picture, presented in fullscreen, original aspect ratio (1.33:1), looks beautifully sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes through extremely clear. The only extra featured on the DVD is a theatrical trailer for the Johnny Depp film Secret Window (2004), and odd inclusion, I thought, but whatever.
  
  Cookieman108
  
  
  
• Great suspense
  By A12X2J7AVZ04IQ on 2006-01-01
  I'm happy to have this DVD in my collection. Director Robert Siodmak was a pioneer in "noir", but this was a straight-forward suspense story, one of my favorites. It was the film debut of Rhonda Fleming, and she was quite good. Elsa Lanchester was again cute, and Ethel Barrymore received an Oscar nomination for her performance. A year later, Dorothy McGuire would receive her only Oscar nomination for "Gentleman's Agreement". McGuire, indeed, covers this complex role completely, without speaking a word. I was most impressed. The film is one of my favorite suspense fims of the 40's. I'm not sure why anyone can't enjoy the chills.
  
  
• Not very mysterious ... but oh, the atmosphere!
  By A8EJY5GPQV2BW on 2001-11-21
  The plotting and script of "The Spiral Staircase" are reasonably good but unexceptional. The "surprise" ending isn't very startling even by 1940s standards -- try "Laura" (1944) for a much more inventive mystery plot.

  All of this is beside the point, however. As a thriller, this film is justly beloved for one critical factor: ATMOSPHERE. No special effects, no buckets of blood, no sexual escapades interrupted by serial killers, but a truly unnerving (and beautifully effective) sense of gloom and uneasy fear. Robert Siodmak was one of the greatest directors of film noir, and virtually every movie he made is shot through with his wonderful brand of darkly-shadowed artistry.

  It is sad to report that this is Siodmak's only film noir available on DVD. At least "The Killers" (1946; his "Citizen Kane") is on VHS -- along with "Phantom Lady" and a few other goodies -- but some of Siodmak's classic films are not commercially available in any form. When are we getting the DVDs of "Cry of the City" or "Christmas Holiday"? In the meantime, let's be glad that "The Spiral Staircase" is available for our shivery enjoyment.
  
  

• THE ORIGINAL-AND ONLY-SPIRAL STAIRCASE; THIS IS ONE CLASSIC
  By A27NTH2Y9DAR31 on 2005-10-14
  that NEVER should have suffered a remake. No need to go into the grim details, but if you want style, thrills and chills, see the 1946 version with George Brent, Dorothy McGuire and Ethel Barrymore and ignore the dreadful attempt to update a classic that needed no updating.
  This is the one that set the template for all horror movies that followed; the original from which all others flowed. The spooky music, which, in it's time, was as groundbreaking as the theme from Jaws. The classic 3 notes sent chills down my spine, and when I first saw this movie I was 7 years old and it really did scare the hell out of me. I watched it with my father and he loved it too; we had a Million Dollar Movie that played 5 nights for one week and we watched it every night.
  Ethel Barrymore is, as always, superb and lends the perfect touch to this spooky, suspenseful movie. George Brent is wonderful as the smooth soft-spoken professor, the head of the house, and the caretaker of the family. Dorothy McGuire conveys tremendous emotion given her muted state; she has, throughout most of the movie, not one word of dialogue but a world of emotions and you can tell what she's thinking and feeling.
  The setting is a New England town, circa 1890, and the house is a huge Victorian, very luxurious and beautifully furnished. The opening scene shows a group of people in a room in a hotel breathlessly watching "The Kiss", which was groundbreaking in it's time, because it showed the first kiss ever put on film and was quite shocking back then. The music for "The Kiss" consists of a woman playing the piano according to whatever mood is onscreen, and is perfect for the score for SS also.
  There is a serial killer on the loose; preying on women with handicaps/afflictions, which puts Dorothy McGuire, as Helen, in a very precarious situation and it is her safety we are concerned with. The house is populated with a disparate group, and one by one each is somehow removed in varying circumstances, leaving Helen vulnerable to an attack. To enhance the mood, there is a violent thunderstorm throughout the movie, and the lightning flashes occasionally reveal hidden dangers outside and inside (!) the house.
  So, for an appreciation of truly excellent moviemaking, (and "thrills and chills")see this gem, it is as scary today as it was in it's film debut back in 1946...
  
  
  
  
• Who Will Live, Who Will Die In This Eerie Mansion During A Storm-Swept Night?
  By A2GCHG6U8HTVIT on 2006-01-30
  A forbidding mansion far from town, a night of driving rain and thunder, a mute young woman who works for the ill matriarch, a spiral staircase that goes down to the shadowy basement...and a killer who strangles women who are "imperfect."
  
  The Spiral Staircase may not be full of frights, but it is an eerie exploration of suspense. The mansion itself is a great prop. Lit by candles and gas light, the rooms, covered with flocked wallpaper, are filled with flickering shadows, deep velvet curtains, carved marble fireplaces and dark oaken tables. Helen Capel (Dorothy McGuire), who became mute when she was a child, works there as a maid. She helps care for Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), the bedridden, ill and strong-willed matron of the house. Mrs. Warren has a son, Steve Warren (Gordon Oliver), an unreliable ne'er-do-well, and a stepson, Professor Albert Warren (George Brent). She has no illusions. "They are both weaklings," she says.
  
  In the village, young women are being strangled...one had a limp, another was simple minded, one had a scar on her face. It's not long before we realize Helen is on the killer's list, and that the killer is most likely someone who lives in the Warren mansion. One person who seems drawn to Helen is Dr. Parry (Kent Smith), the new physician in the village. He is convinced that Helen can be made to speak and wants to take her to Boston for treatment. Mrs. Warren, although bedridden and often irascible, is no fool about the murders. When Helen is late coming home in the evening from the village, Mrs. Warren tells her, "Come here. I'd hoped you were never coming back. You should run away. Leave this house tonight if you know what's good for you!" During the long night, however, the killer shows his determination to make Helen his next victim.
  
  It's not too hard to figure out who the killer most likely is. Since Dorothy McGuire is the star of the movie, it's also unlikely that her character will be killed. What makes this movie work so well, in my opinion, are several elements. First, not whether Helen will be killed, but what dangers will Helen face unable to call for help, including a final confrontation with the killer? Second, who among the supporting cast will be killed? There is the professor's secretary, Blanche (Rhonda Fleming), the cook (Elsa Lanchester), her husband (Rhys Williams) and the nurse (Sara Algood). It's unlikely all will live. Third, the production values of the movie. The Spiral Staircase is beautifully staged and filmed, with each shot framed for maximum creepy effect. The descent to the basement, where one killing takes place and another is attempted, is almost worth the price of the DVD itself. The place is deeply shadowed with wooden trusses and brick walls, piles of cut wood and an axe, heavy casks and rows of cobwebbed wine bottles...so many places to hide, and the only light coming from candles so easy to blow out. Fourth, the killings are subtly handled, which makes them all the more unsettling. The murderer is never shown until the end. Before then we only see his eyes. We never see the actual killings, either, only black shadow and white hands clutching at the air. And fifth, the performances of Dorothy McGuire and Ethel Barrymore. McGuire, in my view, was a fine actress with an innate quality of goodness about her. We worry about Helen because of McGuire's skill and personality. Barrymore was a dominant actress in all her roles. Here, bedridden, she must act with her eyes and her face. She becomes an implacable old woman who sees that justice is done.
  
  The Anchor Bay DVD has an excellent picture and audio. There are no significant extras.
  
  
• VERTIGO
  By A3R2YB0WTTB0IJ on 2001-01-29
  I've enjoyed a lot director Robert Siodmak's THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE, not for its too evident whodunit plot but rather for its gothic atmosphere. Almost entirely filmed in a gloomy mansion during a stormy night, THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE offers in 90 minutes a delicious anthology of frightening scenes to the movie lover.

  The cast of THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE is also a source of countless pleasures : Elsa Lanchester, the unforgettable Bride of Frankenstein, is terrific as the brandy-attracted maid, Ethel Barrymore, lying most of the time in bed, steals the show each time she appears on the screen and Kent Smith plays perfectly a disillusioned dandy.

  I don't expect too much from this kind of movie that provides only an epidermic pleasure ; films like THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE remind us of the beginnings of cinema, of eerie shadows on a wall.

  Superb copy with, alas, only a theatrical trailer as bonus feature.

  A Hollyfreud DVD.
  
  

• CLASSIC GOTHIC CHILLER.....
  By A1GF7BR6K22GZD on 2002-10-04
  Famous 1946 version of Ethel Lina White's "Some Must Watch" about a deranged killer preying on young women with physical infirmities because they aren't "perfect". Set in the early 1900's, Helen(Dorothy McGuire) is a mute servant girl working in a spooky old house caring for a crotchety invalid(Ethel Barrymore) whose two sons are dysfunctional misfits. Everyone worries that Helen will be the next victim and they are so right for the killer is a lot closer than they think. Fine cast of character actors populate this engrossing chiller that must have scared the poop out of 40's audiences. McGuire is perfect as Helen and Barrymore is regally majestic as the old lady. Spooky music and camera shots of the killer's eyes just before he pounces keep things properly creepy. Most enjoyable and a delight for vintage movie buffs. Great presentation by Anchor bay on DVD. A keeper.
  
  
• Steer Clear of the Wine Cellar
  By A2UUWETDYA2EKV on 2006-08-14
  With her large, expressive eyes and rather plain features, Dorothy Mc Guire is perfect for the mute servant girl in this superb gothic thriller. So is stylish noir director Robert Siodmak who really knows how to translate troubled inner worlds into complex camera effects. Together, they transform the hoary elements of a maniacal killer, a spooky old mansion, and a houseful of suspects, into a memorable movie experience.
  
  I paricularly like the opening sequence where a 1900's audience sits watching an early feature length film, The Kiss. The rest of the audience sits stoically, not knowing what to make of the new-fangled experience. However, Mc Guire's simple servant girl sits enraptured, absolutely transfixed, her luminous eyes suffering along with the endangered heroine, whose predicament curiously foreshadows Mc Guire's own plight yet to come. I doubt that any actress has won over an audience any faster than during those few seconds.
  
  Credit should also go to that terrific RKO tandem of art director Albert D'Agostino and set director Darrel Silvera, whose artistic eye helped lift that studio into the pantheon of 1940's black & white. Together, they manage to keep a single set, the old house, from becoming boring to look at, while perfectly complementing Siodmak's own gothic sensibilities.
  
  Still, there is a downside. Poor Kent Smith plays the young doctor. Technically, he's a competent enough actor; however, his charisma factor registers somewhere between dull gray and dried cement. Here his rather smarmy physician appears to have wandered over from the set of Young Doctor Kildare. Fortunately, his screen time is limited.
  
  In compensation are the wonderfully daffy Elsa Lanchester as the cook, and Carleton the dog as Carleton the dog, perhaps the most beautifully ugly face in the history of canine thespians. Also, making an impressive appearance is an apparent forerunner of hurricane Katrina , howling and thundering for the entire ninety minutes in true gothic fashion.
  
  Anyhow, this is a genuinely artistic suspenser from RKO's golden period, proving once again why Hollywood's eventual stampede to technicolor was not an unmixed blessing.
  
  
  
  
• A Great Suspenser
  By A32MGX6RYUF598 on 2000-09-19
  The theme of the "psycho-killer" is one of the leitmotifs of cinema: while younger generations may see "Halloween" as a pioneer in the genre, there are examples as far back as "Bluebeard" and "Hangover Square" (both 1944), "The Leopard Man" (1943), "M" (1930), and even Alfred Hitchcock's silent version of "The Lodger" (1926).

  The original version of "The Spiral Staircase," then, was not exactly groundbreaking in its use of a psychotic serial killer, and even its incorporation of an Old Dark House ambiance - typical of many mystery films of the 20s and 30s - did not particularly set it apart. What did make "The Spiral Staircase" rather innovative was the use of a mute servant girl, played by Dorothy McGuire, as one of the murderer's intended victims. It's this element that provides the film a larger measure of suspense, and creates a mood of vulnerability comparable to some of the best horror films of the day.

  There's the strong influence of Val Lewton's fright-films of the early 40s, signaled by the presence of Kent Smith and James Bell --- "leftovers" from the Lewton troupe who had appeared, respectively, in "The Cat People" and "I Walked With a Zombie." In fact, Lewton's use of Bell in "The Leopard Man" clearly figured in Robert Siodmak's direction for "The Spiral Staircase," except that in this film, Bell becomes a police inspector, and the red herring role goes to (well, no need to spoil it for newcomers...).

  Merely recounting the influences on this film, though, gives no indication of its real magic, which lies in the way Siodmak brings everything together into a sort of Gothic gestalt. And we might see McGuire's performance as sort of a visual obverse to that of Claude Rains in "The Invisible Man": whereas Rains did almost everything by conveying "omnipotence" with his voice, McGuire steals the show by conjuring helplessness through pantomime and facial expressions.

  Thankfully, we now have "The Spiral Staircase" in what is probably the best print seen in decades. In fact, Anchor Bay really deserves accolades for this excellent DVD, which gives us this film in a beautifully-preserved edition. True, the disc is short on "bonus" features (it's just the film and the trailer), but otherwise this is a fine addition to any suspense fan's film library.
  
  

• Very Good Suspense Film
  By A1L3JKXFHGJ9TS on 2003-06-16
  Splendid mystery movie, thanks to a great performance by its star, the excellent actress Dorothy McGuire, who plays a mute girl in danger (a murderer who only kills disabled women, is on the loose). McGuire works for a rich dowager, played with great skill as always, by Ethel Barrymore, who's very concerned about the girl's security, because she's almost sure that McGuire will be the next victim......what secrets does the big mansion hide?.

  The cast is full of seasoned pros: George Brent, Kent Smith, a very young and beautiful Rhonda Fleming.... and special mention deserve the performances of Elsa Lanchester, as a maid with a likeness for booze...and Sara Allgood, as a stern nurse.

  The film is rich in atmosphere, has an eerie quality, and an excellent camera work.

  The dvd edition is good.

  If you like thrillers, this one is for you.
  
  

• Trapped
  By A1345VRK5MYG7 on 2003-07-13
  There's a serial killer on the loose who preys on afflicted women, and poor mute Dorothy McGuire seems like the next likely victim. McGuire works in one of those big old movie houses with flickering candles, dark cellars, and a general feeling of unease all around. She nurses invalid Ethel Barrymore who lives with son Gordon Oliver and stepson George Brent. Barrymore is worried for McGuire's safety, and as the film progresses, it becomes obvious she has good reason - the killer is after Dorothy.

  The supporting cast does a good job, albeit a little over the top at times (except for Brent, who is his usual lifeless self). McGuire turns in a memorable performance, using her face and body language to communicate what her character can't say.

  Director Robert Siodmak uses some interesting shots to establish the menacing presence, and the tension does gradually build as we realize that McGuire isn't only trapped by a killer, but also by her inability to communicate her situation. Although it doesn't have the effect of a Hitchcock thriller (wonder what he would have done with this story?!), it's nonetheless a very good thriller in that creepy old house tradition of classic Hollywood.
  
  

• Great Visuals Add To Already-Excellent Film
  By A39CX0EE4BZCZC on 2006-04-22
  This was an excellent suspense film with outstanding cinematography and interesting characters played by a strong cast.
  
  There are lots of complimentary adjectives in the above sentence but the film deserves it, particularly the photography (see this on DVD). The lighting is as good as anything I've ever seen in film noir (this is not a film noir, as one reviewer correctly points out). In fact, outside of David Lean's "Oliver Twist, " this may be the best-looking black-and-white film I've seen. A good part of the visual treat is viewing the fantastic Victorian house where most of the action takes place.
  
  The lead character, played beautifully by Dorothy McGuire, is one the viewer cares about which helps get one involved in the story. All the other characters are fun to watch, and are detailed here in other reviews. I go along with most in saying Ethel Barrymore was the most likable.
  
  There are a few holes in the storyline, to be sure, but one doesn't care since the film movies rapidly, the story keeps you so involved and the visuals and audio are so interesting. This latter also features the longest thunderstorm on record!
  
  
  
• Gothic Style Drama and Suspense
  By A1G5Q9HBN0EGDV on 2006-10-09
  This fondly remembered film uses a gothic atmosphere and a terrific performance from Dorothy McGuire to capture and keep the viewer's attention. The suspense builds slowly and it is the kind of film best watched on a rainy night with a big bowl of popcorn.
  
  Nicholas Musuraca's photography captures the menace of the wind and rain in this truly old-fashioned tale of suspense and romance. Dorothy McGuire shines as the mute Helen under Robert Siodmak's uncluttered direction. Roy Webb, famous for many great scores at RKO, adds another fine one to his list in this Dore Schary production from Selznick. This is a film of atmosphere and performance rather than nail-biting tension. As with many of Ethel Lina White's novels brought to film, the movie is actually better than the book.
  
  The film opens as the mute Helen appropriately watches a silent film while a killer on the loose preys once more on a young woman with an imperfection. Helen is very aware of her own limitations but the young town doctor is in love with her and believes she can be helped to speak once again. When it becomes evident that the killer is connected somehow to the old mansion where Helen takes care of the ill Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), she is soon in great danger because of her affliction.
  
  From there it is only a matter of figuring out just who Helen should be wary of. An old spiral staircase and a single rainy night will reveal much. The two very different sons of Mrs. Warren offer latent hostility and intrigue while Dr. Parry tries to protect and warn her, as does the sick Mrs. Warren. Rhonda Fleming offers a sexy contrast to McGuires's wholesome mute girl as the secretary romancing the wayward brother Steven. A fine cast that includes Kent Smith as the doctor, George Brent as the responsible son, and Elsa Lanchester round out the players in this gothic style drama.
  
  A shy kiss between Helen and Dr. Parry in a doorway sets the tone for the film, which is very old-fashioned suspense and romance. McGuire has some wonderful moments throughout the film. One such is when she is daydreaming of her marriage to Dr. Parry which becomes a nightmare beacause she cannot utter "I do" at the alter. The pace is slow and deliberate but works because of a wonderful ending, especially the final shot.
  
  Those expecting grandiose tension and suspense will probably be disappointed upon seeing this film for the first time. Those who can ignore all the hype of its reputation, however, will find much to love in its gothic atmosphere and old-fashioned romance. A great film for a rainy night!
  
  
• One emerged from the film feeling as exhausted by terror as McGuire had been...
  By AGZVS6M8XJGN6 on 2007-01-14
  The extra vulnerability of the handicapped has been a magnet to attract some fine directors of suspense...
  
  The fulcrum of Robert Siodmak's 'The Spiral Staircase' was the fact that the beautiful and expressive Dorothy McGuire was dumb - deprived of her speech by shock... Her terror when death stalked had to be wordless, and it was all the more potent... She could not communicate, she could not plead or call for help...
  
  It was New England in 1906, and she was employed by the bedridden mistress (Ethel Barrymore) of an old mansion (decorated in Victorian style). On the girl's day off, a disabled girl was found murdered in the little town. It was the third such murder... In each case the victim had been physically handicapped - and, as we learned later, the murderer killed because he could not tolerate imperfection...
  
  There was a chilling start to the suspense as Dorothy McGuire walked home through a stormy night, rattling a twig against railings... In a lightning flash we saw - but she did not - the silhouette of a man watching her... On into the house and, as she paused on a landing, we saw the feet of the man on another landing... waiting. And then, in a close-up of his eye, we saw her face reflected - an imperfect face...
  
  On this level the tension was maintained in visual terms, through the murder of another girl in the house and the mute's discovery of the body, and her belief that she knows the murderer... She tricks him into a room and locks him in... but, as she is to find, she has locked up the wrong man...
  
  Ethel Barrymore received the film's only Academy Award nomination, as Best Supporting Actress... McGuire would have to wait another year to be nominated as Best Actress, for her great role in Elia Kazan's emotional 'Gentleman's Agreement', 1947.
  
  
  
  
• best scary movie yet!
  By A2B8W9NUXZU4KI on 2001-10-21
  thirlling and spinetingling it leaves you on the edge of your seat.if your ever looking for agood scary movie this is the one for you.i have seen it twice now and still love it and always leaves me wondering about it.
  
  
• The Spiral Staircase
  By A270V4WSO85RI0 on 2002-03-30
  What a classic thriller! A young women has been mute since she was a girl - Helen, played by Dorothy McGuire. She is living in an large old house with an elderly women, played by the wonderful Ethel Barrymore and her two sons played by George Brent and Gordon Oliver. There is a young Doctor, played by Kent Smith who is looking out the Helen and is interested in helping her. There seems to have been a murder recently of a young girl. Mrs. Warren(Ethel Barrymore) seems to know a lot more then she is telling. On a dark and raining night each person in the house comes to face some under lieing fear that grips everyone eventually. The lighting is very interesting and the acting is top noch. For those of you who really enjoy the who-done-it and thriller genre this is one of the best.
  
  
• Great dream of a Gothic thriller
  By A106016KSI0YQ on 2004-04-14
  This well-remembered Gothic thriller has been re-filmed three times--once for TV in 1961 with Elizabeth Montgomery, once in 1975 with Jacqueline Bisset, and once again for TV in 2000 with Nicolette Sheridan--but the originals never quite captured the qualities of the original, which features Doroithy McGuire's best performance as a terrorized mute serving girl in a 1906 New England mansion. The script itself isn't much, and relies on very hoary melodramatic conventions that even seemed old in its day, and the script has its share of howlers (the famous last line, in particular). What makes it memorable is McGuire's very affecting performance, Robert Siodmak's remarkably chilling direction, and most of all the great Warren mansion itself--one of the most beautifully elaborate sets ever constructed for a Gothic. At times your eyes have trouble taking the entirety of the house's richly inhuman decorations in, and the killer's ability to move in and around the house with ease seems perfectly logical. (Keep a watch out for the great early sequence with Dorothy McGuire watching herself in the mirror on the landiung of the house's other, main staircase--as the killer watches her watching herself.)
  
  
• Great film but ...
  By A38VXSKK5FBL7G on 2005-10-10
  Great film and great acting job by all. But I just purchased a copy at Circuit City for $9.99 !!! Same film, but the cover artwork is different (MGM DVD Release). Look around before you buy ... !!!
  
  
• Some clarification ...
  By AP6L54VTCJKCQ on 2005-10-12
  If you look this title up under DVD-s, this movie is the original Spiral Staircase - not the remake from the 70-s. I'm surprised to see reviews for the remake when this movie has 1946 attached to it. It is B&W - not color, and hopefully Amazon will correct the description. For some reasons the reviews for the 1946 movie are also attached to the 1975 movie.
  The Anchor Bay version of the 1946 movie was out of print for some time so I'm sure glad to see MGM issued its own copy on October 4, 2005.
  It is a movie very much in the tradition of Hitchcock and Audrey Hepburn's "Wait Until Dark". The movie received good reviews: 4/5 at AMG.
  
  
  
  
• New England gothic thriller - 3 1/2*'s
  By A39AWL2FKWDFK6 on 2005-12-03
  A rash of murders in an early 20th century New England locale fuels the plot in the Robert Siodmak directed overly melodramatic "The Spiral Staircase". Touted as a Hitchcockian thriller the film falls well short of that lofty standard.
  
  The victims of the crimes are all single handicapped women. Helen Capel played by Dorothy McGuire, a caretaker in the Warren mansion has been a mute since witnessing her parents perish in a fire as a child. Her afflication makes her a target for the selective murderer. She is charged with caring for feisty invalid Mrs. Warren, matron of the property played by Ethel Barrymore. Two step brothers Professor Warren played by George Brent and the playboyish Steven played by Gordon Oliver also live in the creepy mansion.
  
  Barrymore has premonitions of harm coming to Helen and insists that her doctor, Dr. Parry played by Kent Smith, who loves her, take her away. When the professor's secretary Blanche played by the alluring Rhonda Fleming gets murdered in the house, Helen fears for her life but is unable to call for help.
  
  The film has good intentions but ultimately drowns in it's hokey style of drama and easy to figure plot. Some excellent camera angles, however, do a lot to heighten the level of suspense.
  
  
• Spiral Staircase: Perfect Title for Possibly Best Film Ever
  By APRAUZ9Z7X4PI on 2000-10-15
  As a professional reviewer, there is certain territory you don't tread, and (as a matter of proper etiquette and principle) . . . Some things you just never say. However, anyone who doesn't consider "The Spiral Staircase" one of the greatest films and titles of all time is simply off their ever living rocker. Intriguing characters, mysterious atmosphere, well concocted suspense, fairy tale romance, senseless murder, beautiful women, handsome and debonair gentlemen (any of which may be the cold blooded killer amongst us), strange and tantalizing tidbits, and even a few tricks and surprises isn't even the half of it. Don't delay. Add this DVD to your collection immediately, and enjoy it with immense gratification in the early morning hours or just before midnight. It works best with a crackling fire and stormy weather, especially considering that a shockingly porky version of the "Bride of Frankenstein" shows up with quite a different side, and much more of it (enough to make a barbacued or at least warm ham sandwich).
  
  
• ATMOSPHERIC THRILLER...
  By A1L43KWWR05PCS on 2004-01-25
  This film, based upon the book, "Some Must Watch" by Ethel Lina White, author of "The Lady Vanishes", which was made into a film by Alfred Hitchcock, is an atmospheric, gothic thriller. It not particularly suspenseful, however, as anyone with half a brain can figure out what is going on fairly early in the film.
  
  The plot revolves around a turn of the century serial killer who singles out those who have some sort of affliction. At risk is Helen Capel (Dorothy McGuire), a young, mute woman, who works as a servant/companion for a crotchety invalid, Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), who lives in an enormous Gothic style mansion outside of town. There she lives with her step-son, Professor Warren (George Brent) and her biological son, Steve (Gordon Oliver). Mrs. Warren has some concern that Helen may be next on this serial killers hit list. She also suspects her biological son of the unspeakable.
  
  There is friction in the household between Professor Warren and his brother Steve. It appears that they both are salivating over Blanche (Rhonda Fleming), a tasty morsel of flesh who acts as secretary to Professor Warren. There is also friction between Mrs. Warren and her private nurse , Nurse Barker (Sara Allgood) Moreover, the housekeeper, Mrs. Oates (Elsa Lanchester) has a drinking problem. What a motley crew. To complicate matters further, the town's new doctor, Dr. Parry (Kent Smith), hankers after Helen. It is also clear that the serial killer, for different reasons, also hankers after Helen. The only question is as to his identity and whether he can be stopped before Helen joins the ranks of the dearly departed.
  
  Though the cast is quite good and the screenplay is suitably melodramatic in feel, the film never becomes really gripping. Still, notwithstanding its predictability, this film is certainly worth a rental.
  
  
• "WE MUST RID THE WORLD OF THE IMPERFECT FOREVER!"
  By on 2005-07-20
  The wind blows fiercly, The door opens and closes by itself. The serial killer is on the loose and it has killed it's 5th victim. Another killing will be committed tonight. But who will fall victim next?
  Dorothy McGuire stars in this Gothic Film Noir about a killer who murders young women due to their handicapped needs. McGuire portrays Helen, A young mute woman working for an old woman(Ethel Barrymore) at a dark depressing mansion on the countyside. What she doesn't know is the serial killer is one of the inhabitents at the manor. Could it be Blanche the secretery (Rhonda Fleming) or Dr. Perry (Kent Smith) or the cook (Elsa Lanchester) or Helen's uncle (George Brent). One of them is the killer and Helen knows this because she is being stalked by a shadow throughout the house. And even if she knew who the killer was, She would never be able to tell anyone.
  A suspenseful Film Noir and probably one of my favorite Film Noir of the 40's. It's guarenteed to make you scream, Even if you can't!
  
  
• A real thriller!
  By A2I99MWPTFAWCR on 2007-02-21
  I love this movie, and it is the type of film that was made a long time ago that is just "creepy" enough to be fun rather than nauseating. The
  suspence level is great and the performances (especially Ethel Barrymore's) are first-rate. It's really very enjoyable.
  
  
• The Spiral Staircase
  By A3M6VT4QR8CA40 on 2007-03-25
  Outstanding movie!!! If you love a good thriller this is your movie.
  
  

• Sorry, Wrong Number
• The Woman in the Window (MGM Film Noir)
• Dangerous Crossing (Fox Film Noir)
• I Wake Up Screaming (Fox Film Noir)
• Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir)