The Spiral Staircase (1945)

The Spiral Staircase
Directed by Robert Siodmak
1945/USA
RKO Radio Pictures
First viewing

[box] Constable: She’s dead!

Dr. Parry: Well, in that case, Constable, I certainly can’t do her any harm.[/box]

A very noir filmmaking team at RKO (director Siodmak, cinematographer Musuraca, and composer Webb) put together this glossy thriller.

It is sometime near the turn of the last century and a serial killer is on the loose in a small town.  This maniac has been focusing on women with some kind of physical infirmity and pretty mute Helen (Dorothy McGuire) seems a likely next victim.  Young Dr. Parry (Kent Smith) has taken a professional and romantic interest in Helen and thinks she can be cured of her traumatic loss of speech.

The story is confined to one dark and stormy night at the Warren household, where Helen works as a companion to the invalid matriarch (Ethel Barrymore).  The house is filled with creepy characters not the least of which is the cantankerous and vaguely ominous Mrs. Warren.  Other suspicious types include her womanizing obnoxious son Steve  (Gordon Oliver and pedantic stepson Professor Warren (George Brent) who hate each other and who each have a yen for the professor’s secretary Blanche (Rhonda Fleming).  Then we have the dipsomaniac cook Mrs. Oates (Elsa Lanchester) and her menacingly silent handyman husband.  Poor Helen has a rough time of it, complicated by her inability to call for help.

This is a fun thriller with a nice score and beautiful art direction and cinematography.  Dorothy McGuire has an expressive face though I kept thinking that it was really well suited for comedy.  I jumped a couple of times but I wondered if another actress would have made for a scarier movie.  This may be the only role I have seen Ethel Barrymore in. She was very good and kept you guessing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzVqyZH8tvI

Re-release trailer