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The Spiral Staircase

Dorothy McGuire (Actor), George Brent (Actor), Robert Siodmak (Director) Rated:
Unrated
Format: DVD
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 899 ratings
IMDb7.3/10.0
Additional DVD options Edition Discs
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DVD —
1
$24.00
$16.05 $8.81
DVD
October 4, 2005 		—
1
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$22.95 $7.00
DVD
October 2, 2018 		—
1
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$24.99 $13.31
Genre Drama
Format Subtitled, NTSC, Black & White, Full Screen, Dolby
Contributor Robert Siodmak, James Bell, Dorothy McGuire, Ellen Corby, Rhys Williams, George Brent, Erville Alderson, Rhonda Fleming, Ethel Barrymore, Sara Allgood, Gordon Oliver, Kent Smith, Elsa Lanchester, Ethel Lina White, Mel Dinelli See more
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 23 minutes
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Product Description

A murderer is targeting disabled young women in a sleepy New England town, and Helen (Dorothy McGuire), a mute servant in a Gothic mansion, is terrified she's next! Mrs. Warren (legendary actress Ethel Barrymore in an Oscar®-nominated* performance [Best Supporting Actress, 1946]), the invalid, bullying mistress of the house, warns Helen to leave at once, rather than rely on her weak son and stepson for protection. But even as Helen is packing her things, she suspects she may be too late and the murderer is closer than she ever imagined!

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.75 x 0.53 inches; 2.4 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Robert Siodmak
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, NTSC, Black & White, Full Screen, Dolby
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 23 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ October 4, 2005
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore, Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ MGM (Video & DVD)
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000AM6OOE
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Ethel Lina White, Mel Dinelli
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 899 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
899 global ratings
A psychological suspense thriller that out-Hitchcocks Hitchcock
5 Stars
A psychological suspense thriller that out-Hitchcocks Hitchcock
A stunning psychological thriller from 1946 which has stood the test of time and which, in my view, out-Hitchcocks Hitchcock himself. Dorothy McGuire, a gifted American actress, who also starred in the classic Elia Kazan movie A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, which I absolutely love, gives a tour de force portrayal of a mute woman caught up in a dysfunctional household in a time when a serial killer is targeting physically or mentally challenged women. All of this cast of characters excel in their parts and the underrated director, Robert Siodmak, a world-class and stylish German filmmaker, builds and sustains an atmosphere of suspense and impending evil throughout. It's hard to believe that such a polished movie could feel so undated 75 years later. A true classic that set the bar very high! And it provides a totally enjoyable cinematic experience for the audience.
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Top reviews from the United States

Garry Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful suspence mystery with a touch of 1940s horror
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
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Movie is excellent for its type. Ethel Barrymore, Dorothy McGuire, Elsa Lanchester and George Brent are wonderful with Elsa Lanchester providing a toch of humor. Suspense builds to a dramatic climax. Wonderful and entertaining movie.
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Bobby Underwood
5.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Style Drama and Suspense
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2006
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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!
10 people found this helpful
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Schuyler V. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars THE ORIGINAL-AND ONLY-SPIRAL STAIRCASE; THIS IS ONE CLASSIC
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2005
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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...
25 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Francisco Fontano Aedo
5.0 out of 5 stars Clásica del cine noir
Reviewed in Mexico on April 23, 2023
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El DVD llegó sin problemas y el resultado fue una película excelente que a parte de la trama contiene una fotografía en blanco y negro fantástica para este tipo de temas. Muy buena compra.
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Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Professionalism
Reviewed in Canada on July 5, 2021
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Bonjour very satisfied wirh my purchase ny best regards
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Film buff
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent film!!
Reviewed in Australia on April 19, 2019
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The red herrings in this thriller will surely stump you!
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Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars Kranke Augen...
Reviewed in Germany on July 21, 2012
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Neu England im Jahr 1914: Viele Leute des Städtchens haben sich im hiesigen Kino eingefunden, auf dem Programm steht der Film "Der Student von Prag" von Hanns Heinz Ewers. Das Publikum sitzt gespannt auf den Stühlen, unter ihnen die durch einen Schock stumme Helen (Dorothy McGuire). Im ersten Stockwerk des Hauses hat eine gehbehinderte junge Frau ihre Wohnung. Sie ist im Begriff sich auszuziehen. Ohne es zu wissen, wird sie von ihrem Schrank aus beobachtet. Kranke Augen fixieren die Frau, dann schlägt ihr Mörder gnadenlos zu. Der Sturz auf dem Boden ist auch unten im iim Kino zu hören. Als der Vorführer nach oben geht, um nach dem Rechten zu sehen, wird die Leiche entdeckt.
Schon wieder ein Frauenmord, schon wieder ist das Opfer eine Frau mit einem Gebrechen. Der Kommissar sucht einen Serienkiller, der soviel Ortskenntnisse haben muss, dass nur einer der Bürger der Stadt, vornehmlich unauffällig und bislang unbescholten, in Frage kommen kann. Sozusagen eine Bestie in der Gestalt eines ganz normalen Mitbürgers. Nun ist auch die junge Helen in Gefahr, der junge Arzt Doktor Perry (Kent Smith) fährt sie mit seiner Kutsche heim. Er ist in die junge Frau verliebt und sieht große Chancen, dass sie ihre Sprache wieder erlangen könnte, neue Heilmethoden in Boston legen dies nahe.
Helen ist die Gesellschafterin der alten, bettlägerigen und wohlhabenden Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), die in einem abgelegenen Herrenhaus wohnt.
Sie lebt dort mit ihren beiden Söhnen Albert (George Brent) und Steve (Gordon Oliver). Zu den Angestellten gehören auch die schöne Sekretärin Blanche (Rhonda Fleming), die Krankenschweter Barker (Sara Algood) sowie das Hausmeisterehepaar Oates (Elsa Lanchaster, Rhys Williams).
Genug Leute, damit der armen Helen nichts passiert, könnte man meinen. Doch die alte Mrs. Warren hat Vorahnungen und Ängste um die junge Frau. Sie rät ihr dringend, das Haus noch heute zu verlassen, da sie sich angeblich in sehr großer Gefahr befindet...
Wann erscheint "Die wendeltreppe" endlich auf einer deutschsprachigen DVD ? Bisher Fehlanzeige. Leider...denn der Film ist einer der großen Filmklassiker der 40er Jahre, ein Film im Stil wie "Das Haus der Lady Alquist", also Neogotischer Einschlag.
Ausserdem ist es für mich einer der drei großen Filme des großarigen Robert Siodmak, allerdings ist es schwer zu entscheiden, ob nun "Rächer der Unterwelt", "Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam" oder eben "Die Wendeltreppe" sein bester Film ist.
Im Haus selbst herrscht eine schaurige Stimmung in dieser Nacht, diese Wendeltreppe wird optimal eingesetzt, bald wird klar, dass der Mörder schon im Haus sein könnte.
Siodmak gelingen ausserordentlich gute Sequenzen mit perfekten Suspence-Anteilen. Vor allem die Augen, die beobachten oder auch die Szene, in der Dorothy kurz vor dem Haus in ein Gewitter gerät.
Achtung: Diese DVD hat KEINEN deutschen Ton oder deutsche Untertitel.
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Spike Owen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Gothic, Noirish, Hitchcockian Masterpiece.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2011
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Helen Capel was rendered mute in childhood due to a family trauma, now she acts as a companion to the bed ridden Mrs Warren. She's currently fretful because a serial killer is on the loose and he preys on women with afflictions...

Based on Ethel White's novel "Some Must Watch," The Spiral Staircase harks back to the days of the "old dark house" thrillers and encompasses a German expressionist sheen. The setting is an old Gothic mansion in New England at the turn of the century. Directed by Robert Siodmak, not one spooky house thriller genre convention has been neglected here. The tension builds amid creaking doors and gates, whistling winds, flickering candles, blowing curtains and cut-aways to the eyes of the unseen lurking madman waiting to add poor Helen to his roll call of victims. Mirrors, windows and shadows feature prominently as craftsman Siodmak spins his uneasy expressionistic web.

The cast are uniformly strong. Dorothy McGuire gives one of her best and most convincing performances as the under threat Helen. While Ethel Barrymore (nominated for Best Supporting Actress), Elsa Lanchester and George Brent all turn in brilliant performances. But perhaps it's not unfair to say that the real stars here are the technical staff? Siodmak expands his talent and knowing from his work at Universal Pictures (Son Of Dracula/The Suspect), Albert D'Agostino's sets are wondrous period delights and Nicholas Musuraca's deep-focus photography has the ability to make one keep looking over the shoulder to see if something is lurking in the room with us...

There's quite a few changes in this adaptation from the novel, notably the setting was in England and Helen was a cripple and not mute. But few could seriously argue that The Spiral Staircase in silver screen form is anything but a triumphant piece of classic cinema. 10/10
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