The Spiral Staircase (1946)
The Spiral Staircase (1946)
„The Spiral Staircase“ is a 1946 psychological horror film directed by Robert Siodmak. The screenplay by Mel Dinelli is based on the 1933 novel „Some Must Watch“ by Ethel Lina White.
In a village in 1906 Vermont, Helen, a mute girl, attends a silent film screening in a local inn. During the screening, a paraplegic woman limps out of the theatre to her room. She is strangled by a man who was hiding in her closet. Her murder is the third in a string of killings in the community.
Dr. Parry drives Helen to the Warren home, a large estate outside town where Helen is employed as a live-in companion for the bedridden Mrs. Warren. Also residing in the house are Mrs. Warren’s stepson Albert, a local professor; her son, Steven, a charming playboy; and live-in staff: Mrs. Oates, a housekeeper; her husband Mr. Oates, a handyman; Blanche, Albert’s beautiful secretary who is having an affair with Steven, who has recently returned from abroad; and Nurse Barker, who Mrs. Warren verbally abuses.
Mrs. Oates discusses the murder and expresses fear for Helen, as the killer appears to be targeting women with disabilities. After Mrs. Warren loses consciousness, Dr. Parry is summoned to the home. Nurse Barker discovers that the bottle of ether has gone missing, and Albert sends Mr. Oates to retrieve some in town. Meanwhile, Mrs. Warren regains consciousness and urges Dr. Parry to take Helen with him. He offers to take Helen to Boston and help her work through the trauma of her parents’ death, the shock of which triggered her muteness.
Blanche is attacked and strangled by the killer. Helen finds her corpse in the basement and is confronted by Steven. Frightened that he is responsible, she locks him downstairs and flees upstairs.
Albert finds Helen frantic, and she writes on a notepad that Blanche has been murdered. As he follows her up the staircase to Mrs. Warren’s room, he confesses to killing her out of jealousy. Albert then reveals how he got everyone out of the way to get her alone, and that he has a goal of killing the „weak and imperfect of the world.“ Helen flees, locking herself in Mrs. Warren’s bedroom.
Meanwhile, the Constable shows up. Helen returns to the basement to free Steven but finds Albert waiting. He chases her, but Mrs. Warren shoots Albert, killing him, and Helen screams in horror. Mrs. Warren explains that she suspected Albert was the killer, but wasn’t sure because the murders stopped when Steven was away. She notes Albert started killing again when Steven returned to cast suspicion on him.
Mrs. Warren orders Helen to retrieve Steven, so she frees him from the basement closet. Mrs. Warren embraces him and dies on the staircase in his arms. Downstairs, Helen calls Dr. Parry on the telephone. She is now able to fully speak.
Cast:
- Dorothy McGuire – Helen
- George Brent – Professor Warren
- Ethel Barrymore – Mrs. Warren
- Kent Smith – Dr. Parry
- Rhonda Fleming – Blanche
- Gordon Oliver – Steve Warren
- Elsa Lanchester – Mrs. Oates
- Sara Allgood – Nurse Barker
- Rhys Williams – Mr. Oates
- James Bell – Constable
- Erville Alderson – Dr. Harvey
- Ellen Corby – Neighbour
- Myrna Dell – Murder Victim
- George Holmes – The Killer’s „Shadow“
- Stanley Price – Starry-eyed Man
- Robert Siodmak – The Killer’s „Eye“
- Richard Tyler – Freddy
- Charles Wagenheim – Desk Clerk
- Larry Wheat – Minister
„Die Wendeltreppe“ (The Spiral Staircase) ist ein psychologischer Horrorfilm von 1946 unter der Regie von Robert Siodmak. Das Drehbuch von Mel Dinelli basiert auf dem 1933 erschienenen Roman "Some Must Watch" von Ethel Lina White.
In einem Dorf im Vermont des Jahres 1906 besucht Helen, ein stummes Mädchen, eine Stummfilmvorführung in einem örtlichen Gasthaus. Während der Vorführung humpelt eine querschnittsgelähmte Frau aus dem Kino in ihr Zimmer. Sie wird von einem Mann erdrosselt, der sich in ihrem Schrank versteckt hatte. Ihr Mord ist der dritte in einer Reihe von Morden in der Gemeinde.
Dr. Parry fährt Helen zum Haus der Warrens, einem großen Anwesen außerhalb der Stadt, wo Helen als Haushälterin für die bettlägerige Mrs. Warren angestellt ist. In dem Haus wohnen auch Mrs. Warrens Stiefsohn Albert, ein örtlicher Professor, ihr Sohn Steven, ein charmanter Playboy, und das Hauspersonal: Mrs. Oates, eine Haushälterin; ihr Mann Mr. Oates, ein Handwerker; Blanche, Alberts schöne Sekretärin, die eine Affäre mit Steven hat, der gerade aus dem Ausland zurückgekehrt ist; und Schwester Barker, die Mrs. Warren beschimpft.