TheSpiralStaircase

The Spiral Staircase (1945)

I really enjoy the classics and The Spiral Staircase definitely fits into that category. The movie is set during the early part of the 1900s in a rural town. A killer is on the loose, his victims all being women that have some sort of affliction that cripples them in some way. It is here that we are introduced to Helen, a beautiful young woman that works for a local family as a maid. She is mute, and we the audience know that she is being stalked by the killer as his or her next victim. It becomes clear early on that a member of the household is the killer and that with a storm blowing in they are all locked in the house! The majority of the rest of the movie is Helen being stalked throughout the house, without her knowledge, by the killer. In the end the killer is revealed and an unexpected hero appears to save the day.

Okay so here is where I start to sound like an old guy, but they just don’t make them like this anymore. The story takes it’s time, but is always interesting. This is helped immensely by the tension that is built as the movie goes along. Right from the beginning with the figure in the first victim’s closet that the audience sees, but that she doesn’t there is an overwhelming sense of tension. The movie then introduces Helen and takes the time to make her a very sympathetic character. This alone builds tension as the audience begins to like her, knowing the whole time that she is going to be put in danger. The cast is very good and a pleasure to watch. I especially want to point out the performance of Dorothy McGuire as Helen. She has to give her performance and carry much of the film without any dialogue. This is both a testament to the script as well as her abilities as an actress. Also keep your eyes out for the old bride of Frankenstein herself Elsa Lanchester in the role of the cook. She is almost unrecognizable, and does a wonderful job.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the quality of the camera work, as well as other technical bits. I’ve never seen a black and white film shot any better than the Spiral Staircase. The use of shadow and the minimal lighting makes for a stunning movie that is a joy to sit and watch. Also there are a couple of cool shots involving the eyes of the killer. One in particular that uses a neat trick to show the audience how the twisted mind of the killer sees his victims is especially creepy. The shot of Helen without a mouth is going to stick with me for a long time.

Now with this being said the movie isn’t without it’s flaws. First the filmmakers try too hard to give too many possible suspects, many of who are easily dismissed. Plus an observant viewer will know who the killer is once he or she is introduced (I did, but I’m not going to ruin it for anyone!). But compared with the overall quality of the film these are minor complaints. All in all this is a wonderful old movie that I can’t recommend enough. If you get the chance to either catch it on cable or get your hands on a DVD or VHS do so.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer