The Spiral Staircase (1975 film)

The Spiral Staircase
Film Poster
Directed by	Peter Collinson
Written by	Mel Dinelli
Based on	Some Must Watch 1933 novel by Ethel Lina White[1]
Produced by	Josef Shaftel
Starring	Jacqueline Bisset Christopher Plummer Sam Wanamaker Mildred Dunnock Gayle Hunnicutt Elaine Stritch John Phillip Law
Cinematography	Ken Hodges
Edited by	Raymond Poulton
Music by	David Lindup
Production company	Raven Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	January 31, 1975 (1975-01-31)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Spiral Staircase is a 1975 British horror mystery thriller film directed by Peter Collinson and starring Jacqueline Bisset and Christopher Plummer.[2][3] It is a remake of the 1946 film of the same name, which was adapted from Ethel Lina White's 1933 British novel Some Must Watch.

Plot

Helen Mallory is a beautiful young woman who has been unable to speak a word since seeing her husband and daughter die in a fire. She visits the home of her elderly, invalid grandmother and meets her uncle, Joe Sherman, a respected psychiatrist. The visit turns into a nightmare as she encounters Joe's brash brother Steven, as well as a pretentious Southern belle named Blanche and other mysterious characters in a house where everyone's life seems to be in grave danger.

Cast

• Jacqueline Bisset as Helen Mallory
• Christopher Plummer as Dr. Joe Sherman
• John Phillip Law as Steven Sherman
• Sam Wanamaker as Lieutenant Fields
• Mildred Dunnock as Mrs. Sherman
• Gayle Hunnicutt as Blanche
• Elaine Stritch as Nurse Baker
• John Ronane as Dr. Rawley
• Sheila Brennan as Mrs. Oates
• Ronald Radd as Oates
• Heather Lowe as Heather
• Christopher Malcolm as Policeman

References

1. Kabatchnik 2010, p. 774.
2. "The Spiral Staircase". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
3. "The Spiral Staircase Film 1975". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2013.

Sources

• Kabatchnik, Amnon (2010). "The Man (1956)". Blood on the Stage, 1950-1975: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810869639.

External links

• The Spiral Staircase at IMDb
• The Spiral Staircase at the TCM Movie Database
• The Spiral Staircase at Rotten Tomatoes