Excellent classic film, great suspense.

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...

Dorothy McGuire delivers an amazing performance as a traumatised mute in this expertly-directed classic of the thriller genre. THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (based on the book "Some Must Watch" by Ethel Lina White) is a moodily-lit, delicious treat for the true lovers of screen thrillers.

In a picture-perfect New England town, someone is murdering young women who have physical afflictions. Could Helen (Dorothy McGuire) be next? Following an horrific event in her past, Helen has lived her life as a mute. Employed as companion to the bedridden Mrs Warren (Ethel Barrymore), Helen is told that her life is in danger and she must leave the house immediately. Is the killer closer than she thinks....and when the killer makes their presence known, will Helen find the courage to scream? THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE is a complete thrill-ride, from it's prologue set in a turn-of-the-century movie theater, to the emotionally-devastating conclusion.

Dorothy McGuire holds the whole movie together, with her masterly performance as mute Helen. It's much subtler than a silent movie or "dumb show" performance, nor is it melodramatic; the amount of emotion McGuire is able to convey with the simplest look, and the way her eyes tell you what's inside her head, is incredible. It's a total tour-de-force from an actress who was never really given her full dues in Hollywood.

Ethel Barrymore, George Brent and Rhonda Fleming lead the outstanding supporting cast, with Elsa Lanchester as the drunken maid, and Sara Allgood as Mrs Warren's comical nurse.

The art direction and cinematography in THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE are all showcased to their best advantage with this new DVD release. There's some minor print damage and water-marking in some areas but on the whole it's a very pleasing transfer for a movie made in 1946. THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE will be a no-brainer for classic movie collectors, and lovers of quality thrillers.

(Single-sided, single-layer disc).

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!

"The Spiral Staircase" is a superb Gothic thriller. A serial killer is terrorizing a small town. The killer preys on young women with mental or physical disabilities. Helen (Dorothy McGuire) is a young woman who lost the ability to speak following a traumatic experience as a child. She is a servant in the house of an elderly invalid (Ethel Barrymore). The police believe the killer is one of the inhabitants of the house.

The suspense builds as the stormy night progresses. A murder occurs, and one by one the members of the household are gotten out of the way, until Helen is left alone. The shocking denouement occurs unexpectedly.

This is a suspense story with decidedly Hitchcockian touches. Robert Siodmak masterfully directs the well-written script. The cast is uniformly fine, with standout performance by Barrymore and Elsa Lanchester as a bad-tempered housekeeper. But the movie belongs to McGuire, one of the most underrated actors of the 1940's and 50's. Without being able to say a word, she is able to communicate the rising fright she feels, using only her face and actions.

The set design and beautiful black-and-white cinematography add to the atmosphere of terror surrounding the isolated house.

A true classic of the suspense field, this is an exciting film keeps the viewer on his toes from beginning to end. A must see for any fan of mystery and suspense!