A Journey Through Guilt and Subconscious Shadows: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound”

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1945, Spellbound is a pioneering psychological thriller that explores the mysteries of the human subconscious. The film stars Ingrid Bergman as Dr. Constance Petersen, a dedicated psychiatrist at the Green Manors mental asylum, and Gregory Peck as the man who arrives to take over as the new head of the institution, Dr. Anthony Edwardes. However, Constance soon realizes that the man is not who he claims to be; he is an amnesiac suffering from a severe guilt complex and a deep-seated phobia of parallel lines against a white background, which he believes is linked to a murder he might have committed.

As the mysterious stranger flees from the police, Constance follows him, convinced that his illness is masking a repressed memory rather than a criminal nature. The narrative follows their journey to the home of her mentor, Dr. Brulov (played by Michael Chekhov), where they attempt to decode the man's fractured psyche. The film is famously remembered for its dream sequence designed by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, featuring distorted landscapes, melting eyes, and giant scissors—all of which serve as Freudian clues that Constance must interpret to uncover the truth about the real Dr. Edwardes’s disappearance.

Upon its release, Spellbound was a massive commercial success and helped popularize psychoanalysis in American cinema. The film’s tension is heightened by Miklós Rózsa’s Academy Award-winning score, which prominently featured the eerie, wavering sound of the theremin to represent mental instability. While some of the psychological theories presented may feel dated today, the film remains a classic example of Hitchcock’s mastery of suspense, anchored by the intense chemistry between Bergman and Peck and its innovative visual storytelling.

 

Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) was a legendary English filmmaker known as the “Master of Suspense,” whose career spanned over fifty years and fundamentally shaped the thriller genre. Born on August 13, 1899, in London, he began his career in the silent era before moving to Hollywood in 1939, where he directed some of the most influential films in cinema history, including Rebecca (1940), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and Psycho (1960). Hitchcock was a pioneer of technical innovation, famous for his use of “MacGuffins,” bird’s-eye view shots, and the “Dolly zoom,” as well as his iconic cameo appearances in nearly all of his films. A master of psychological manipulation and visual storytelling, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award and was knighted shortly before his death on April 29, 1980, leaving a legacy that continues to define modern cinematic language.

Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982) was a luminous Swedish actress whose natural beauty and profound talent made her one of the most celebrated figures in cinematic history. Born on August 29, 1915, in Stockholm, she rose to international stardom with her unforgettable performance as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca (1942) and went on to win three Academy Awards for her roles in Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Known for her versatility, she moved effortlessly between Hollywood blockbusters and European arthouse films, most notably during her highly publicized and creatively fruitful collaboration with director Roberto Rossellini. Remarkably, Bergman passed away on her 67th birthday, August 29, 1982, leaving behind a legacy of poise and emotional depth that remains a gold standard for actors worldwide.

Gregory Peck (1916–2003) was a cornerstone of American cinema, celebrated for his commanding presence, resonant voice, and the quiet moral authority he brought to the screen. Born Eldred Gregory Peck on April 5, 1916, in La Jolla, California, he became an immediate star in the 1940s with Academy Award-nominated performances in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) and The Yearling (1946). He is most indelibly linked to his Oscar-winning role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), a character that came to define the cinematic ideal of integrity and conscience. Beyond his dramatic work, Peck showcased his range in romantic comedies like Roman Holiday (1953) and intense Westerns such as The Big Country (1958). A dedicated humanitarian and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Peck remained a respected elder statesman of Hollywood until his death on June 12, 2003, leaving a legacy of grace and principled storytelling.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on April 13, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Spellbound trivia

• One of the film's most famous elements is the surreal dream sequence designed by artist Salvador Dalí. While the final version in the film is roughly three minutes long, Dalí originally conceptualized a much more elaborate and disturbing twenty-minute sequence. This original vision included a scene where Ingrid Bergman would appear to turn into a statue, but it proved too technically difficult and expensive to film, leading Hitchcock to bring in artist Ingrid Bergman’s friend and mentor, actor Michael Chekhov, to help streamline the sequence.
• Spellbound was the first major Hollywood film to use the theremin, an electronic musical instrument played without physical contact. Composer Miklós Rózsa used its eerie, wavering sound to heighten the sense of Dr. Edwardes’s mental instability. The score was so effective that it won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and sparked a trend in 1940s and 50s psychological thrillers and sci-fi films using the instrument to signify “otherworldliness” or fractured psyches.
• In the film's climactic finale, Hitchcock used a unique practical effect to create a first-person perspective of a revolver being pointed at the camera. To keep both the gun in the foreground and the actor in the background in sharp focus, a giant wooden hand and a prop gun twice the normal size were built. This allowed the camera to capture the tension of the moment with a depth of field that was otherwise impossible with the lenses of 1945.
• To ensure the film’s depiction of psychoanalysis was as accurate as possible, producer David O. Selznick brought in his own therapist, Dr. May Romm, as a technical advisor. Her presence on set reportedly led to frequent clashes with Hitchcock, who was more interested in cinematic suspense than clinical accuracy. When Dr. Romm pointed out that certain scenes didn’t reflect real psychiatric practice, Hitchcock famously replied, “It’s only a movie.”

 

Discussion questions

1. Dr. Constance Petersen risks her professional reputation and her physical safety to help a man she barely knows, driven by a “hunch” that he is innocent. Do you view her actions as a triumph of intuition and love, or as a dangerous violation of professional boundaries? How does the film portray the conflict between her clinical, “frigid” persona at the start and her emotional vulnerability by the end?
2. The dream sequence, designed by Salvador Dalí, is filled with specific symbols: melting eyes, blank playing cards, and a man without a face. Hitchcock uses these as a literal map to the protagonist’s trauma. In the context of modern psychology, does this puzzle-piece approach to memory feel like an effective storytelling device, or does it oversimplify the complexities of the human mind?
3. The film uses a recurring visual motif of parallel lines—on a bedspread, a robe, or even in the snow—to trigger the protagonist's guilt complex. How does Hitchcock use cinematography and production design to make the audience share in this sense of unease? Discuss how these visual triggers serve as a bridge between the character’s internal mental state and the external world.
4. In 1945, psychoanalysis was a relatively new and fascinating concept for general audiences. In Spellbound, “The Science” is essentially the hero who solves the mystery. How does the film’s portrayal of therapy compare to other Hitchcock films (like Psycho or Marnie)? Does the film suggest that we are all "prisoners" of our childhood memories until they are brought to light?

 

Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming “Cry Danger”

Cry Danger (1951) is an American film noir drama directed by Robert Parrish and starring Dick Powell, and Rhonda Fleming. The supporting cast includes Richard Erdman, William Conrad, Regis Toomey, and Jean Porter.

Rocky Mulloy (Powell) was sentenced to life in prison for a robbery and murder that he did not commit. He is released five years later when an “eyewitness,” a one-legged ex-Marine named Delong (Erdman) said he didn’t do it. The alibi by Delong is a fake one, but ever the opportunist, by freeing Rocky, he hopes to share in the missing $100,000 from the robbery. However, Rocky says he wasn’t involved with the robbery and is determined to find out who framed him and his friend Danny Morgan, whose wife Nancy (Fleming) was involved with Rocky before she married Danny. Nancy seems to want to start where they left off many years ago which makes Rocky uncomfortable and complicates his quest to clear himself and Danny.

Will Rocky uncover who framed him and will he be able to clear his name.

 

Robert Parrish (1916 – 195) was an American film director, film editor, and former child actor. As a child, Parrish appeared in many silent films, including the classic Sunrise: A Story of Two Humans. He transitioned to talking pictures including Anna Christie (1930) with Greta Garbo, The Big Trail (1930) with John Wayne, and Forbidden (1932) with Barbara Stanwyck. Parish, with John Ford’s encouragement,  began working behind the scenes as a film editor. He worked with Ford on Stagecoach (1939), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), and The Grapes of Wrath. Parrish won an Academy Award (shared with Francis Lyon) for editing Body and Soul (1947). Cry Danger (1951) was Parrish’s first directorial effort. He went on the direct major stars like Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Rita Hayworth, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Cain.

Dick Powell (1904 - 1963) was an American actor, singer, producer, and director. He began his movie career in musicals and comedies but eventually toughened up his image in the mid-1940s where he became a popular star of films noir. He was the first actor to portray Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet (1944). After appearing in his last film, Susan Slept Here, Powell started directing. In the 1950s he was one of the founders of Four Star Television along with Charles Boyer, David Niven, and Ida Lupino. Some popular films starring Powell include 42nd Street (1933), A Midsummer's Night Dream (1935), Christmas in July (1940), Pitfall (1948), and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).

Rhonda Fleming (1923 – 2020) was an American actress and singer. Fleming was discovered walking to high school by agent Henry Willson. She was signed to a seven-year contract without a screen test, “it was a Cinderella story, but those things could happened in those days,” said Fleming. She had bit parts in Since You Went Away (1944) and When Strangers Marry (1944). Fleming had her first substantial role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. In 1949, Fleming won the female lead in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1949) co-starring Bing Crosby. In that film, she got to show off her singing ability. Also in 1949, she co-starred with Bob Hope in The Great Lover. Ten years later, she co-starred with Hope again in Alias Jesse James. After her film career slowed down, Fleming worked in television starting in the 1950s. She worked for several charities and established the Rhonda Fleming Mann Clinic for Women’s Comprehensive Care at the UCLA Medical Center.

Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming

Cry Danger trivia

• Actress Jean Porter said that Dick Powell directed the film but gave the screen credit to Robert Parrish.
• This is Rhonda Fleming’s personal favorite of all her films.
• Fleming donated to restore the film by the Film Noir Foundation and UCLA’s Film and Television Archive.
• There is a credit for the song “Cry Danger” but no song by that name is heard in the film.
• $100,000 in 1946 (when the film took place) is equivalent to over one million dollars today.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

 

Click HERE to join the discussion May 13, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. How do you think this film compared with Pitfall?
2. Does this film fit with your idea of a “classic” film noir?
3. Film noir plots are notoriously complicated and hard to follow. Where you able to follow the plot of Cry Danger?
4. What did you think of Fleming’s performance? Was she a typical femme fatale?
5. Did this film surprise you in any way?

 

Dorothy McGuire descends "The Spiral Staircase"

The Spiral Staircase (1946) is a psychological suspense film directed by Robert Siodmak starring Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, and Ethel Barrymore. Dore Schary produced the film; the screenplay was by Mel Dinelli, the music by Roy Webb, and the cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca.

The setting is a small New England town during the early 20th century terrorized by a serial killer targeting handicapped women. McGuire stars as Helen, a mute since childhood, after she witnessed her parents burn to death in a fire. She is employed by Mrs. Warren (Barrymore), who insists that Helen leave town because she fears she could be the killer’s next victim. Does Mrs. Warren know who the killer is? Mrs. Warren is a widow with two sons: Professor Albert Warren (Brent) and Steven Warren (Gordon Oliver). Albert is Mrs. Warren’s stepson, the son of her husband’s first marriage. Steven is her biological son.

Dorothy McGuire walks home in the dark.

All the action takes place during one day, which adds to the film’s increasing tension. The cast also features Kent Smith, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Allgood, and Rhonda Fleming.

Robert Siodmak (1900 – 1973) had a very successful career in Hollywood and is best known for his thrillers and films noir. He signed a seven-year contract with Universal and directed The Killers (1946), the film that made Ava Gardner a star. He worked with some of the top movie stars during Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Deanna Durbin, Gene Kelly, Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire, Yvonne de Carlo, Olivia de Havilland, and Barbara Stanwyck. Often compared to Hitchcock in his prime, he never got the recognition that the Master of Suspense did, but most of his films hold up remarkably well and are worth watching.

Dore Schary (1905 – 1980) was an American screenwriter, producer, and studio executive. Schary was a journalist and acted in bit parts on Broadway. Schary wrote screenplays for all the major studios before becoming a film executive with David O. Selznick’s Vanguard Films where he oversaw the production of I’ll Be Seeing You (1944), The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). He moved on to the head of production for RKO where he produced Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) and Crossfire (1948). Schary left RKO and went to M-G-M to be vice president in charge of production in 1948 and immediately clashed with studio head Louis B. Meyer. Things came to a head with Meyer resigning and Schary made the head of the studio. After a series of film flops, Schary was fired from M-G-M in 1957. Schary went on to have success writing and producing shows on Broadway including Sunrise at Campobello (1958-59). He went on to write and produce the film version to great success.

Mel Dinelli (1912 – 1991) was an American writer for theater, radio, and film. Dinelli wrote the screenplays for The Window (1949), The Reckless Moment (1949), Cause for Alarm! (1951), Beware, My Lovely (1952), Jeopardy (1953), and Lizzie (1957).

Roy Webb (1888 – 1982) was an American film music composer. Webb was born in New York City and conducted on Broadway before moving to Hollywood in the late 1920s where he became the music director at RKO where he stayed until 1955. He was nominated for seven Academy Awards for his film scores including scores for My Favorite Wife (1940), I Married a Witch (1942), and The Enchanted Cottage (1945). Other famous film scores include Notorious (1946), Out of the Past (1947), I Remember Mama (1948), and Teacher’s Pet (1958). A graduate of Columbia University, Webb wrote the fight song “Roar, Lion Roar” in 1925.

Nicholas Musuraca (1892 – 1975) was a cinematographer best known for his work at RKO where he helped establish their house style. Musuraca filmed producer Val Lewton’s famous horror film Cat People (1942) and the film noir classic Out of the Past (1947), and director George Stevens’s I Remember Mama (1948). Other movies he filmed include Deadline at Dawn (1946), The Locket (1946), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947).

McGuire at the movies

Dorothy McGuire (1916 – 2001) was an American theater and film actress. McGuire developed an interest in acting at a young age. At 13, she made her stage debut in A Kiss for Cinderella in Omaha, Nebraska, her hometown. Henry Fonda, also from Omaha, was her costar. As an adult, she achieved fame on Broadway in Claudia”(1941 to 1943). In 1943, she starred in the film version with Robert Young that was a huge success. She reunited with Young for The Enchanted Cottage (1945) and replaced Gene Tierney in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). She was nominated for Best Actress in Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). Some of her other films include Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Trial (1955), and Friendly Persuasion (1956). McGuire made several popular films for Walt Disney including Old Yeller (1957), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and Summer Magic (1963).

George Brent (1904 – 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. Brent went to Hollywood in 1930 and appeared in supporting roles in several films. In 1931, he signed with Warner Bros. where he played opposite Barbara Stanwyck in So Big! (1932). That same year he co-starred with Stanwyck again in The Purchase Price. In 1933 he appeared in the musical classic 42nd Street, The Keyhole with Kay Francis and Stanwyck again in Baby Face. He made a string of pictures with Bette Davis: Jezebel (1938), Dark Victory (1939), The Old Maid (1939), The Great Lie (1941), and In This Our Life (1942). Brent continued acting in movies and television till 1978, a year before he died of emphysema.

Ethel Barrymore and McGuire

Ethel Barrymore (1879 – 1959) was an American actress whose career spanned more than six decades. She was the sister of actors John and Lionel Barrymore, the aunt of John Drew Barrymore, and the great-aunt of Drew Barrymore. Barrymore established herself as a major Broadway actress in the 1920s and appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1924. Barrymore made 15 silent movies and appeared in the early talking picture Rasputin and the Empress (1932) with her brothers John and Lionel. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in None but the Lonely Heart (1944) co-starring Cary Grant. She was nominated for three more Best Supporting Actress Oscars for The Spiral Staircase (1946), The Paradine Case (1947), and Pinky (1949).

A cautious McGuire navigates The Spiral Staircase

The Spiral Staircase trivia:

• Ingrid Bergman was originally considered for the role of Helen.
• The Killer’s eyes are those of director Robert Siodmak.
• The silent film being watched by Dorothy McGuire’s character is D.W. Griffith’s The Sands of Time (1922).
• Included among the American Film Institute’s 2001 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Movies.

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

To join us on Zoom for a discussion of the film on November 24, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click on the link to the Chicago Film Club.

Discussion questions:

1. What genre category do you think this film fits? 
2. Some have called it a horror film. Is that a fair assessment?
3. What did you make of the dynamic between the two brothers?
4. Did you wonder if Mrs. Warren knew who the murderer was?
5. Was the romance between Helen and Dr. Parry believable?

Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck are “Spellbound” by Alfred Hitchcock

Spellbound (1945) is a film noir with a psychological twist directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It stars Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck with a screenplay by Ben Hecht, based on the novel The House of Dr. Edwardes (1927) by Hilary Saint George Saunders and John Palmer writing under the pseudonym Francis Beeding.

Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman

Dr. Constance Peterson (Bergman) is a psychoanalyst at Green Manors, a mental hospital in Vermont where she is perceived to be somewhat cold and aloof. Dr. Murchison (Leo G. Carroll) is forced to retire due to nervous exhaustion. When his replacement shows up in the form of Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Peck), Constance and the rest of the staff are amazed by that the hospital hired such a young director. Dr. Peterson is drawn to Dr. Edwardes, but she notices that things may not be quite right with him.

The film also features a dream sequence designed by artist Salvador Dali. William Cameron Menzies who also did the set design for the movie directed the sequence.

Bergman and Peck in part of the dream sequence deleted from the final cut. 

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1936), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982) was a Swedish actress who became an international star upon her Hollywood debut in Intermezzo (1939). Few actresses were as popular as Bergman during the 1940s. In fact, she was the number two box office draw (after Bing Crosby) in 1946. She starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) opposite Gary Cooper, Gaslight (1944) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. She starred opposite newcomer Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945) which was her first collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman would go on to win another Best Actress Academy Award for Anastasia (1956) and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

The film features an excellent supporting cast including Michael Chekhov as Dr. Brulov in a Best Supporting Oscar-nominated performance, Rhonda Fleming in her film debut, and Norman Lloyd (still with us at 105!).

Theatre marquee when Spellbound was first released

Spellbound Trivia:

• One of the first movies to deal with psychoanalysis
• Miklos Rosza’s score won an Academy Award
• Producer David O. Selznick wanted Dorothy McGuire and Joseph Cotton for the Bergman and Peck roles. All the actors were under contract to Selznick.
• Hitchcock’s first choice to play Dr. Edwardes was Cary Grant. His second choice was Joseph Cotton

To watch the film, click on the YouTube link below. Be sure to use this link because there are several prints of this film on the channel. This is by far the best.

After you watch the film, join us for a discussion on Zoom, September 29, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. The invitation and Zoom links are below.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "Spellbound"

Time: Sep 29, 2020, 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75223813893?pwd=Z3BiU2VFbVk4VVZTendjV01wektKUT09

Meeting ID: 752 2381 3893

Passcode: su4yZR

Discussion Questions:

1. Hitchcock uses a lot of visual imagery in Spellbound. Did anyone visual (or series of visuals) stand out to you?
2. What did you make of the psychological backstory?
3. The Dream sequence was originally 20 minutes long but was cut down to about two minutes. Does it work and fit the narrative?
4. Did the score of the film help or hurt it?

Classic Movies to watch during COVID-19: “The Spiral Staircase”

The Spiral Staircase (1946) directed by Robert Siodmak is one of my favorite films. During this time when most of us are confined to our homes, I thought it would be interesting to review this classic.

The Spiral Staircase is based on the novel Some Must Watch (1933) by British Author Ethel Lina. Screenwriter Mel Dinelli, changed the location from Britain to early 20th century Vermont. The plot focuses on a young woman named Helen (Dorothy McGuire) who suffered a childhood tragedy that left her mute. She is employed by Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), a rich old woman who is bedridden and in need of constant medical attention. The Warren home is a large Victorian mansion with lavish furnishings and a spooky spiral staircase that goes down to the cellar. It is also secluded and isolated from the town. The Warren’s employ Mr. and Mrs. Oates, a husband and wife team (Rhys Williams and Elsa Lancaster) of handyman and housekeeper respectively. Mrs. Warren has two sons: Professor Albert Warren (George Brent) and Steven Warren (Gordon Oliver) who has just returned from a trip abroad. Albert, who is the older brother, is actually Mrs. Warren’s stepson by her husband’s previous marriage. Also living in the Warren home is Blanche (Rhonda Fleming), Professor Warren’s secretary.

Helen (Dorothy McGuire) watches a silent film while a murder takes place in the hotel.

The movie begins with Helen attending the showing of a silent movie in a downtown hotel. It’s a great scene for a couple of reasons. It establishes the time period and showcases what the silent movie experience was like. It also helps to establish the mute Helen’s character; she is living in a kind of silent movie of her own.

At the conclusion of the film, the constable (James Bell) arrives at the hotel after a handicapped woman staying there has been murdered. Two other women have been murdered recently and it appears that all the dead women had some kind of physical handicap or deformity. The constable advises Helen to go home before sundown as he suspects the town is being terrorized by a serial killer. Just as she’s about to walk home, Helen meets Dr. Parry (Kent Smith) who offers her a ride in his carriage. It is obvious by the way Helen and Dr. Parry interact that they enjoy each other’s company. Helen accepts the ride, but about halfway home, a young boy stops the carriage and begs Dr. Parry to come to his house to attend to his ailing father even though Dr. Harvey (Erville Alderson) is the boy’s father’s physician. Dr. Parry relents to the boy’s pleas, which leaves Helen to walk the rest of the way on her own. As Helen gets closer to the Warren home, the sky turns dark and it begins to rain. In her hurry to get into the house, she drops her key. As she scrambles to find it on the wet ground, a sinister-looking figure is seen lurking behind a tree, stalking Helen. Fortunately, she finds the key and gets into the house safely, but now we know that whoever the murderer is, sees Helen as a potential victim.

Helen walks the rest of the way home by herself.

Safe inside the house we learn some more about the Warren family. We discover that there is tension between the stepbrothers. It seems that Steven and Blanche had a relationship in the past. Steven just back from Europe seems to want to rekindle that relationship. This situation makes Blanche uncomfortable since she’s employed by his stepbrother, the professor. As the storm rages outside, you get the sense that one is brewing inside this home as well. In the meantime, Mrs. Warren’s condition seems to be getting worse. Dr. Parry is called to treat her, which pleases Helen.

Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore) is fearful of Helen’s life

During Dr. Parry’s visit, it is discovered that the ether, used to revive Mrs. Warren from her spells, has gone missing. The matriarch accuses Nurse Barker (Sara Allgood) of taking it. This is the last straw for Nurse Barker who quits after being accused, leaving Helen to tend to Mrs. Warren by herself. Just before Dr. Parry leaves, Mrs. Warren begs him to take Helen away from the house; she senses some harm will come to her if she stays. He agrees and leaves to attend to another patient, but promises to come back for Helen as soon as he’s done. Professor Warren orders Mr. Oates to go to a neighboring town to get some more ether, a task he’s not keen to do on a stormy night.

Helen on the creep spiral staircase

One by one, people exit the house leaving Helen alone with Mrs. Warren. Not only is Helen isolated because of her inability to speak, but she’s isolated in the huge Warren house during a furious rainstorm. Will she survive the night?

Siodmak is compared to Alfred Hitchcock in his ability to build suspense and it’s a fair comparison. The tension rises to a surprising and satisfying (for me) climax. The film’s production values are first-rate. The cinematography by RKO’s legendary Nicholas Musuraca (I Remember Mama) created the perfect mood with light and shadow. The music is by another RKO contract employee, Roy Webb (Notorious). All these elements work together to create the perfect blend of mystery and suspense.

McGuire is amazing as Helen, acting with her eyes and body since she doesn’t speak. Barrymore gives her usual cantankerous old-woman-sick-in-bed characterization, but it totally works here. Brent is properly reserved as the professor hiding a family secret. The rest of the supporting cast has some great moments, including Lancaster as the housekeeper with a soft spot for brandy and the constable fearful of the Warren’s harmless bulldog.

Helen, Professor Warren (George Brent), Blanche (Rhonda Fleming), and Steve Warren (Gordon Oliver)
in a dream sequence

If I had to classify The Spiral Staircase, I’d call it gothic film noir. The remoteness of the setting and the moody photography combine to make that tag make sense.

I guarantee that The Spiral Staircase will not disappoint. It has so many virtues that it’s worth more than one viewing to realize them all.

Let me know what you think of this classic.

You can watch The Spiral Staircase on YouTube.



The Spiral Staircase
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Produced by Dore Sherry
Screenplay by Mel Dinelli
Cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca
Music by Roy Webb
Released February 6, 1946