© 2008 William Ahearn
Robert Siodmak made “The Spiral Staircase” in 1945 right before directing the American noir classic “The Killers” based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway. Known as a director who usually works moody and atmospheric aspects into his productions, Siodmak also made memorable non-noirish films such as “The Crimson Pirate” with Burt Lancaster and “Cobra Woman” with Maria Montez.
In a small town, circa 1916, someone is killing “damaged” woman. The unseen first victim is severely scarred. The second – a woman with a limp – is killed as the movie begins. The woman that the film is concerned with is Helen (played by Dorothy McGuire), a mute, who works for a bed-ridden matriarch in the mansion of one of the town’s leading families.
That is where the action of the film takes place and where the staircase of the title leads to the upper floors. Based on Ethel Lina White’s novel Some Must Watch (White also wrote The Lady Vanishes), it’s the story of stepbrothers, family obligations and the obligatory love story. It’s a solid flick with some nice cinematography and good performances – especially Ethel Barrymore.
Without giving too much away, the killer – as with Dr. X and The Leopard Man – is, once again, an educated and intelligent member of the upper class. Where this profile became the norm is beyond me but it may have its roots in several theories concerning Jack the Ripper’s identity as a member of the royal family or at least among the peerage.
Serial Killer films would go into a hiatus for over a decade and when they came back, the notion of the gentleman killer would be replaced by truly scary characters.