The Spiral Staircase (1946)

Few thrillers have ever wrapped terror in such beauty as Robert Siodmak's The Spiral Staircase (1946). Adapted from Ethel Lina White's novel "Some Must Watch", it is one of the crown jewels of the "old dark house" tradition. 

The story takes place in 1916 in a quiet New England village that is shaken by a killer who is stalking women he deems "imperfect." Inside the great Warren mansion, the latest potential target, Helen Capel (Dorothy McGuire), a young mute servant girl, tends to her bedridden employer Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), unaware that danger lurks within the corridors of the house she calls home. 

Director Robert Siodmak, fresh from his work at Universal, infused the picture with the eerie elegance of German Expressionism. His camera glides through the Warren house teasing us with glimpses of views through mirrors and banisters, as though we were the unseen watcher. The most iconic frame of the film is undoubtably his close-up of the killer's eye and its reflection of the titular staircase. 

Dorothy McGuire gives a remarkable delicate performance as Helen. One forgets her muteness entirely, instead we sense her vulnerability and every thought of fear through her expressions alone. The grand old dame Barrymore gives a barnstorming turn as the sharp-tongued ailing dowager, a role which earned her an Academy Award nomination. George Brent and Gordon Oliver are each cloaked in just enough mystery to keep the viewer guessing, while Kent Smith lends a touch of romance to the proceedings as the young Dr. Parry who is anxious for Helen to regain her speech. The always appealing Rhonda Fleming costars as Mr. Warren's secretary; Elsa Lanchester brings some tipsy humor to the household gloom, and Sara Allgood and Rhys Williams round out the cast of servants. 

Visually, the film is a feast. Nicholas Musuraca's cinematography - that deep-focus chiaroscuro he perfected in Cat People and The Seventh Victim - breathes life into Albert D'Agostino's rambling and gloomy Victorian sets. 

The mystery itself may not stump many modern viewers, but The Spiral Staircase was never about surprise...it is about suspense - that exquisite tightening of the nerves as Helen's silence grows unbearable. In its refinement and restraint, The Spiral Staircase anticipates the psychological thrillers of decades to come and remains a Gothic masterpiece preserved on celluloid.

Gun Glory ( 1957 )

Philip Yordan's western novel "Man of the West" was brought to the screen in beautiful Cinemascope as Gun Glory ( 1957 ) with the great Stewart Granger taking on the lead role of Tom Early. 

It is 1880s Wyoming, and Early has just returned to the town he calls home after spending years away attempting to win a fortune gambling. He has gained an unwarranted reputation of being a gunslinger and is known in town as the man who "enjoys killing". Early is surprised when he goes to his homestead and discovers that his wife has died and his 17-year-old son ( Steve Rowland ) blames him for her death. 

Early wants to put away his guns, patch up his relationship with his son and return to ranching, but a local cattle baron named Grimsell ( James Gregory ) is bent on stirring up trouble instead. He wants to pass his herd of 20,000 cattle roughshod through the town's valley which will destroy many of the settlers' lands. Early warns the townspeople that they have the right to refuse him access to cross the valley but that Grimsell will not settle the dispute without a fight. After Grimsell attacks the preacher ( Chill Wills ) and his posse, Early decides to strap on his guns again and take on Grimsell single-handedly. 

"Men who live by the gun, die by the gun" - Preacher

"That depends on what kind of shot you are" - Early

Stewart Granger, in spite of being an Englishman, was well-suited to the western genre. He looked good on a horse and had that rugged come-and-tackle-me appearance. Granger himself loved the American west and, several years prior to making Gun Glory, had purchased a 5,280 acre ranch near Nogales, Arizona to breed cattle. 

He gives a solid performance as Tom Early, making him out to be quite a noble character even though he deserted his wife and son years ago. 

On its surface, Gun Glory appears to be a run-of-the-mill western, but there is a lot of depth to the characters and the relationships between them which gives the film its added appeal. The romantic angle is provided by the beautiful Rhonda Fleming who plays Jo, a young woman whom Early rescues from the leering eyes of storekeeper Sam Winscott ( James Aubuchon ). She needs a job and gladly accepts the task of being Early's "live-in" housekeeper. Naturally, in the seclusion of his homestead, love blossoms between the two.

Steve Rowland also gives a good performance as Tom's handsome son. He has to wrestle with his resentment toward his father and also his romantic feelings for Jo. Steve Rowland is the son of Roy Rowland, the director of Gun Glory. 

James Gregory is delightful as the brutish baddie and the lovable Chill Wills gets an especially meaty part as the gentle but courageous preacher. 

Also in the cast is Arch Johnson, Rayford Barnes, William Fawcett, Bud Osbourne, and an uncredited May McAvoy, a leading lady of the silent era. 

"There weren't any people here the last time I drove cattle through, too bad they're here now, but they're in my way..." - Grimsell

Philip Yordan had a reputation for being one of the best "script-doctors" in Tinsel Town. He himself worked uncredited on numerous films, patching up story plots and dialogue to make them play out better. He had an special knack for film noirs and westerns. Johnny Guitar ( 1954 ), Broken Lance ( 1954 ), The Man from Laramie ( 1955 ), The Last Frontier ( 1955 ) and The Bravados ( 1958 ) were all Yordan stories/scripts. Surprisingly, he did not write the screenplay to Gun Glory. Instead, William Ludwig got screen credit for the film even though it was written by screenwriter Ben Maddow, a talented writer who was a victim of the Hollywood blacklist.

Gun Glory is not one of the legendary westerns of the 1950s, but it ranks above many others for its fine script, great acting, beautiful color photography, and its entertaining ballad theme "The Ninety and Nine" sung by Burl Ives. 

This post is our contribution to Legends of Western Cinema Week being hosted by Along the Brandywine, Hamlette's Soliloquy and Meanwhile, in Rivendell. Be sure to click on this link to check out more reviews of films and actors of the western genre. 

Jane Russell's Singing Quartet

In the early 1950s, during a charity night performance for the Hollywood Episcopal Church, Jane Russell took the stage with three other women - Beryl Davis, Connie Haines, and Della Russell ( no relation to Jane ) - and performed the spiritual classic Do Lord. They were such a hit with the audience that, for the next several years, they would continue to team up as a quartet and sing spirituals at various other charity benefits in the Hollywood area, and go on to record several 45s, as well as two albums. 

The Hollywood Christian Group, or "The Four Girls" as they were affectionately nicknamed, were all great singers in their own right ( Beryl Davis and Connie Haines were both well-known big band singers ), but, as a group, they created some stellar "folksy" harmonies, and found success with the public. 

After the few performances Della Russell was replaced by actress Rhonda Fleming, who had a sultry voice perfect for torch songs. She joined the group on their various television appearances ( Arthur Murray Show, Colgate Comedy Hour, etc ) as well. Check out the clip below of The Four Girls singing a medley of spiritual songs on a television special in 1955. 

All of the royalties they received from their recorded songs were donated to the churches to which each belonged. Later, in the mid-50s, Rhonda Fleming left the quartet, but Jane Russell, Connie Haines, and Beryl Davis often teamed up again to perform for various functions....and they even cut their own album as a trio on Capitol Records, aptly entitled, "The Magic of Believing". 

This entry is a part of our latest series entitled "Did You Know?".....sometimes we just feel like sharing interesting fragments of television and movie history and now we have a place to do just that. If you have a hot tip that you would like us to share on Silver Scenes, drop us a line!