The Spiral Staircase

In a small New England town during the 1910s, a serial killer targets young women with physical disabilities or chronic illnesses. Helen, who has been mute since a traumatic event in childhood, works as a servant for the ailing, wheelchair-bound widow Mrs. Warren in her large, gloomy mansion, where Mrs. Warren lives with her two sons. As the killings mount, those around Helen fear she may be the next victim, and a stormy night forces her to remain in the house, where she is stalked by the murderer. The film is adapted from Ethel Lina White's novel Some Must Watch, with a screenplay by Mel Dinelli.

Robert Siodmak directed the film, which was released in January 1946. It followed Son of Dracula and came before The Dark Mirror later that same year in his filmography. The cast is led by Dorothy McGuire as Helen, alongside George Brent, Ethel Barrymore, Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming and Gordon Oliver. Dore Schary produced.

The film took about 3 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.3 from roughly 12,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7 from around 283 votes. A critics' rating of 8.1 from 22 reviews places it above the audience scores.