The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960) User Reviews

Engrossing Well Staged Movie Drama

[jpdoherty · 6/10 · 16 February 2010]

Based on the Purlitzer Prize-winning play by William Inge Warner Bros. THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS (1960) was adapted for the screen by Harriet Frank Jnr. and Irving Ravetch. Produced for the studio by Michael Garrison it turned out to be a fairly engaging and entertaining melodrama thanks in no small measure to the well rounded direction by Delbert Mann and solid performances by a committed cast. Although unavoidably static, because of its theatrical origins, it nevertheless was nicely photographed in Technicolor by the great Harry Stradling and gorgeously scored by the studio's legendary Max Steiner.

Set in a small town in 20's Oklahoma the story concerns the ups and downs of the Flood family. An average family trying to get on with their everyday lives. The head of the household is patriarch Rubin (Robert Preston) who because of the changing times suddenly loses his job as a saddlery salesman and keeps it a secret from his devoted but angst-ridden wife Cora (Dorothy McGuire). Cora is also mother to their shy and withdrawn teenage daughter (Shirley Knight) and their equally withdrawn adolescent son who is constantly afraid of the dark at the top of the stairs.

Wonderfully acted throughout Preston gives a flamboyant portrayal of the irascible but well meaning Rubin and McGuire was never better as the ever worried and brow beaten Cora. Her performance is sensitive and heartfelt. Also fine is Shirley Knight in her Oscar nominated role as the young girl who's heart is broken much too early in life when she falls for the ill-fated Jewish boy Sammy Golden (Lee Kinsolving). But stealing the show is the entrance of Eve Arden as Cora's droll sister Lottie who arrives on a visit with her hen-pecked husband Morris (Frank Overton). "I just can't stand the sound of her voice" he confides in Rubin.

Complimenting the whole production is the lovely music by Max Steiner. Full of exquisite themes this is one of the composer's most captivating scores. The main theme, first heard under the titles, is a beguiling waltz. Rubin's theme is a jaunty march-like piece while the theme for Cora is bluesy and reflective. But the highlight of the score is the ingenious little theme he wrote for the teenage lovers. Scored for Harmonica and strings it gives their scenes together a gentle and persuasive charm. The piece became somewhat popular in the early sixties when a cover version was recorded by the Percy Faith Orchestra. Evidently trying for another hit with a Steiner tune after that orchestra's runaway smash with the composer's "Theme From A Summer Place" the year before.

THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS has never been released on DVD or VHS for that matter. Perhaps this accounts for it being without a reputation. Pity it's not better known but when it is seen the movie stands up well and all because of its fine production values, its memorable performances, its adroit direction and all wrapped up neatly in a gorgeous and unforgettable musical score.

"Every man has a sack of rocks to carry..."

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 14 May 2016]

Intelligent and observant drama of small town lives in the 1920s. Robert Preston is a Midwestern family man and traveling salesman who loses his job, fights with his wife (who accuses him of infidelity), and walks out of the house all on the same day. The screenwriters, Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch, adapting the celebrated play by William Inge, allow for smart, pungent, often amusing interplay between husband and wife, the couple and their in-laws, mother and son, and father and daughter. There's also a beautifully modulated sequence between Preston and Angela Lansbury, playing the local beautician who wouldn't mind dallying with a married man--though this one sees her as just a friend. The picture runs too long, and features too much of budding teenager Shirley Knight and her blind date (the atrociously mannered Lee Kinsolving). Preston, too, is often overstated in his approach to the central role, while spouse Dorothy McGuire has to contend with unflattering costumes and the proverbial wifely hang-ups (she's frigid in the bedroom, she treats her husband like another child, etc.). The film has that phony Warner Bros. backlot appearance that dogged so many of their period films for decades, and a few of the speeches are underlined with a high-toned literacy that doesn't have the ring of natural conversation. Delbert Mann's direction is uneven and the camera-work is barely adequate, however this character piece has interesting people, engaging grown-up talk and some surprising candor and wit. **1/2 from ****

A movie about sex from 1960- UNBELIEVABLE.

[R-Mac · 7/10 · 24 February 2002]

I just want to comment on how refreshing it is to see a movie about sex and the rather twisted morals of the 50's and 60's. It is like Meet the Beaver meets Ice Storm.

This one stayed with me

[ekruper · 10/10 · 29 July 2006]

I saw this film at the age of 19 or 20 and it colored my days for some time afterward. The subject matter was heavy for me, as it probably was for most young women living in small towns in the 1950s. Most of us were anything but sophisticated and mature in our late teens.

The plot examined those sensitive subjects we were old enough to be aware of and wondering about, but too repressed or timid to discuss with our parents. And my girl friends were little help, as their experience, or lack thereof, was much the same as mine.

Preston was great, and I'll never forget Dorothy McGuire, Shirley Knight or Eve Arden for their roles in this fine film. When seeing this movie, I was closest in age to Shirley's character and completely sympathized with her. Had I been going through the heavy stuff she and her family were dealing with, I would likely have been affected in much the same way.

What a shame this is not available on video or DVD. It's a film of real substance---far better than much of what passes for good viewing these days.

Largely overlooked and totally under-appreciated

[elktoy1 · 9/10 · 10 July 2008]

Starting with a stellar cast, Eve Arden is a jewel as always, this movie made at a time when certain words and certain subjects were taboo managed to hit on various subjects. Bigotary, adultery, dysfunctional family, death etc. Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire are the Floods who the story centers around while Angela Lansbury and Lee Kinsolving lend splendid support as does the rest of the cast. Given the time this movie was made and the censorship in place at the time this movie should be a must see for adults due to the subject matter involved. So give yourself a treat and watch this jewel if you get the chance. You won't be disappointed.

AN UNDESERVEDLY FORGOTTEN STUDY ON HUMAN BEINGS

[Viajante · 9 April 2000]

I've only seen this film two times. The first one was when I was a teenager, in the early 60s, and the other one was on TV, not so long ago. As it had happened in the first time, viewing "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" again gave me the same feeling: in spite of being a very American movie in all its aspects, it has a strong and universal appeal because it deals with people with flesh and blood, not puppets or flat characters. But what I consider appalling is the callousness of movie distributors who haven't so far given us the chance to see and buy this little gem either in VHS or DVD. According to the reliable Halliwell's Film Guide, this was produced by Warner Bros. Why don't they release it now in either of these formats, or, better still, in both? Maybe they lack what this movie is plentifully supplied with, that is, "a real feeling for the people and the place", in Halliwell's words.

Poignant, well acted , low-key film

[coop-16 · 9/10 · 31 March 2000]

Robert Preston will be forever remembered as "The Music Man"-and well he should be. However, he gave many other fine performances, and one of the best was as Rubin Flood in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs.Dwight McDonald once wrote an essay mocking "Ingeland and Kazanistan", and he may have had a point. At the same time, the series of films based on William Inges plays includes some of the best dramas of the fifties and early sixties..still, perhaps the most underrated period of Amnerican film.This film is not just an example of sentimental "americana". Though set in the past, it is not an exercise in simplistic nostalgia. Instead it reveals the sexual repression, Anti-Semitism,and snobbery which poisoned American life in the early part of this century.However, it does not simply look at the past from a standpoint of smug superiority. Instead, it suggests the dignity and inner strength of these people, as they struggled with economic and moral uncertainty.It has a superficially "happy' ending', yet it is still a sad and troubling portrait of the fragility of quotidian existence.

Time may pass, but human problems remain the same.

[alecwest · 10/10 · 27 January 2005]

I was fortunate to find someone who'd saved this film on videotape so I could archive it on DVD. It is one of the more profound films to come out of that period and one which stands the test of time.

Rubin Flood (Robert Preston) is a victim of progress. At middle-age, he finds himself losing his job because his boss faces bankruptcy. With the coming of automobiles, no one wants the horse-related leather goods he used to sell. Cora Flood (Dorothy McGuire), his wife, is a victim too. Forced to 'make due' with little money even before Rubin lost his job, she must also face the problems of a her daughter, Reenie (Shirley Knight), as she transitions from adolescence to young adulthood ... and the problems of her son, Sonny (Robert Eyer), as he transitions from childhood to adolescence.

Times are tough for the entire Flood family. But, they must come to terms with their problems of love, timidity, suspected infidelity, religious prejudices and the changing times in which they live. While the gadgets may have changed, the problems modern families face are no different than theirs ... making this film one that I think should be 'required' of all high school students to view.

I rate this film 10 out of 10 ... and rate Warner Brothers 'zero' for taking a 'dog-in-the-manger' attitude toward releasing this gem on home video. Preston, McGuire, Knight, and Eyer ... not to mention Lee Kinsolving (Sammy Golden), Eve Arden (Aunt Lottie) and Angela Lansbury (Mavis Pruitt) all turn in stellar performances in their roles. Kudos go to Shirley Knight who was nominated for an Oscar in the film and Lee Kinsolving, who only appeared in one more film and a handful of TV shows before his untimely death at age 36. And special kudos go to William Inge (stage play writer), Harriet Frank, Jr. (screenplay writer) and Delbert Mann for his masterful direction of an enduring work.

A wonderful movie!Tears will be dropped

[solrac4100 · 9/10 · 31 May 2005]

A Family trials and tribulations in '20s Oklahoma. Preston gives a poignant portrayal of a husband who chooses the warmth of another woman over his cold wife and familial duties. He tries to compensate for his own lack of self-esteem by cheating on his patient wife (Dorothy McGuire).Preston's "other woman" is played by Angela Lansbury. His daughter falls in love with a Jewish boy who commits suicide due to anti-Semitic pressure. Meanwhile, young Sonny must come to terms with the evil he imagines to exist in the dark at the top of the stairs. An emotional but wonderful movie and very well performed by Dorothy McGuire,Angela Lansbury and Robert Preston.

American Cinema at its greatest...

[rickert · 10/10 · 5 February 2000]

One of the most simple yet moving of William Inge's plays is presented here with some of the finest American actors to grace the screen. This is American cinema at its greatest. Anything else I could say would sound even more trite. If you can find this film (it's never been released on video as far as I know) give it a try. I was able to tape it off of Encore once, and I am forever grateful that they aired it.

Just the best!!!

[bbboomer49-1 · 10/10 · 18 April 2005]

I saw this movie years ago and fell in love with it. I have hunted for the video but unfortunately there isn't one. I was lucky enough to find it playing on TV several years ago and taped it. Although I am happy to have what I do, I think it's a shame it is not available for the Robert Preston fans out there. It is a movie that was before its time. It hit on topics that were seldom talked about publicly in the time setting. Topics hinted at but not openly discussed like they do in this film. Robert Preston did a remarkable job as the character, Rubin Flood. Your heart went out to him because you could see through his strong, always looking for the positive, family provider roll. The fear and uncertainty he faced each day as the head of his family and his aging prospects at being successful in the eyes of his family. The film has a glorious mix of humor and drama. Unforgettable!!

no words can truly say how good Angela Lansbury is as Mavis

[lew-11 · 19 February 2000]

Angela tends to play baddies - and she is good at it. In the Manchurian Candidate she was a black widow spider and praying mantis combined - with lipstick. In this movie, she is young and plump and wholesome and pretty - and in one scene with Robert Preston where they share a single kiss, she is more desirable than all the millions of boobs on the Internet.

Life in a small town, the problems and prejudices

[lora64 · 10/10 · 13 August 2001]

Events take place in a small town atmosphere. Rubin (Robert Preston), being a family man, faces the bleak fact of losing his job when business takes a downturn, and at middle age it's not so easy for him to cope. His wife Cora (Dorothy McGuire) as well as their two children, each have needs of their own. When Rubin goes off for four days and returns to argue and confront his wife with his needs, she in turn reveals what is troubling her, money, that they seem to argue over all the time. Sounds very familiar!

I think Robert Preston turns in a fine dramatic performance and fits the role perfectly. His next film was to be The Music Man so he obviously carried over all that dynamic energy to a musical, a very versatile man.

Eve Arden, as Lottie, is always too talkative, seeming to wonder aloud on every thought that comes into her head. Eventually she pours out her troubles to Cora while on a visit and this bonds them closer as sisters since both are having difficulties in their marriage.

Mavis (Angela Lansbury) is very friendly to Rubin, almost becoming the "other woman" but he's not really ready to cross that line. She's a very understanding and wise lady as it turns out later.

It's interesting to get a glimpse into the lives of each character, young and old -- a slice of life, you might say, and to observe the prejudices of the day as they are played out.

I think in many ways we've learned to be more tolerant in our time.

TRULY A TOUCHING FILM

[MWATSON16 · 28 December 2001]

I'm known as a soft touch when it comes to the films I enjoy but this movie also touched and affected my two teenage sons who accidentally were caught up in it while I was watching it. It is very poignant especially the religious prejudice and the pain & destruction it caused. This is a tasteful story of first love, love lost and love re-discovered. The characters are wonderful. I hope to have an opportunity to tape it or even better to purchase it.

I have been waiting for over 40 years for someone to restore and re-release this wonderful movie!!

[Kasha54 · 10/10 · 25 August 2019]

This film used to be shown on TV (mostly on WGN channel 9 from Chicago). I have been waiting all these years for it to be released to DVD or BluRay so I can own a copy of my own. The acting in it is top rate, and the story is as relevant now as it was the day it was released to the theaters. I love this movie, and I would love to share it with so many of my friends who have come to love vintage movies as much as I do. Can someone PLEASE help me find out the status of this wonderful film, and if it will ever be re-released to the public?? Thanks for any help I can get !!

TIMELESS AMERICAN STORY

[cbmd-37352 · 9/10 · 3 April 2021]

The original play was a smash hit, running for over a year on Broadway, the movie less so. The only DVDs available are from Germany and Italy. You have to have been alive then to understand why. The film opens with Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire in bed together, the husband hoping for marital relations. Broadway theatergoers would have no problem with this, but much of the US would have been horrified. TV shows of that era were not allowed to show actors and actresses sharing a bed, because showing 2 adults who were not married to be seen in bed together was seen as indecent. Every couple then was shown using twin beds! Lottie's(Eve Arden) anti Catholic rant comes across now as farce,I laughed like crazy, and her comments were refuted by both her husband(Frank Overton) and Reuben(Robert Preston). But at the time the movie came out, this would have been highly controversial. JFK was running for president and there was widespread anti Catholic sentiment-"He will take orders from the Pope." All the actors in the major roles give a strong performance, and each has their own painful issue. Reuben is the quintessential salesman, and loss of this job injures his ego, and his keeping this from his wife triggers the action. She worries about money, but spends freely on her daughter so she can have things the mother never had. Mavis is the lonely widow supporting herself, filled with unrequited love for Reuben. Lottie, Cora's sister and her husband Morris are childless and unable to communicate, and the more Lottie talks to fill the void, the more she alienates her long suffering husband. Frank Overton(Morris) is the only member of the Broadway show in the film. He is known for playing strong, authoritative characters-lawyers, doctors, military, sheriffs, even some villains Here his warm rich voice is muted except where he derides his wife's bigoted rant. His expressive eyes however literally "shoot" glances at her that say it all.

It must have been a rare pleasure to do a non-type cast role.

Just change the clothing and a few words of dialogue and this story is just as relevant today as the time it was set and the time it was filmed.

A+ "Fabulous Authentic Movie, A Must See.!"

[carmenjulianna · 10/10 · 3 April 2021]

After reading some of these wonderful reviews, I must let you all know that I have this wonderful movie on dvd. You can purchase "Dark at the top of the stairs" dvd on eBay! No problem 😊All those whom have had trouble purchasing can look there! I bought a perfectly good copy myself years ago form ebay. Just thought I'd let you know 👍🏽Good Luck!

A poignant well told and acted movie, one of the best! 'Dark at the top of the stairs' is as memorable as they come..!

Robert Preston is believably fantastic, authentic and plays his defining role with convictions..!! Dorothy Mcguire and Angela Lansbury are perfect in their respective roles too.. I love this movie and, I have watched it repeatedly time and time again, and may that continue.. This is a movie that dwells on real life situations and family values, with an old fashioned under tone of morality.. Times were challenging and changing, yet, family has to move with the changing times.. A Must Watch Movie, You Won't Be Disappointed:):):)