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Staircase

Play trailer Poster for Staircase R 1969 1h 40m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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40% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 33% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Although Charles (Rex Harrison) and Harry (Richard Burton) have been a couple for years, tension threatens their already dysfunctional relationship. The two hairdressers are excessively devoted to their mothers but increasingly snippy toward one another. Verbal barbs shoot in all directions without any sort of cease-fire in sight. The fact that Charles might be in trouble with the law for cross-dressing at a nightclub doesn't help matters much, either.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Stanley Donen's Staircase is an unpleasant exercise in bad taste -- in taste so bad, in fact, you wonder how Donen, who directed Singin' in the Rain and Bedazzled could have directed it. Rated: 1/4 Oct 30, 2004 Full Review Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) Richard Burton commands and owns the film. [Full Review in Spanish] Jul 23, 2019 Full Review Nathan Rabin The Dissolve Harrison and Burton give the central relationship a lived-in quality and a gentleness that can be devastating in the film's rare but welcome quiet moments. Rated: 3/5 Sep 4, 2013 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: C Feb 28, 2013 Full Review Phil Hall Film Threat Positively appalling. Rated: 0/5 Oct 29, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (11) audience reviews
james g Inexcusably awful. Not fun awful. Just awful. Forget 'Plan Nine from Outer Space' as the worst movie ever as at least that movie is still watchable. 'Staircase' is now undeniably irredeemably terrible and unwatchable now in every way. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review martin a A very interesting film, A brave film for its time about two gay men who have lived together for almost 30 years. The film Richard Burton and Rex Harrison, Burton is badly cast as Harry but Rex is great as Charlie. Both are aging and struggling to come to terms with life, at the same time snarling at each other but when the chips are down both clearly cannot live without each other. The final scene when Charlie cannot cross the road to head for court and screams for Harry cements their need for each other. Both have mothers who are fading, Cathleen Nesbitt as Harry's mother is outstanding, and Charlie's mother has dementia and does not recognize him. This film is in no way a comedy but more of a film that documents the lives of an aging gay couple. The over camp at times is annoying, but at other times the actors just seem to forget and act and talk in a normal way. I enjoyed it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Homophobic drivel. Terrible acting by the principals. Younger men could have played the parts more credibly. Harrison's and Burton's prancing and preening are probably the high point of their careers, if that says anything. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Has its moments. Has to be seen with the right frame of mind though. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member one of the first examples of mainstream queer cinema Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review s r Had to watch it for the cast. It was a sad film that squandered its potential. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Staircase

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Staircase

Staircase (1969) Staircase (1969) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Although Charles (Rex Harrison) and Harry (Richard Burton) have been a couple for years, tension threatens their already dysfunctional relationship. The two hairdressers are excessively devoted to their mothers but increasingly snippy toward one another. Verbal barbs shoot in all directions without any sort of cease-fire in sight. The fact that Charles might be in trouble with the law for cross-dressing at a nightclub doesn't help matters much, either.
Director
Stanley Donen
Producer
Stanley Donen
Screenwriter
Charles Dyer
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Dec 6, 2011
Runtime
1h 40m