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The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

Play trailer Poster for The Dark at the Top of the Stairs Released Sep 22, 1960 2h 3m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Rubin Flood (Robert Preston) is going through a rough patch. He lost his job as a traveling salesman, and his increasingly distant wife, Cora (Dorothy McGuire), blames him for the family's financial troubles. His daughter (Shirley Knight), seeks refuge in the arms of a Jewish delinquent (Lee Kinsolving), while his son (Robert Eyer) remains firmly attached to his mother. As Rubin tries to keep his family together, he meets an attractive woman (Angela Lansbury) who arouses Cora's suspicion.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Variety Staff Variety The film is well cast and persuasively acted. Feb 23, 2012 Full Review Gerri Major Jet Magazine It is a dramatic and moving drama of the fears and feelings of insecurity that beset average people. Jan 17, 2024 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Dorothy McGuire and Robert Preston are a married couple plagued by a number of honestly observed domestic problems in a long but interesting drama... Dec 2, 2019 Full Review Dwight MacDonald Esquire Magazine There are a few moving scenes, but after two hours of it have wobbled past, one feels one has had more than enough of family life as hopped up and smoothed down by Mr. Mann. Jul 12, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com This version of William Inge's family melodrama is verbose and lacks subtlety, but the acting is good, especially Shirley Knight who received her Oscar nomination. Rated: B- Apr 7, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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steve d The acting is strong but the narrative is messy. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Such an important underrated film... exceptional performances all around, profound and riveting... and it hasn't lost it's edge with time Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Very good but dated film starring Robert Preston as a husband and father who loses his job and struggles to supporting his family and his wife Dorothy McGuire fears he is cheating on him. The acting is great all around, Prestonand McGuire were great together. The whole Jewish hate storyline took up too much time, but oh well. Angela Lansbury was excellent in it, especially her seen with McGuire, I wish she was in it more. Not quite sure why Shirley Knight got nominated for this, but whatever. It's a good movie, Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Such an important underrated film... exceptional performances all around, profound and riveting... and it hasn't lost it's edge with time Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Good cast weird setting. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member it is safe to say that inge did for the midwest what williams and faulkner did for the south. he exposed us as sick, repressed creatures that don't like our children very much. thank you william inge. this is my favorite piece of his because it's the one where you can feel some compassion for the men as well as for the women. bud loomis was an idiot, as was hal in picnic. but i am with ruben fllod as he takes back his house. and i am with dorothy mcguire's cora as she shows her husband that she still loves him, though he shames her. and as she shows her daughter reenie compassion over losing her first true love. and that character, sammy, is inge's only attempt to show a gay man in his play--albeit a suicidal one. good, good movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

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The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

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Movie Info

Synopsis Rubin Flood (Robert Preston) is going through a rough patch. He lost his job as a traveling salesman, and his increasingly distant wife, Cora (Dorothy McGuire), blames him for the family's financial troubles. His daughter (Shirley Knight), seeks refuge in the arms of a Jewish delinquent (Lee Kinsolving), while his son (Robert Eyer) remains firmly attached to his mother. As Rubin tries to keep his family together, he meets an attractive woman (Angela Lansbury) who arouses Cora's suspicion.
Director
Delbert Mann
Producer
Michael Garrison
Screenwriter
Harriet Frank Jr., Irving Ravetch
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 22, 1960, Original
Runtime
2h 3m