Shadows on the Stairs (1941)

Very enjoyable, 7 July 2015

What a wonderful little movie! I love "discovering" movies like this. Shadows on the Stairs is one of those old, dark house mysteries that I enjoy so much. In this one, there are some strange things going on in Mrs. Armitage's boarding house - lots of mysterious comings and goings in the middle of the night, servants that go missing, and, now, a murder. Even though I guessed whodunit about half way through, in a movie like this, that doesn't really matter. And the twist at the end only added to the fun. 

The cast is fantastic and is primarily responsible for making Shadows on the Stairs work. Frieda Inescort as Mrs. Armitage, Heather Angel as Mrs. Armitage's daughter Sylvia, Lumsden Hare as the Inspector, and Paul Cavanagh as tenant and victim Joseph Reynolds really stand out. But my favorite performance has to be Mary Field as the spinsterly Miss Snell. Every scene she's in is a real hoot! Technically, the movie is workmanlike - about the best you can expect from a low budget 40s era movie. The script is tight with some good lines and moments for all the actors. While it's obvious that Shadows on the Stairs was originally a play (most of the action takes place on the second floor landing/hallway), this isn't necessarily a negative, just an observation. I suppose my biggest complaint would be the film's short runtime. At 64 minutes, there's not enough time to really flesh out some of the details and characters. Regardless, I'm rating this one a strong 6/10. Very nice.

6/10