The Spiral Staircase (1975)

The 1946 movie made a few changes to the Ethel Lina White book (the heroine, Helen, was rendered mute from trauma, the lunatic's motivations were simplified and so made easier to deal with in a quick 83 minutes, and the truly diabolical characters of Nurse Barker and Lady Warren were sanitised) and this 1975 made-for-tv remake of that movie further distances itself from the book by making even more changes, and dopey ones like heavy-handed signposting of the killer's identity and motives, an unnecessary extrapolation of Helen's trauma by way of repetitive flashbacks, and several more murders, at least one of which doesn't even fit the story.

★★☆☆☆

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The Spiral Staircase (1946)

Based on Ethel Lina White's Some Must Watch, a book I have just finished reading, this thriller I found available to watch for free on Youtube tells the terrifically creepy story of a lady-help in a remote mansion who comes to believe a murderous lunatic has found his way into the house!

★★★★☆

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