Shadows on the Stairs

Director: David Ross Lederman, D. Ross Lederman David Ross Lederman

Overview

Shadows on the Stairs is a slimmed-down adaptation of Frank Vosper's stage play Murder on the 2nd Floor. There's dirty work afoot at the London boarding house managed by Mr. and Mrs. Armitage (Miles Mander, Frieda Inescourt): several mysterious murders have occured, and everyone is under suspicion. One of the tenants is Mr. Bromilow (Bruce Lester), who weaves in and out of the proceedings with the all-knowing air of one who's already figured out the solution to the murders. Indeed, Bromilow has done just that, as demonstrated by a twist ending that would have done Alfred Hitchcock or Rod Serling proud. Otherwise, Shadows on the Stairs is standard stuff, standardly produced.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/09/2015
UPC:	0644827171828
Original Release:	1941
Source:	Reel Vault
Language:	English
Sales rank:	51,792

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Frieda Inescort	Mrs. Armitage
Heather Angel	Sylvia
Paul Cavanagh	Reynolds
Miles Mander	Armitage
Bruce Lester	Bromilow
Lumsden Hare	Inspector
Turhan Bey	Ram Singh
Charles Irwin	Constable
Phyllis Barry	Lucy
Mary Field	Miss Snell
Paul Benay	Sailor
Sidney Bracey	Watchman
Bruce Lister	Bromilow

Technical Credits

Anthony Coldeway

D. Ross Lederman	Director
William Jacobs	Producer
Anthony Coldeway	Screenwriter
Frank Vosper	Playwright

Editorial Reviews

Shadows on the Stairs is hardly a great mystery flick, but it's a decently entertaining way for fans of the genre to pass the time. Very definitely a programmer, Shadows has a brief, barely over an hour running time that serves to keep it trim; there's precious little fat on this story, if for no other reason than there's no time for it. Of course, that also means that there's not a great deal of time for character development, and that's a shame. After all, Shadows has a solid cast that does very well with what they're given; it's too bad they weren't given a bit more to sink their teeth into. Instead, most of the film's running time is devoted to introducing the characters, setting up the mystery and laying out the clues to the solution. Under David Ross Lederman's direction, it does this efficiently and with no fuss, but also with no real ingenuity. The film's one attempt at originality is in its twist ending, which will either delight or annoy viewers. There are also a few twists along the way which, while not especially original, are handled reasonably well.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler