A Gallery of Mansion Movie Scenes:
Entrance Steps and Grand Staircases
Staircase scenes are in films of many genres. Films present entry steps leading to the front door of a house in opening or other important dramatic scenes. A magnificent interior staircase, usually a central architectural feature of any mansion, is a de rigueur characteristic in mansion movies. Staircases are rich filmic images. The steps and landings between floors allow for both more dynamic vertical and angular movements of the actors within the interior space and provide the opportunity for more dramatic camera angles. More importantly, the interior staircase is utilized symbolically, as well as a realistically, to underscore the plot lines. It often visually signifies important psychological changes in the hero or heroine or in the relationships between the main characters. Landings between floors are retreats or resting places. Conversely, they may also represent a place of indecision, of emotional limbo.
The staircase defines the separation of the public and private areas of the house. While the visitor normally does not have access to the upstairs rooms reserved for family and other intimates, in mansion-‐centered movies the visitor enters this private sphere. As the camera follows the outsider upstairs, it brings the film audience further and further into the otherwise unseen physical -‐ and psychic -‐ realm of the mansion’s wealthy insiders.
Universally and historically, the image of the staircase has been a powerful symbol. The staircase represents something beyond and unknown, sometimes secret. It acts as a visual metaphor for transition, moving from one stage in life to another. Ascending a staircase, “going up,” represents challenges in life, climbing up the ladder of achievement, achieving financial success, rising social status, or moving up in the world at large. One’s improved status may result from hard work and talent or from making a fortuitous marriage or other connection that improves one’s position in the community. In the latter case, the phrase “social climbing” aptly describes an individual’s ascent. Descending or “coming down” the stairs may represent a sobering fall from earlier heights of success or stature to a lesser position. Alternatively, depending on the context, descent may signify a spiritual awakening, a positive change of attitude or a return to reality from a disappointing or delusional position.
My Man Godfrey
In My Man Godfrey the grand white art deco staircase dominates the center hall of the Bullock mansion. Mr. Bullock (Eugene Palette), unaware a new butler had been hired, assumes the worst when he sees Godfrey (William Powell), dressed in a tuxedo carrying a suitcase and overcoat, emerging from his daughter’s bedroom.
The grand staircase is prominent in the background of scenes in the Bullock living room, where much of the film’s action takes place; it is the stage left entry and exit. In the center frame, Irene (Carol Lombard), who has a crush on Godfrey, hides behind the bannister and cries, believing he is married and unavailable. In a later scene, Irene faints in the living room and Godfrey carries her up the stairs to her room.
Holiday
In Holiday, Johnnie Cash (Cary Grant) is completely overwhelmed by the vast interior space and grand double staircase in the marble entry hall of the Seaton family’s Fifth Avenue mansion. The butler escorts him to the house elevator, telling him that Julia Seaton (Doris Noland), his fiancé, will meet him in the upstairs sitting room. Later in the film, the staircase and entry hall will be filled with tuxedoed and gowned friends and relatives toasting the couple at their New Year’s Eve engagement party.
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While the engagement party is in full swing downstairs, Julia’s sister Linda (Katherine Hepburn) and Johnny share intimate moments in the mansion’s playroom. Linda descends the 3rd floor staircase, upset and concerned that she has fallen in love with her sister’s charming fiancé.[/one_half] [one_half_last]
After the engaged couple argues over their future plans, Julia refuses to elope with Johnny. Linda runs up the stairs to plead her sister to not let Johnny go off alone. Julia admits that she no longer cares and is glad he is going away.[/one_half_last]
Rebecca
The grand staircase situated at the end of the Great Hall dominates the first floor design of Manderley. It is a stage setting for many scenes throughout the film. Our heroine walks up and down the steps is anticipation, in anxiety, in despair, in excitement and in slowly growing into her role as Maxim’s wife and the new mistress of his ancestral mansion.
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The de Winters see off Maxim’s sister Beatrice and her husband Giles after their first visit with the new bride. Manderely’s entrance door and front steps are flanked by massive stone obelisks.[/one_half] [one_half_last]
“I” turns on the landing of the grand staircase, finally ready to enter into Rebecca’s west wing room, which has been closed off and kept as a shire to Maxim’s first wife by the housekeeper.[/one_half_last]
The Philadelphia Story
In the film’s opening prologue on the front steps of the Lord mansion, Tracy Lord (Katherine Hepburn) and C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) display their animosity towards each other as their rocky marriage comes to an end. Music and sound effects accompany the memorable scene, but there is no dialogue.
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The Lord mansion, a “country” home in Philadelphia’s Main Line, features a center hall staircase. The stairs split at the first landing for the two upper wings. Dinah Lord (Virginia Weidler) looks for her sister Tracy. The camera follows Dinah as she wanders from the garden and through first floor rooms as the family prepares for Tracy’s wedding to social climbing George Kittredge.[/one_half] [one_half_last]
Dexter connives to have “Spy” magazine reporter Mike Connors (Jimmy Stewart) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey) invited to stay at the Lord house. Later, the trio hatch a plan to prevent the tabloid from publishing an inside story on the wedding and family gossip. Dexter and Liz, standing in either side of the newel post, talk about her mostly unrequited feelings for Connors.[/one_half_last]
The Magnificent Ambersons
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Young Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotton) approaches the carved stone pillars that mark the entryway to the Amberson mansion and grounds. The name “Amberson” is carved on the stone rectangle seen in the foreground. The stone steps to the entry door are seen in shadow just above the stone marker. He has come to apologize to his beloved Isabel Amberson, but the Butler says she is not at home.[/one_half] [one_half_last]
Years later George Minafer (Tim Holt), the son of Isabel and Wilber Minafer and the Amberson family heir, walks from the breakfast room into the center hall of the Amberson mansion. The Victorian mansion’s highly decorative staircase turns at each landing around a central open space. Newel posts with supporting poles are at the ends of each landing. The grand staircase is the central focal point of the mansion.[/one_half_last]
The staircase is the star attraction in three important episodes in the plot as illustrated below
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The first pivotal scene is part of a long film sequence of the Amberson’s elegant annual ball. Long-‐absent Eugene, now a widower, returns to town with his grown daughter Lucy (Ann Baxter). Lucy and Isabel’s son George spend the entire evening together as their parents reunite. The camera follows the young couple as they go up and down the stairs and rests on them as they pause to sit on the various levels of steps to engage in conversation.[/one_third] [one_third]
Later, Aunt Fanny Minafer (Agnes Moorehead) tells her nephew George that prior to her marriage to George’s deceased father, Isabel was in love with Eugene. Fanny says the whole town is gossiping that the couple rekindled their relationship before the death of George’s father Wilbur. Only child George, incensed and possessive, in an effort to abort his mother’s reignited romance, decides to take her on an extended trip abroad.[/one_third] [one_third_last]
The third key scene is a poignant moment soon after George and Isabel’s return from Europe. The couple curtailed their travels when Isabel became critically ill. In fear of worsening condition, George and Aunt Fanny prevent Eugene from going to her bedside despite the dying Isabel’s fervent wish to see him again. Once again Eugene has been denied access to the mansion and the women he loves.[/one_third_last]
The Heiress
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The front steps of the Sloper mansion, No. 16 Washington Square.[/one_third] [one_third]
The main staircase in the entry hall of the townhouse mansion.[/one_third] [one_third_last]
The rear outside steps to the mews and carriage house.[/one_third_last]
The main staricase of the Sloper residence consists of a strait flight of stair between each floor of the townhouse with a hall landing on each level. The elegant staircase is situated on the right side of the entrance hall and is used dramatically in many scenes in the film. Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Haviland)
Seen from the third floor, Catherine looks at her reflection in the floor length mirror on the second floor landing as she excitedly descends the stairs to show her father her new ball gown.
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After a very brief courtship, Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift) proposes to Catherine, but does so before he asks her father, Dr. Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson), for permission to marry her. Catherine rushes down the stairs after overhearing her overbearing father argue with her penniless handsome suitor about Morris’ motives in marrying his naïve lovesick daughter.[/one_half_last] [one_half] Later, Morris and Catherine plan to elope. After Morris does not appear at the designated time, Catherine waits in vain for through the night. Finally, she slowly and sadly climbs the stairs with suitcase in hand. She finally realizes Morris was only in pursuit of her prospective fortune. Her disclosure that she would be forgoing her inheritance in running off with him, Morris drops his courtship.
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Sunset Boulevard
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Out-‐of-‐work screenwriter, Joe Gillis (William Holden), arrives at the Desmond mansion by mistake. Once discovered on the property, the butler tells him to go upstairs to talk to former silent screen star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). He has been mistaken for an undertaker who had been summoned to embalm her deceased pet chimp.[/one_half_last] [one_half] Joe stays on at the mansion to edit Norma’s screenplay and over time becomes her paid companion. Dressed in a new tuxedo for New Year’s Eve, Joe descends the curved staircase decorated with candles and holiday garlands. He will find out the big party is designed for just the two of them and that her intentions are more amorous than professional.
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In one of the most famous staircase scenes in Hollywood film history, Max Von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim) Norma Desmond’s butler and ex-‐director, coaxes the former silent screen star down the stairs after she kills Joe Gillis. Norma, her grasp on reality lost, believes she is filming a scene for a movie. In the midst of a mental breakdown, Norma seems oblivious to the members of the press, photographers and policemen surrounding her as she gets ready for her final “close up” and her long hoped resurrection as a movie star.
Sabrina
When the outsider is a servant, the mansion’s entrance is often not shown. Sabrina lives with her father in the chauffeur’s quarters above the Larrabee mansion garage. Their living space is accessed by at iron spiral staircase at the end of the garage car bays.
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Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) runs up to her room in in tears after seeing David Larrabee (William Holden) romancing a debutant on the tennis court. She has grown up on the estate nursing a crush on the owners’ playboy son.[/one_half] [one_half_last]
In despair over her unrequited love for David, Sabrina tries kill herself by running all the cars engines in the closed garage. David’s older brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart) rescues her and carries her limp body up the spiral stairs.[/one_half_last]
The Haunting
The doublewide dark wood central staircase of Hill House appears in multiple scenes in this suspense film. The staircase is at the center of the broad entry hall positioned under an archway. Small statues sit atop the newel posts that flank the broad bottom step. Although photographed in daylight and under illumination at night, the stairs maintain an atmosphere of mystery and danger throughout. Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris) arrives at Hill House at the invitation of Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson), a professor interested in recording psychic phenomena. She is both thrilled and cautious when she arrives and enters the mysterious evil-‐looking mansion.
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Soon after her arrival at Hill House, Mrs. Dudley, the housekeeper (Rosalie Crutchley) leads Eleanor to her assigned bedroom upstairs. As Eleanor climbs the staircase, she shudders upon seeing shadows and reflections in the mirrors hanging along side of the steps.[/one_half] [one_half_last]
Eleanor leaves the group after dinner. Fearing something is watching her, she stops at the base of the staircase and screams. Hearing her scream, Markway, Theo (Clair Bloom) and Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn) gather to calm her and discuss various psychic phenomena.[/one_half_last] [one_half]
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A second staircase – a spiral, cast iron one – is located in the multi-‐storied library. When the group first enters the room, Luke, the nephew of the present owner, runs up the steps attached to the center pole. When the structure starts to shake and detach from the wall, he jumps off. At the end of the film, this staircase is the setting for the story’s climactic scene. Eleanor, sleepwalking and running through the house in her nightgown, climbs to the balcony at the top. Markway climbs the stairs behind her fearing she will fall if the structure collapses. When Eleanor sees the head of Markway’s wife in the trap door to the roof overhead, she thinks she has seen a ghost, starting her final descent into madness.