The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (film)

Plot

During Prohibition in Oklahoma, Rubin Flood is a successful harness and saddle salesman. However, with the advent of the automobile, his job is becoming more and more difficult. He is married to Cora, someone he considers a demanding wife and over-protective mother. About to leave on a sales trip, Rubin learns his company is closing and he is out of a job. Unable to face his wife with the news, he stops off at a pharmacy to partake of "medicinal" alcohol. Cora is out with her daughter, Reenie, buying a dress for a birthday party of one of her classmates, which will be held at the country club.

Rubin returns home but cannot bring himself to tell Cora he has lost his job. Instead they argue about how much Cora has spent on Reenie's dress, Cora lamenting that she always has to watch every penny. The couple's younger son, Sonny, is being bullied at school. Sonny has a fear of the dark. Determined to teach him to stand up for himself, Rubin attempts to teach him to box. During their sparring, he inadvertently strikes the boy too hard. This exacerbates the anger of the already upset Cora, who tears into Rubin, eventually accusing him of having an affair with a local widow, Mavis Pruitt. A livid Rubin slaps Cora, then storms out of the house. Reenie witnesses her parents' dispute. She runs into the street, causing a motorist to swerve and he runs his car into a tree. The driver, Sammy Golden, is relatively unhurt. Sammy takes Reenie to a soda fountain, where the two become attracted to one another.

Cora calls her older sister, Lottie, to tell her that Rubin hit her. Rubin, still slightly intoxicated, shows up at Mavis' beauty salon, which is also where she lives. He is seen going in by two town gossips. Rubin tells her Cora has ignored him for years, and while he has remained faithful, he desires Mavis. When she doesn't accept his advances, Rubin falls asleep on her parlor sofa.

Days later, Rubin has not returned home since the argument and Lottie and her husband are there for dinner. Cora asks Lottie if she and the kids can come stay with her. Just as she asks, Rubin returns home. As he is apologizing, the two gossips who saw Rubin enter Mavis' house call Cora to tell her. The phone call re-ignites the argument. He accuses Cora of rejecting him sexually, while she argues that she can't be in the mood when she spends her days worrying about money. Reenie's friend, Flirt, and her boyfriend arrive. They have brought a blind date for Reenie, which much to Reenie's delight is Sammy. Lottie's bigotry is revealed when she suggests that Cora and Rubin might not want to allow Reenie to accompany a Jew to the party.

Sammy and Reenie share a kiss at the party. The hosts, Harry Ralston and his wife, walk in on them. Mrs. Ralston angrily tells Reenie that she shouldn't have brought a Jew to the country club, since they are not allowed there. Sammy is embarrassed and leaves, accompanied by Reenie. On the drive home, Sammy bemoans the bigotry in the world. Although she wants to stay with him, he drops Reenie off at home. She finds Rubin on the sofa. He confesses that he has lost his job and doesn't know how to tell Cora.

The following morning, they learn Sammy has attempted suicide. Reenie rushes to the hospital, where she tells Sammy that she doesn't care what other people think. At home, Cora promises Sonny to stop being so over-protective so he can grow into a responsible adult. She receives a phone call from the hospital, where Sammy has died from his injuries. Cora heads over to Mavis's salon. She initially pretends to be a customer, then reveals that she is Rubin's wife. Mavis confesses that she has been in love with Rubin for years, but that Rubin has always been faithful to Cora. She also reveals that Rubin has lost his job.

In the meantime, Rubin has found a new job as a salesman at an oil drilling equipment company. He returns home to find Cora waiting for him. She has sent Reenie to Lottie's for a few days, to help her come to grips with Sammy's death. Cora and Rubin declare their love for one another and a commitment to paying more attention to each other's needs. As they embrace, Sonny returns home with a friend, one of his former tormentors from school. As Cora says that she has to see to something upstairs in the bedroom, Rubin pays for the two boys to go see an afternoon movie, getting them out of the house for a few hours. Alone now with his wife, he heads up to the bedroom.

Cast

(cast list as per AFI database)

Reception

Variety gave the film a favorable review, noting that it was "well cast and persuasively acted". Shirley Knight earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as "Reenie Flood". Knight also received two Golden Globe nominations for her performance, for Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and New Star Of The Year - Actress. Lee Kinsolving also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Sammy Goldenbaum". The film was voted one of the ten best of the year in 1960 by the National Board of Review.