The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

During Prohibition-era Oklahoma, Rubin Flood [Robert Preston] builds a comfortable life as a successful harness and saddle salesman, a trade that begins to feel the squeeze as the automobile era takes over and demand shifts. He loves his family, but the weight of a looming change sits between him and his wife, Cora Flood [Dorothy McGuire], whose practical, protective nature often translates to worry over money and appearances. When Rubin learns that his company is shutting down, he cannot bring himself to tell her the bad news, and the strain in their relationship quietly creeps into every argument. A late-night stop at a pharmacy for what passes as “medicinal” relief underlines his fear and helplessness, while Cora is out with their daughter Reenie Flood [Shirley Knight], shopping for a party dress and trying to keep life buoyant for the children.

The tension between concealment and truth erupts at home. Rubin cannot admit the job loss, and a clash over Reenie’s dress spirals into a broader rift about fidelity and desire. When Cora accuses Rubin of infidelity with the local widow Mavis Pruitt [Angela Lansbury], a Baptist of quiet charm, the atmosphere turns volatile: Rubin slaps Cora and storms out into the night. The morning after, Reenie, who witnessed the earlier quarrel, darts into the street, a misguided move that ends with a car swerving and crashing into a tree. The driver, Sammy Golden [Lee Kinsolving], escapes unharmed and, from that moment, a complicated attraction quietly begins to bloom between Sammy and Reenie, a detail that future gossip townsfolk will later weaponize.

Back at home, Cora reaches out to her older sister Lottie Lacey [Eve Arden], seeking advice and reassurance, while Rubin, flushed with liquor, slips into Mavis’s beauty salon and, unknowingly, into the gaze of two town gossips. He confesses a sense of neglect from Cora—she has seemingly ignored him for years—and admits a longing for Mavis. When Mavis gently rebuffs his advance, Rubin drifts off to sleep on her sofa, the evening lowering its blinds on their fraught marriage.

A few days pass and family life creaks on. Lottie and her husband come for dinner, and Cora asks if the kids can stay with them for a spell, hoping to shield them from the tremors at home. Rubin returns, offering a cautious apology, but the town’s whispers do not stay quiet. The gossipmongers regale Cora with news of Mavis, and the old fault lines flare anew: Rubin accuses Cora of emotional distance, while she counters that money worries and fear of the unknown keep her from being openly intimate. Reenie’s party plans bring a fraught moment: Flirt Conway and her boyfriend arrive, and Reenie’s date, Sammy, appears. Tension peaks when guests at the country club deride Reenie for bringing a Jew to mingle with the social crowd, exposing deep-rooted prejudice that threatens to fracture the family.

The party ends poorly for Reenie and Sammy. After a bitter exchange, Sammy leaves Reenie at home, and she finds Rubin still awake in the living room. Rubin, now openly admitting the loss of his job, shares the fear that has haunted him since the layoffs. The next morning brings more tragedy: Sammy’s suicide attempt becomes a stark reminder of how fragile life has become under the weight of judgment and loss. In a moment of raw honesty, Reenie rushes to the hospital and declares that she does not care what others think of her choices.

Cora, moved by the crisis, resolves to ease the strain on their son Sonny Flood [Robert Eyer], promising to curb her over-protectiveness so he can mature into a confident, capable young man. Soon after, a call confirms that Sammy has died, a blow that exposes how fragile young love and adult pride can be. Rubin seeks out Mavis at her salon, and she finally confesses a long-standing love for him, even as she reveals Rubin’s fidelity to Cora and the truth of his unemployment. The revelation stings, but it also sets the stage for a turn of fortune.

A new chapter begins as Rubin lands a fresh position as a salesman at an oil drilling equipment company. He returns home to a softened, if still-brittle, atmosphere: Cora has sent Reenie to stay with Lottie for a spell to heal from the sorrow. Rubin and Cora begin to invest more attention in each other’s needs, choosing to navigate their stubborn pride with a renewed sense of partnership. In a quiet, hopeful moment, Rubin pays for two of Sonny’s former tormentors to enjoy a movie, signaling a reawakening of generosity and responsibility. The couple’s reconciliation deepens as Rubin follows his wife up to the bedroom, a simple closing gesture that hints at a more patient, resilient future for their family.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:40