Alfred Hitchcock’s Stairways of Attraction
Three films of interest in which a stairway is emphasized in a scene include Blackmail (1929), Rich and Strange (1932), and The 39 Steps (1935). This selection offers a chronological progression of Hitchcock’s early British films and his maturing fascination with the heterosexual couple and his characters’ perspective of trust within that relationship. These early experiments on the stairways would later blossom into the intense studies of marriage, obsession and love in his later American films.
In each of the aforementioned films the featured couple in the scene symbolically ascends up a stairway to reveal what their unison implies. Though, Blackmail serves more as a counterpoint to the obvious notions towards marriage made in Rich and Strange and The 39 Steps. Nonetheless the counterpoint is used to contrast the thematic concept of trust in traditional relationships and courtship. The man in each scene is pursuing the woman and his desires for her are implied through their ascent up the stairway.
For the artist Crewe in Blackmail it is an illicit night with Alice White that he desires, and must gain her trust before ascending to his studio. Commander Gordon romances Emily Hill in Rich and Strange with an ascent into idealized marriage of higher-class status and it is through this gesture that he gains her trust. The only option available to Richard Hanna in The 39 Steps is to force Pamela into ascent in the hotel room so the potential of their attraction can be realized, and she can be convinced to trust him.
Hitchcock utilizes ascents on stairways to compose what is being implied in the unison of the couple for that scene. Each of the scenes takes place at night and fully explores not only the relationship that exists between the man and woman, but also the consequences of the sexuality within it.
The stairway scene in Blackmail leads up to the pivotal murder scene. Just before the artist Crewe successfully lures Alice White up to his studio their flirtatious dialogue about trust suggests Alice’s hesitation of Crewe’s intentions. “A girl knows instinctively when she can trust a man,” Alice answers to Crewe’s persistent advances. When Crewe asks, “Do you trust me Alice,” she offers no reply further indicating her dilemma. With Crewe’s intent and Alice’s hesitation now established, the stairway sequence heightens the viewer’s anticipation of what will become of the situation. Crewe further lures Alice to take the ascent, suggesting she head up before him. She proceeds, but as we see Crewe walk along side the stairway, he is made more questionable by his shady inquisition of his landlady. Alice’s suspicion of Crewe is emphasized fully when we she her stop half way up the first flight of stairs to peak over at Crewe’s mysterious dealings with the landlady.
The shot of Alice and Crewe walking up the stairs is an “elaborate upward crane shot,” {Wood, 265} that lasts about 30 seconds. It fully suspends the viewer’s anxieties with Alice not trusting Crewe. Their ascent is highlighted by the soundtrack’s crescendo in the music, which replaces one important sound intentionally missing from the scene. The dialogue between Alice and Crewe is not heard and though it may have been chatter, its’ lacking puts emphasis on them twisting up the stairway. This trick is reminiscent of a similar tactic used earlier in the film where the dialogue is silenced during the entire first sequence of the anonymous criminal being captured and booked at Scotland Yard. In both these scenes there is information being reveled about the characters, but in Hitchcock withholding the dialogue the scenes are given an ambiguity {Wood, chp12} that teases the viewer with their own thoughts. Alice and Crewe climb five flights of stairs to Crewe’s studio and with each flight another layer of tension is added as the viewer is left only to question the possibilities of the escalating situation. Whatever Alice and Crewe chat about is left irrelevant, as their dramatic ascent speaks louder than words.
This ascend can have several affects on the viewer in the way Hitchcock handles it. The viewer is limited to the climbing effect, given time to further question the moral and social dilemma implied by this couples’ ascent into the unknown. Such a long ascent also develops the characters to new levels. Alice is taking a heightened risk, trying to be the independent, “Miss of Today,” appeasing to her attraction of the independent artist. Crewe must lure Alice up many flights to fulfill his desires and the lengthy climb reveals that these two people, though attracted, are not level about their desires. From Alice’s perspective in can be said that her trust in Crewe is only flirtatious and the stairway’s exaggerated height separates the worlds they live in.
Where the stairway in Blackmail reveals how a man’s desires can be confused by a woman’s notion of courtship, Rich and Strange offers the contrasting relationship in an idealistic attraction and courtship. Similarly to the relationship in Blackmail, the male subject, Commander Gordon is pursuing the woman, Emily Hill, to ascend into his way of life. Where Blackmail and Rich and Strange obviously contrast is in what is implied by an ascent on a stairway.
Commander Gordon and Emily Hill take a romantic evening stroll to the bow of the cruise ship. It is here that their relationship takes a curve and the resulting kiss after their stairway ascent is a turning point for their developing relationship. The attraction between Gordon and Emily has been established and their attire for the evening takes on symbolic form under the context of their stroll. Gordon in his black tuxedo and Emily in her flowing white gown take the role of bride and groom. The stairway sequence fully captures the relationship between them as Gordon, the gentleman that he is, helps Emily down the first set of stairs. This image puts Emily into the care of Gordon, as he must first ease her out of her existing love and marriage with Fred Hill. Leading to the next stairway ascent, the scene with the pivotal kiss, the floor is decorated with chains and ropes embodying a symbol of marriage. As they cross the ropes and chains the camera follows a close up of Gordon’s shinning black shoes and Emily’s flowing gown. Their walk imitates a bride and groom walking down the aisle, but they must step over the existing ropes and chains from the ship like an entanglement of infidelity, richly enhancing the moment.
It is important to mention the ropes and chains of the ship as they embrace what is implied in Gordon and Emily’s ascent on the second stairway. The ropes and chains also complicate their action, as Emily is crossing her existing marriage. Gordon once again eases Emily up the second stairway in a manner that enhances his character as the courtier of Emily. The entire sequence of both stairways and the kiss is made fluid by the overlaying soundtrack and source music. The romantic soundtrack of Gordon and Emily’s stroll blends into the source music provided by the ship’s workers framed below the second stairway. It is on this stairway that Gordon escorts Emily’s ascent into his lifestyle and wealth through an implied marriage. The shot on the stairway composes this ascent by placing Gordon and Emily above the common working class sailors playing the romantic serenade below the stairway. It is also these men under the stairs that provide the aural intrusion of Gordon and Emily’s kiss. Disrupted by the quarreling sounds of the men Emily comes to realize the quarrel she will confront with the situation at hand. As they hurriedly descend the stairway and across the chains again, with the same close up of the shoes and gown, the men are fighting under the stairway.
In both Blackmail and Rich and Strange, secondary characters are introduced as reminders of the implication of the ascent. The Landlady in Blackmail and the men in Rich and Strange prove a clever moral device used efficiently by Hitchcock.
No direct comparison can be firmly established between the characters of the first two films discussed and The 39 Steps. At least not in regard to the characters’ motives and desires. Though the basis that forms all three relationships consist of a man pursuing a woman that has a hesitant attraction to him. The Stairway is of course the other parallel element within the three films. The Stairway scene in each film is also an ascent to a turning point in the three relationships.
The 39 Steps contributes a factor of the couple being forced into ascent of a stairway. It is similar to Rich and Strange in that marriage and a binding of love is what is implied in Richard Hanna and Pamela’s ascent. Unlike, the courtly Commander Gordon, Richard Hanna bursts into Pamela’s life and consistently finds himself forced upon her. It is the stairway scene of the hotel that the turning point of their relationship is captured visually as an ascent. At this point in the film we find Hanna and Pamela forced into handcuffs as they rush into the hotel for sanctuary from their pursuers. It is still evident that Pamela distrusts Hanna and the threat of the pursuers does not yet affect her.
The stairway is immediately centered in the frame as they enter the hotel, indicating its’ symbolic presence. It also layers another dilemma for Pamela as she realizes she will have to share a bed with this man she is handcuffed to. The hotel is a cozy, bed and breakfast-type establishment and the woman’s warm greeting reaffirms this. As the three come into frame together, Hanna’s and Pamela’s busts frame a heart shape around the friendly woman’s medium close up. The husband and wife at the hotel become the third and final step in Hanna’s journey through the notions of marriage made throughout the film. The happy husband and wife indicate this ascent will force Hanna and Pamela into becoming a new found love.
Hanna, downtrodden by his endless escapes, trudges up the stairway dragging the handcuffed Pamela behind. They are lead up the stairway by the Husband, just as it is Hanna who has forced Pamela into this ascent. The dynamics of their relationship plays out on the stairway, as Pamela who is still resentful of Hanna, is also somewhat playful, maybe even flirtatious with him. Just before they reach the top of the stairway, she holds back and Hanna has to drag her to finish the ascent. Heavy emphasis is put on the sound of their footsteps tromping up the old wooden stairway.
It is on the stairway that the hotel husband signifies Hanna’s actions and motives, though his motives are much stronger than just attraction or desire as his innocence is at stake. It is also on the stairway that the hotel Wife acts out Pamela’s newfound affection for Hanna. The first time the wife comes rushing down the stairway it is to secretly confirm with her Husband that Hanna and Pamela are lovers. She rushes down, just as it would seem Pamela would rush down to escape, but instead to confirm her forced attraction to Hanna. The second time the wife rushes down the stairway to stop her Husband from revealing Hanna’s presence in the hotel, it reassures Pamela’s affection for Hanna. As before, the Wife is playing out Pamela’s emotions, seemingly to escape, but the wife serves as protector of Hanna being revealed, just as Pamela expresses from atop the balcony of the stairway.
The stairway is the structure that parallels Hanna and Pamela with the happy Husband and Wife. Overall the stairway scenes in each film have many layers and are used at a pivotal point for the characters. Stairways for Hitchcock can separate the worlds in which a man and woman live in, as in Blackmail, as well as ascend them in unison, as seen in Rich and Strange and The 39 Steps. In light of the era and audience Hitchcock first featured these films to, it can be said that he helped to ascend the emerging times of change in what can exist between a man and a woman. The use of stairways in these early films also roots a signature of the director masterfully accomplished in later films such as Vertigo.
Works Citied
1.{Wood, 265} – Robin Wood, page 265, Hitchcock’s Films Revisited, Columbia University Press.
2.{Wood, chp12} – Robin Wood, Chapter 12, Hitchcock’s Films Revisited, Columbia University Press. Referring to Wood’s chapter on The Ambiguity of Blackmail.
