SOME MUST WATCH.
London: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited. [1933]. First Edition (& 1st printing). Octavo, original brown cloth lettered and ruled in black on spine and front cover. 319 pp. This UK edition is the true first edition, preceding the American edition issued in 1941. Lacking the front free endpaper (the inner front hinge is lightly repaired, the first leaf is the half-title page). Cloth bubbledspine shows vertical creasing, moderate small staining to the text, small scratch on front cover. A fairly well-used copy, but very sound. Housed in a fine facsimile dust jacket. Item #312816
¶ Mystery thriller. SOME MUST WATCH is the basis for the 1946 American psychological horror film THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE, directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, and Ethel Barrymore. The film follows a mute young woman in an early-20th century Vermont town being terrorized by a serial killer who targets disabled women. The novel was adapted for a radio production starring Helen Hayes before reaching the screen. Since its release, The Spiral Staircase has been subject to significant film criticism and academic discussion, particularly in regard to the film's visual motifs and blending of horror and film noir. Although characterized by contemporaneous press as a "mystery romance," the film has been noted by contemporary critics for its prominent Gothic horror elements. It has also been cited as one of numerous progenitors to the slasher film, specifically for its female-centric cast and point-of-view cinematography deployed during scenes in which the killer stalks his victims.
Price: $375.00