Trouble Backstairs (1949 film)

Trouble Backstairs is a British crime drama film released in 1949, directed by George Woolf. The film stars Maxwell Reed, Patricia Burke, and Bruce Seton. The plot revolves around a struggling playwright, John, who becomes entangled in a murder investigation after renting a room in a boarding house. The victim, a blackmailer, had connections to several of the residents, making John a prime suspect. The film follows John's attempts to clear his name while navigating the suspicious atmosphere and uncovering the true killer within the boarding house's inhabitants. The "backstairs" element likely refers to the hidden lives and secrets of the residents, and the illicit dealings that occur behind closed doors or away from public view. While not a particularly well-known or critically acclaimed film, Trouble Backstairs is a representative example of post-war British crime dramas, often exploring themes of societal anxieties and moral ambiguity.