Down the Ancient Stairs

Down the Ancient Stairs

110 mins | Drama | Oct. 17, 1975

A mental hospital somewhere in Tuscany during the thirties. Far away from fascism, this closed world is rules over by Dr. Bonaccorsi, a passionate benevolent psychiatrist whose dream is to isolate the germ of madness. He is also a very active ladies'man and makes three women benefit from his sexual itch: Francesca the hospital manager's wife, Bianca, his devoted nurse and Carla, a nymphomaniac doctor's wife. His well-ordered universe starts being challenged with the coming of Anna, a trainee psychiatrist, who disapproves of his theory on the origin of madness. Worse, she resists his advances. As Bonaccorsi is more insecure than he looks, what will become of him?

Down the Ancient Stairs

110 mins | Drama | Oct. 17, 1975

Down the Ancient Stairs
A mental hospital somewhere in Tuscany during the thirties. Far away from fascism, this closed world is rules over by Dr. Bonaccorsi, a passionate benevolent psychiatrist whose dream is to isolate the germ of madness. He is also a very active ladies'man and makes three women benefit from his sexual itch: Francesca the hospital manager's wife, Bianca, his devoted nurse and Carla, a nymphomaniac doctor's wife. His well-ordered universe starts being challenged with the coming of Anna, a trainee psychiatrist, who disapproves of his theory on the origin of madness. Worse, she resists his advances. As Bonaccorsi is more insecure than he looks, what will become of him?
IMDb rating 6.7
Producers
Original title Per le antiche scale
Directors Mauro Bolognini
Writers Mario Tobino, Tullio Pinelli

Cast

Marcello Mastroianni

as Professor Bonaccorsi

Barbara Bouchet

as Carla

Françoise Fabian

as Anna Bersani

Silvano Tranquilli

as professor Rospigliosi

Marthe Keller

as Bianca

Lucía Bosé

as Francesca

Pierre Blaise

as Tonio

Adriana Asti

as Gianna

Maria Michi

as la pazza aggressiva

Charles Fawcett

as dottor Sfameni

Enzo Robutti

as il pazzo scrittore

Ferruccio De Ceresa

as gerarca fascista in treno

Annunziata Fuciarelli

as Asylum Patient (uncredited)