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Horror film

The Attic (1980): Cast & Plot

The Attic (1980) movie poster

The Attic is a 1980 horror film directed by Gary Graver and George Edwards, starring Carrie Snodgress as Louise Elmore, Ron Luce and Ray Milland. It runs 1 hour 41 minutes.

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The Attic (1980) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 41m (101 min)
Directors
Gary Graver and George Edwards
Genre
Horror
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Attic About?

The premise of The Attic without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A librarian caring for her wheelchair‑bound, domineering father after being abandoned at the altar lives in oppressive routine. She daydreams about his death and finds the only joy in her pet monkey. When the monkey disappears, long‑repressed family secrets emerge, unleashing a shocking and terrifying truth.

The Attic Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • attempted suicide
  • spin off
  • suicidal
  • suicidal woman
  • wheelchair user
  • crying
  • crying woman
  • crying female
  • f rated
  • female protagonist
  • home movie
  • watching a home movie
+38 more
  • projection
  • loneliness
  • lonely woman
  • bare chested male
  • younger version of character
  • flashback
  • paraplegic
  • paraplegic man
  • old man
  • plush toy
  • plush monkey
  • collection
  • plush toy collection
  • plush toy collector
  • plush monkey collection
  • plush monkey collector
  • framed photograph
  • wrist slitting
  • blood
  • toy collection
  • librarian
  • librarian as protagonist
  • wrist bandage
  • hand bandage
  • old woman
  • flash
  • alcoholic
  • female alcoholic
  • alcoholism
  • overhearing a conversation
  • suicide attempt
  • toy collector
  • bechdel test passed
  • coworker coworker relationship
  • colleague colleague relationship
  • head librarian
  • strong female character
  • camera shot of feet
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Cast & crew

The Attic Cast & Characters

Carrie Snodgress leads the cast as Louise Elmore, with Ron Luce as Robert Orin Farnsworth and Ray Milland as Wendell. Directed by Gary Graver and George Edwards; 19 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Attic

· 15 more
From the directors

More from Gary Graver and George Edwards

More films directed by Gary Graver and George Edwards: Angel in Training, Veronica 2030, Black Widow Escort and Masseuse 3.

Plot

The Attic Plot Summary

What happens in The Attic from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Louise Elmore Carrie Snodgress is a depressed, alcoholic spinster who works as the head librarian in Wichita, Kansas. Since her fiancé, Robert, disappeared the day before their wedding nineteen years ago, Louise has devoted herself to caring for her infirm, abusive father, Wendell Ray Milland, who is confined to a wheelchair. After a nervous breakdown and a fire started inside the library, Louise resigns and begins training her younger incoming replacement, Emily Perkins Ruth Cox. Following the fire, Louise attempts suicide by slashing her wrists, but survives. Louise and Emily quickly become friends, and Emily shows genuine empathy toward Louise. At home, Louise harbors fantasies of revenge against her father, sometimes even imagining murder.

Full summary

The whole story of The Attic, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Attic?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
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  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
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  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who portrayed Louise Elmore in the film?

Details

The Attic Also Known As

4 alternative titles, including “Η Σοφίτα του Τρόμου” and “13 Stufen zum Terror”.

Also known as
  • Η Σοφίτα του Τρόμου
  • 13 Stufen zum Terror
  • El Desván
  • 杀人玩偶

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FAQ

The Attic FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Attic, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Attic?

The Attic runs 1 hour 41 minutes (101 minutes).

When was The Attic released?

The Attic was released on October 1, 1980.

Who directed The Attic?

The Attic was directed by Gary Graver and George Edwards.

More films by Gary Graver

Who is in the cast of The Attic?

The Attic stars Carrie Snodgress as Louise Elmore, Ron Luce as Robert Orin Farnsworth and Ray Milland as Wendell, among 19 credited actors.

Does The Attic have a post-credit scene?

No. The Attic has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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