Adapted from Charles Dyer’s stage play about an aging gay couple, Staircase was lambasted at the time of its release for the perceived camp treatment of homosexuality, with frequent targets made of its two leads in particular, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton – two of the more notorious heterosexuals of the era. Ignored by the critics of the film was Donen’s talent and sophistication as a choreographer of emotions. Working again with cinematographer Christopher Challis, Donen’s use of lighting, color and staging, along with the film’s mordant wit – tempered by an underlying warmth –  achieve a sense of realism and nuance not attempted in any of his previous films.