Down the Ancient Stairs

Dante's Inferno is Alive and Well

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?

Marcello Mastroianni

Professor Bonaccorsi

Françoise Fabian

Anna Bersani

Marthe Keller

Bianca

Barbara Bouchet

Carla

Silvano Tranquilli

professor Rospigliosi

Pierre Blaise

Tonio

Lucía Bosè

Francesca

Adriana Asti

Gianna

Maria Michi

la pazza aggressiva

Charles Fawcett

dottor Sfameni

Enzo Robutti

il pazzo scrittore

Ferruccio De Ceresa

gerarca fascista in treno

Maria Teresa Albani

Paolo Pacino

Paola Corazzi

Alessandra Cardini

Annunziata Fuciarelli

Asylum Patient (uncredited)