The 1991 film "The People Under the Stairs" is set in a big city's rough neighborhood. Two burglars hear that an old house belonging to the local landlords has a cache of gold coins. The pair take along a 13 year old boy to assist them. In the house they encounter a strange supposedly married couple who keep kidnapped children in their basement. The couple manage to kill the two adult men but the boy survives to rescue the children and find the money. The gold coins appear several times during the film. They are portrayed by large American Silver Eagle bullion coins, modern day St. Gaudens design gold bullion coins, along with some imitation or prop coins.

Some Tarot cards appear.

The voice of Mary explains why 13 year old Poindexter Williams (Brandon Adams) is called "Fool" when the Tarot card "The Fool" appears. Mary explains that the term is not an insult. Fool lives with his mother Ruby Williams (Kelly Jo Minter) who is ill and needs an operation. A family friend is Leroy (Ving Rhames), a some-time burglar.

Leroy and another man Spenser plan to visit the Robeson house, an old house occupied by a strange married couple Eldon Robeson (Everett McGill) and Mrs. Robeson (Wendy Robie). The Robesons are wealthy from owning rental properties in poor neighborhoods. The Robesons are believed to keep their wealth at home in the form of gold coins. Leroy invites Fool to come along. The three men head for the house.

The house is well kept on the outside but hides all kinds of horrors inside.

Leroy sends Spenser, dressed as a utility worker, to approach Mrs. Robison, but she refuses to allow him to enter the house. Leroy then sends Fool to look around the outside of the house and Fool reports that the house has many security features including bars on the windows. Leroy sees the Robisons drive away and then he then pries open a window and the three enter the house.

The two adults separate to search the house while Fool looks around. He finds something.

The hand belongs to Spenser's body. The Robisons return and Eldon Robison shoots Leroy. They send their guard dog to find the young man and Fool runs off to hide and enters a bathroom to find a young girl.

The girl is Alice Robeson (A. J. Langer), the Robison daughter, and she tells Fool that she has never left the house. Fool escapes from the house and talks to an older man, Grandpa Booker (Bill Cobbs).

Grandpa tells Fool that the Robison family practiced inbreeding and were suspected of kidnapping children. Fool shows him some gold coins.

The coin under the thumb is an American Gold Eagle gold bullion coin and the coin under the finger is an American Silver Eagle bullion coin. It is possible that the gold coin is an imitation "tribute" coin. Grandpa explains that Fool has enough money to pay for his mother's operation and the rent. Fool calls the police and tells them what he encountered in the house.

The Robisons play a normal couple and explain that their daughter died several years ago. After the officers leave the couple return to hunting Fool. Eldon has dressed for the occasion.

Eldon accidently kills their guard dog while hunting for Fool. A crowd has gathered outside the house including Grandpa and a social worker.

The children from the basement escape into the house and kill Mrs. Robison. Fool looks around the basement but doesn't realize that Eldon is there.

He finds a box of dynamite sticks and for some reason there are gold coins on top of the box. Fool does some more searching and finds the infamous money room.

Piles of paper money, coins, coin rolls, and coin bags labeled "Wells Fargo" and "Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco".

Some coins are lying on the floor. They include the Silver Eagle bullion coins, the St. Gaudens gold bullion coins, along with some imitation or prop coins which have eagles on them. Further searching finds a room with an old adding machine and some coins stuck in candles.

Paper money flies out of the house exciting the crowd of people outside.

Conni Marie Brazelton as Mary
Brandon Adams as Poindexter Williams
Ving Rhames as Leroy
Kelly Jo Minter as Ruby Williams
Jeremy Roberts as Spenser
Everett McGill as Eldon Robeson
Wendy Robie as Mrs. Robeson
A. J. Langer as Alice Robeson
Bill Cobbs as Grandpa Booker
Director: Wes Craven
Writers: Wes Craven