SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE
US, 1947, 64 minutes, Black and white.
Phillip Terry, Jacqueline White, Eduardo Cianelli, Margaret Lindsay, Arthur Shields, Jimmy Conlin, Jason Robards Sr.
Directed by Lew Landers.
This is the fifth version of Seven Keys to Baldpate, first filmed in 1917, based on a play by George M. Cohan. The original novel was written by Earl Derr Biggers, best known as the author of the Charlie Chan stories.
The action of the story takes place overnight, Phillip Terry is a popular novelist with murder mysteries, making a bet that he could write a short story overnight, staying at the isolated inn, closed for the winter, owned by the man making the bet, Baldpate. On the train, his manuscript is stolen. The town is isolated, the stationmaster (who is reading a thriller but says he prefers the shootings rather than psychological talk) indicates the way to The inn through the snow. A mysterious young woman at the station begs him not to go.
When the author arrives, thinking he has the only key from the owner, he finds a character inside who claims to be the caretaker (Eduardo Cianelli who always had the talent for looking sinister). The young woman turns up, another woman turns up with the caretaker stating that she is his niece, the local hermit also climbs in the window, then another man turns up as well as an alleged professor. And they all have keys!
In some ways the film looks a touch like a parody of old haunted house movies. However, there are plenty of rational explanations. The alleged caretaker is involved with a plan where robbers steal from a jewellery store owner, who also turns up, wanting some insurance money. The mysterious woman is also in on the act, everybody in fact wanting the money and doing double deals – with the killing of the store owner.
On the other hand, with humorous touches, the young woman at the station turns out to be the owner’s secretary and her job is to prevent the writer finishing his story and winning the bet. At the end, he chooses her rather than the money! And there is some comedy with the local hermit who eventually calls in the police. And the professor turns out to be a private detective for the insurance company.
A number of twists, number of shootings, comic touches, and some satisfactory explanations.
