Seven Keys to Baldpate *** (1947, Phillip Terry, Jacqueline White, Eduardo Ciannelli, Margaret Lindsay, Arthur Shields, Jimmy Conlin, Tony Barrett, Richard Powers) – Classic Movie Review 5752

Director Lew Landers’s 1947 RKO Radio Pictures American mystery thriller film Seven Keys to Baldpate is the seventh attempt to film the Earl Derr Biggers novel, in an attractive movie that is quite tense, pacy and diverting.

Phillip Terry stars as Kenneth Magee, a mystery thriller novelist who tries to write a book at the dreaded, corpse-strewn rural Baldpate Inn, after taking on a bet with the blonde inn wench Mary Jordan (Jacqueline White) that he will finish it there.

It is shut for winter and the owner has given him what is supposed to be the only key to the front door – but there are six other keys to Baldpate…

Also in the cast are Eduardo Ciannelli as Cargan, Margaret Lindsay as Connie Lane, Arthur Shields as Professor Bolton, Jimmy Conlin as Pete the Hermit, Tony Barrett, Richard Powers [Tom Keene], Jason Robards Sr, Sam McDaniel, Harry Harvey, Robert Bray, Erville Alderson, and Pierre Watkin.

It is written by Lee Loeb, based on the novel and the play version by George M Cohan (‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’), shot by Jack MacKenzie, produced by Herman Schlom and scored by Paul Sawtell and Constantin Bakaleinikoff.

It was shot in December 1946 and released on July 30, 1947.

George M Cohan’s play version opened on Broadway at the Astor Theatre on 22 September 1913 and ran for 320 performances.

Phillip Terry opined: ‘I think classics like this can be done over and over. Almost every 10 years a new audience is ready for them.’ He was lucky to have this lead role as Jack Haley was originally announced to star with Boris Karloff. Terry appeared in more than 80 movies, many of them in small roles, after signing with Paramount and then with RKO. He married Joan Crawford on July 21, 1942, but divorced in 1946.

The other film versions of Seven Keys to Baldpate are Seven Keys to Baldpate (1916) with George M Cohan, Seven Keys to Baldpate (1917), Seven Keys to Baldpate (1925) and the first sound version, Seven Keys to Baldpate (1929), Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935) and Seven Keys to Baldpate 1946.

It was remade in 1983 as House of the Long Shadows and again in 1986 as Haunted Honeymoon.

Seven Keys to Baldpate is directed by Lew Landers, runs 66 minutes, is made and released by RKO Radio Pictures, is written by Lee Loeb (screenplay), based on the novel by Earl Derr Biggers and George M Cohan’s play, is shot in black and white by Jack MacKenzie, is produced by Herman Schlom, and is scored by Paul Sawtell and Constantin Bakaleinikoff (musical director), with Art Direction by Lucius O Croxton and Albert S D’Agostino.

The cast are Phillip Terry as Kenneth Magee, Jacqueline White as Mary Jordan, Eduardo Ciannelli as Cargan, Margaret Lindsay as Connie Lane, Arthur Shields as Professor Bolton, Jimmy Conlin as Pete the hermit, Tony Barrett as Max Rogers, Richard Powers as Steve Bland, Erville Alderson as Station agent, Sam McDaniel as Porter, Harry Harvey as The chief, Jason Robards Sr, Robert Bray, and Pierre Watkin.

Apparently Lew Landers and Earl Derr Biggs were good friends. Lew Landers was an incredibly prolific director from 1934 to 1958. American novelist and playwright Earl Derr Biggers (August 26, 1884 – April 5, 1933) created the Chinese American detective Charlie Chan. Italian baritone and character actor Eduardo Ciannelli (30 August 1888 – 8 October 1969) enjoyed a long and successful career in American films, often as gangsters and criminals.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,752

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