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Pretty Good

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The acting in this movie is really good.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

SEVEN KEYS had been a stage perennial since before WWI, and a couple of times a motion picture by the time of this release, it being the first of several talkie versions. Semi-distinguished director Reginald Barker approached the prospect of filming it cinematically, using what is basically a story taking place in one set, the lobby of the Baldpate Inn. He deftly moves the camera set-ups from long shots, mid-shots, and different angles all in rapid succession, never lingering long enough to look like it's slowing down. In other words, the visuals match the fast pace of the dialogue. This alone is a distinct departure from most of the first year or so of Radio pictures, which often are uninspired, no-frills filmed plays. The dramatic highlight comes as the whole horde of strangers, including the crooked Mayor and the Railway president and even the up-to-now innocent man (Dix) trying to do the right thing with a sense of humor, seize the sheriff after he tries to steal the money, pulling him over a desk and tearing into him, seen from above, like the death of Richard III in the 1955 Laurence Olivier classic. At that moment, it seems that all the civilization that existed in this small world has broken down. The story really couldn't go anywhere but the way it did, unless maybe to use an "It was all a dream" ending.I do have a complaint though, in that it's revealed that it was in fact, all a sham, with everyone really being actors put up to trick our hero, it seems like a cheat, or an outright lie to show scenes completely out of our hero's sight and knowledge playing out "in character", including the Sheriff all confused down at police HQ, and cops investigating a murky basement of Baldpate, yet in the final summing up, we learn that such a basement referenced earlier never existed, it was only part of the ruse. Still an enjoyable film.

So it seems for author Richard Dix who believes falsely that he has the only key to the summer inn Baldpate (closed for the winter) where he has agreed to stay to try and write his latest opus within a 24 hour period. Within minutes of his arrival (and the abrupt departure of the scaredy cat caretakers), he discovers that indeed, there are more keys, with the arrival of a gun-toting criminal, a female journalist and her mother, a sexpot pretending to be the wife of somebody she's never even met, a woman-hating hobo and various other eccentrics. The wind of the winter is hitting the shutters even as Dix arrives, giving the perfect atmosphere to this enjoyable version of the often filmed George Cohen play which mixes chills and comedy to the audience's delight. Don't let this early talkie's age scare you away from watching it as the creakiness of the early stagy filming truly works, making this much better than you would believe. Every character who shows up at the door has their own eccentricities and their own agenda, which adds to the tension and to the laughter as the plot expands to its riotous conclusion. This truly is a lot of fun, featuring a cast of mostly unknown or forgotten character actors who slightly underplay the melodrama to make it quite different than the dozens of other "old dark houses" which were overly abundant during the golden age of the cinema and mostly quite forgettable. You won't soon forget the opening shot of Baldpate as Dix arrives, and the conclusion will definitely seem to be an inspiration for Ira Levin's modern comedy thriller "Deathtrap".

1913 saw the release of the novel Seven Keys To Baldpate by Earl Der Biggers (a forgotten but very influential writer who also created Charlie Chan). That same year George M. Cohan adapted it for, and starred in, a hit stage version on Broadway. There were three silent movie versions in 1916 (from Australia), 1917 (the only one that still exists) and 1925. This is an early b/w talkie (hit) starring the very likable Richard Dix as a famous trash novelist who accepts a bet that he can't write a book in 24 hours while staying at the remote upstate New York Baldpate Inn (during a snowstorm). His work is interrupted by unexpected intruders of all kinds, all of whom believe they have the only existing key to the place. There's possible murder, mystery, intrigue and lots of droll comedy, and a double-twist ending. I enjoyed it quite abit. With Miriam Seegar, Margaret Livingston, DeWitt Jennings, Lucian Littlefield, Nella Walker, Alan Roscoe, Crauford Kent, Harvey Clark and Edith Yorke. Arthur Hoyt was cut out. To put this into context for horror historians, D.W. Griffith took the popular elements of Baldpate and made (the hit) ONE EXCITING NIGHT in 1922. This led to an Old Dark House revival that led to popular plays like The Cat And The Canary, The Bat and The Gorilla, which in turn led to classic movie adaptations that really ramped-up the horror elements, and a slew of imitations jostled for attention for years to come. James Whale's early parody was the brilliant THE OLD DARK HOUSE in 1932. Further Baldpate movies were in 1935, 1947 and 1982 (HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS).Movie reviews at: spinegrinderweb.com

Many of the early "Talkies" were very, very stilted and looked like stage productions. Typically, they had little action and people talked way too much--trying to show off the latest innovation (sound). As a result, most of the early Talkies were actually pretty poor films and tough to watch today. This film is a wonderful example of an early lousy Talkie. Richard Dix is the only one in the film with any energy in his delivery. Otherwise, they all sound like they are in a High School play--delivering stilted dialog in a very stilted manner. And instead of acting to show the plot progressing, the actors just talked and talked and talked!! Because of this I was bored stiff and really had to force myself to keep watching. Additionally, it was really hard to enjoy the film because the plot, up until the excellent ending, was terrible--something that some chimps might be able to replicate or even surpass had they been allowed to write the movie!!!