Night Key (1937)

Please don't spend money on this.

Overrated and overhyped

Fantastic!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I just got through watching NIGHT KEY over the weekend and remembered why Boris Karloff was one of the top actors during Hollywood's Golden Age. Not only could he do horror with one hand tied behind his back just to make it fair to other actors, he could do mainstream and action fare as well. NIGHT KEY can be seen today as an ancestor to all those high-tech epics that we've seen these days. It's time to scope out NIGHT KEY. It is included in a five-movie DVD collection, but worth the trouble. That's all.

Night Key although starring Boris Karloff in the prime of his horror film stardom is far from that. In this film Karloff plays an inventor who was ruined by the head of a security firm Samuel S. Hinds who stole a security system that could have made Karloff millions. Hinds made the millions and Karloff and his daughter Jean Rogers barely scraped by.Now he goes and does it again even buying off Karloff's lawyer. This time Boris ain't taking it lying down. He's invented an electronic box he calls his Night Key that allows him to bypass and have all kinds of fun with the security system he created for Hinds. His first trick is to let out petty crook Hobart Cavanaugh from the cell Hinds was holding him for the cops. That's a great sequence and thoroughly embarrassing to the man who made millions on Karloff's ideas.Cavanaugh who made a career out of playing drunks attachés himself to Karloff like a puppy and promises to introduce him to some big time crooks. Alan Baxter certainly sees all kinds of possibilities here, but a life of crime isn't what Karloff had in mind.Instead of being a monstrously evil man Boris is a gentle old soul who just wants what is due him. There's also a reason behind what Hinds is doing to ruin Karloff at every opportunity, it's more than capitalistic greed. Karloff is not frightening anyone in this film. Night Key even has a happy ending. Not too many Karloff films have that for him.

Kindly and brilliant inventor David Mallory (a fine and sympathetic portrayal by Boris Karloff) invents a new security system. Mallory gets abducted by a gang of nefarious burglars who force the old guy to assist them with a series of robberies. Directed with real flair by Lloyd Corrigan, with a nonstop brisk pace, colorful characters, crisp black and white cinematography by George Robinson (the artful use of fades and dissolves is especially impressive), a nice sense of playful humor, snappy dialogue, a tight and engrossing script by Jack Moffitt, a lighthearted tone, a robust score, and a lively and exciting climax, this movie overall sizes up as a highly entertaining item. Moreover, it's a total treat to see Karloff portray a rare decent and amiable good guy part: With his failing eyesight and gentle manner, David Mallory makes for a very appealing protagonist. The fetching Jean Rogers adds charm and spark as Mallory's perky daughter Joan, Alan Baxter does well as ruthless gang leader John Baron, Hobart Cavanaugh almost steals the whole show with his amusing turn as wormy low-life small-time crook Petty Louie, and Ward Bond is suitably menacing as hulking strong-arm thug Fingers. A fun flick.

I remember seeing this film on one of the independant channels in NYC. I don't know if AMC ever ran it. It was nice to see Boris in a role where he isn't the monster or villan.In a memorable scene, after being screwed by his former partners, he and a petty crook go to the alarm companys' clients' stores at night, over-ride the alarm system with radio waves from his "night key" (hence the title?) and cause harmless mischeif, such as opening all the umbrellas in an umbrella store. Eventually REAL criminals learn of his device, and force him to assist them in a major heist. He gets away but is injured (I think). At the central monitoring center he sets ALL the indicators to "alarm", so when the night key is used that location shows as "safe". The cops go there and arrest them. He gets possession of his patent on a new system, which hopefully will screw his old partners to an extent greater than they screwed him.A nice little film.