The Door with Seven Locks (1940)

I'll tell you why so serious

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

(Some Spoilers) A gorgeously young, and at the same time sweet and innocent looking, Lilli Pamler is June Lasdowne the damsel in distress in this overly complicated mystery. The movie is about seven keys that open the secret to what's been happening over the last ten years regarding the heir to he Selford fortune and who's really been getting it. Before Lord Charles Selford died in 1928 he left his estate to his young and lame eleven year-old son John, Ross Landon, and had his guardian Silva, J.H Roberts, take care of all the arrangements. Now some ten years later Silva is in a state of mental degeneration and stuck in a nursing home. Desprate to get the secret out about John Silva writes a letter and, together with a mysterious key wrapped in it, throws it out the window addressed to June Lansdowne. Increably the letter and key find their way to June when two boys find it and hand deliver it to her. June going to see Silva at the nursing home, about the letter he sent her, never gets the entire story from him as he's shot and killed, from behind a painting on the wall. June immediately goes to see the home attendant Ann Cody,Cathleen Nesbitt, about her patient's death only to find out that the place is closed down! Later when she and Mrs. Cody go to Silva's room find it empty.Running to the police June gets police inspector Dick Martin, Romilly Lunge, to check on Silva's murder only to get the same answers when he goes to see Mrs. Cody;the placed has been closed for some time and there's no, or ever was any, Mr. Silva there as a patient. Martin slowly pieces together this strange and complicated plot concocted by Lord Selford's doctor Manetta, Leslie Banks, Silva Mrs. Cody and a number of other trusted Selford aids in order to steal his fortune. Doc. Manetta tried to make it look like Lord Selford's son John was receiving it in a monthly allowance over the last ten years. The question is just were is John Selford and is he still alive to collect his inheritance in the first place? June turns out to be the second in line to Lord Selford's money and fortune and by her being alive she's a threat to those who have been embezzling it over the years. Now knowing that she was informed by Silva, to what's been going on, June has to be eliminated to keep the scam ongoing. Like in all these type of films about a bunch of criminals getting together to pull off a crime they eventually turn on each other when the going starts to get too hot for them . In the end they all fall by the wayside. The most interesting of theses conspirators is the creepy and sophisticated Dr. Manetta who's, what you would call, the leader of the pack. Manetta who's also a distant relative of the infamous 15th century Grand Inquisitor Fray Thomas De Torqemada of the Spanish Inqusition and like they used to say about him back then, behind his back of course, "You can't talk him out ha anything" when ever he made up his mind.Menatta took up his descendant's strange attraction to torture and torture devices and built and exact replica of a chamber of horror in his home. Having it out with police inspector Martin at the conclusion of the movie one of Manetta devices that he prized so highly was what ended up doing him in.

This British made film is highly enjoyable. Excellent performances by the cast, spectacular sets, good script, all things about this film I found enjoyable.Lilli Palmer was excellent in the role, she is also a joy to watch as she is breathtakingly beautiful. Leslie Banks is back in a role similar to his role in "Most Dangerous Game," a man who lives in a castle, and collects torture devices.At 80 minutes in length this film really needs to be watched and enjoyed. Very clever.

This classic Edgar Wallace Murder Mystery/Conspiracy film is surprising fun. Leslie Banks, as the clever, devious, torture device collecting Dr. Mannetta (the owner of the chamber of horrors), frequently steals the scenes he's in even if his character is some what a cliche. The very lovely Lilli Palmer as Judy Lansdowne here plays the lady in distress. A woman in need of help and rescue as many others plot against her and try and steal her key to the "door with the seven locks", the seven keys to which when combined will open Lord Selford's tomb containing his family jewels. Banks as Mannetta, along with a creepy atmosphere, a good pace and an exciting climax make this better than you might expect.

This film is (VERY!) loosely based on the Edgar Wallace book, but the ONLY thing it has in common with it is the DOOR!I am an avid reader/collector of Wallace, and (I had to admit it!), but I was totally bored by the whole business! The pacing is extremely slow, and the film goes on forever!The only redeeming thing about it is the heroine, who is a "good-looker"! (btw, the mad doctor bears an uncanny resemblance to the mad hunter in the Fay Wray version of "The Most Dangerous Game).Norm