The Steel Key (1953)

Pretty Good

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

THE STEEL KEY is another low budget British crime film from Tempean Films, directed by Robert S. Baker (of the Berman/Baker) team and with a script by John Gilling. As other reviewers have noted, the plot is very similar to one of the Saint books by Leslie Charteris, albeit with the character names changed. It's no surprise that Berman and Baker would later go on to make THE SAINT TV series in the 1960s.This film offers the rare chance to see movie bad guy Terence Morgan playing the hero for once. Morgan is a playboy-style hero, ever suffering from having the police at his heels, who adopts the identity of a research scientist in order to bring some real crooks to book. The tale is about the hunt for a scientific formula for hardened steel which is a classic MacGuffin in the Hitchcock mould and doesn't really have much in the way of relevance.Basically, THE STEEL KEY consists of characters chasing each other around and attempting to outwit each other. Morgan is excellent and really shines as the likable hero and Joan Rice is a fine choice as the plucky nurse who helps him. Raymond Lovell adds humour as the exasperated detective while there are minor roles for the familiar faces of Sam Kydd, Michael Balfour, Esma Cannon, and Esmond Knight. Dianne Foster has a similar femme fatale character to the one she had in Tempean's THE QUIET WOMAN. Once again the south coast (this time, Newhaven) provides a good backdrop for the action. Watch out for Morgan's stuntman, who has different coloured hair to the actor!

I can see the point being made by the other reviewers.This is a Saint film in all but name.Terence Morgan is constantly evading the police whilst looking for the professor and his formula.The cast is quite interesting.Edmond Knight who was blinded in the sea battle with the Bismark,playing the professor.Michael Balfour is a sailor.Sam Judd with a moustache plays a henchman.Same Cannon is a rather dotty patient in the doctors waiting room.The film was made on the south coast and I am wondering if it used Brighton studios which was one of the oldest studios,closing in the sixties.The script isn't marvellous,but it provides some action.

A decade before they found tremendous success producing cult TV classics like The Saint, Monty Berman and Robert S Baker specialised in making low budget second features like this through their company Tempean Productions. Here we have Terence Morgan - reduced to appearing in b- pics like this after having the distinction of playing Laertes in Olivier's Hamlet - as an adventurer called Johnny O' Flynn who is out to stop enemy agents from stealing a top secret formula for processed hardened steel - The Steel Key of the title - from a kidnapped scientist, Professor Newman (Esmond Knight). The screenplay by John Gilling - a writer-director who would later find fame at Hammer with The Plague Of The Zombies and The Reptile - frustrates somewhat as it becomes difficult to keep up with who's doing what and when. Nevertheless, it is still well above the standard one normally associates with second features and, in many ways, it is a fun prototype of The Saint as Morgan's Johnny O' Flynn is remarkably similar to Simon Templar as an adventurer who sails close to the wind, is always playing hide and seek with the cops who want to put him behind bars but can't pin anything on him and is always on to something for personal profit - O' Flynn wants the formula to sale to the highest bidder - but always finds himself doing the law a favour by catching master criminals. It is efficiently directed by Robert S Baker - who directed some episodes of The Saint himself - who keeps the action moving at a cracking pace and the cast including Morgan, Joan Rice, Esmond Knight and Colin Tapley all offer excellent performances. It is beautifully shot in black and white by Gerald Gibbs and that, combined with some attractive set work, give the picture an appearance of a bigger budget product. One of the joys I get in watching pictures like this is that locations like Newhaven, Seaford and other towns alongside the Sussex coast are often used. In Britain, that part of the world is known as 'God's Waiting Room' and who would believe that sleepy seaside resorts like those were at the centre of intrigue and espionage?

"The Steel Key" looks like an early try-out for "The Saint" TV series.Terence Morgan plays an attractive rogue that police forces around the world would love to catch red-handed; and yet he is happily focused on bringing real criminals to justice.The "steel key" is a military secret - a "Macguffin" that matters not one jot. The baddies want it - Terence Morgan's character (who uses three different names during the film) gets involved by pretending to have it.Forsythe, the policeman, is Chief Inspector Teal by another name. And Joan Rice is absolutely charming in the love interest role.Good fun - with nice views of Fifties Newhaven.