CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

gavin6942 The inventor (Boris Karloff) of a new top-of-the-line burglar alarm system is kidnapped by a gang in order to get him to help them commit robberies.Although Boris Karloff may be best known for his horror roles, he makes a great character in this crime story, too. A man who has been wronged, he tries to right that wrong, but things go badly for him. He just cannot catch a break, even when he is the mysterious Night Key.Great plot, decent direction and crisp cinematography really help this one out. Some have noted that it has elements of science fiction. While nothing in the film is impossible, the security system was actually a bit advanced for 1937. It sort of anticipates the laser, which was not invented until 1960.

Scarecrow-88 Despite the casting of Boris Karloff in the lead, "Night Key" isn't a horror flick or chiller even though the studios which produced the film is Universal. "Night Key" is essentially a crime noir with a little science fiction added to the mix to give it flavor. Even the science fiction of the film is minor—Karloff is a poor and victimized genius inventor whose "protection system" was basically swindled by an underhanded businessman, Steven Ranger (Samuel S Hinds), who "stole the patent" through chicanery (however, "legal" in terms of a tricky contract). David Mallory (Karloff) has invented a new protection system, but this time wants 50% of the profits and his name on the invention. When the contract has a flaw that Mallory signs (his lawyer is crooked and allows Ranger to get away with a loophole which doesn't have a time period for installing the new system if he doesn't want to, just using the contract as a weapon against Mallory), the scorned inventor will use a "night key", a device which sets off the alarms of Ranger's protection system. It's the perfect revenge really: Mallory invented the first protection system, knows every nook and cranny, and can exploit its flaws. But when a kingpin, "The Kid" (Alan Baxter, icy cold, in delivery and demeanor), reads of Mallory's activity in the papers, having used his device to break into places (without stealing anything) to prove a point about the flaws in Ranger's protection system, he will use whatever methods to secure the night key so he can rob areas for loot. One of Mallory's problems is a petty thief (and not a very good one at that) he looses from prison with his night key, Petty Louie (Hobart Cavanaugh, used for comedy relief, as well as, a foil for The Kid to use against Mallory and others) and helps him with entering places throughout the city—the two also play around in the stores they enter such as setting up ticking clocks to chime in unison and leaving opened umbrellas. Louie, though, is known by all the criminals in the city, especially The Kid, so Mallory's association with him causes unneeded complications. Jean Rogers is Karloff's daughter, Joan, and Warren Hull is a member of the Ranger protection service, Jim Travers, who takes a shine to her while tailing her, hoping Mallory will turn up. Karloff, wearing makeup and costumed as a much older man, is the perfect sympathetic figure for an audience because he is the victim of corrupt business practices and forced into a nefarious association with The Kid against his will. The screenplay even includes worsening eye sight for Mallory to further add suffering to the character. The Kid takes advantage of this weakness as does Ranger (the contract signing, the fine writing which would perhaps escape the bad eyesight of Mallory) so the film builds up the Mallory character as constantly abused. Mallory is kind, soft-spoken, and principled, so when he is mistreated by the treacherous Ranger, and kidnapped by The Kid, he's a genuine tragic hero you can get behind. Ward Bond, of all people, has an early part as a member of the Kid's gang of hoods. Predictable—even the blossoming romance between Jim and Joan is telegraphed in the usual fashion we are accustomed to seeing in films like "Night Key"—and rather average noirish crime feature benefits from Karloff's presence and lovable character. Hinds, in an atypical change-of-pace role, is crafty and sneaky, that is until his protection system's weaknesses are exploited and he must address the conniving ways he tricked Mallory, perhaps having to make amends for his actions. Karloff, I imagine, probably thought this was a relief from the usual horror roles he normally would (and later) portray.

doctorsmoothlove This is Karloff's least memorable movie (since he isn't the antagonist). However, Karloff does portray the hapless inventor well. The only fault I see is that the film didn't make use of his individual talent as well as it could have. Any person could have been Mr. Mallory. Nevertheless, "Night Key" is a pleasant film because of its just funny dialog and realistic acting. I recommend it not only because it offers a change of pace for Karloff fans but also because its noir elements make it still entertaining. This film is surprisingly memorable not just because of the creative story but because of the amusing dialog. For example, when Ranger arrests Petty Louie he laments that the 10,000th person that his alarm has helped him arrest wasn't a big-name criminal. Louie apologizes and says that he was too shy to have been a more loathsome criminal. Also, Louie's accent and his constant recognizance of Mallory as his "boss" if very amusing just by how out of place the dialog feels. Even though Karloff gets the credit as the popular actor, Cavanaugh has the best performance. Mallory could have been portrayed by any actor.

bsmith5552 "Night Key" was a change of pace for Universal's horror star Boris Karloff. Playing largely horror related roles through most of the 1930's, this film offered him a chance to step out of that genre for a welcome change of pace.Karloff plays mild mannered inventor David Mallory who lives with his daughter Jean (Jean Rogers), has invented a new "electric eye" security system. He had been cheated out of the profits of his previous wire based system by unscrupulous businessman and former friend Steven Ranger (Samuel S. Hinds). This time however, Mallory has also invented a "night key" system which disables his security systems.Mallory's lawyer, Kruger (Edwin Maxwell) conspires with Ranger to cheat Mallory out of his rightful royalties for his new invention. With the help of petty crook Petty Louie (Hobart Cavanaugh) who he helps escape from Ranger's holding cell, the two set out to discredit Ranger's company. Meanwhile Ranger Officer Jim Travis (Warren Hull) tries to locate Mallory and in doing so falls in love with Jean.Mallory using his "night key" disables the Ranger Security Systems of several business, taking nothing, in order to destroy consumer confidence in Ranger. A gangster, known only as "The Kid" (Alan Baxter) becomes interested in Mallory's invention. Petty Louie gives up Mallory's location thinking that the two will make some dough working for The Kid. The Kid has other ideas.Karloff as always delivers a solid performance as the going blind inventor. No mad scientist here. The requisite romance between Rogers and Hull adds little to the story. Cavanaugh almost walks off with the film as the small time crook Petty Louie. Baxter is also good as The Kid. Ward Bond appears as one of Baxter's henchmen, Fingers. Also watch for long time character actor George Cleveland as Ranger's engineer and for "B" western fans, Roy Barcroft in an early bit as a Ranger technician.