Thu 25 Mar 2010
Movie Review: THE KEYHOLE (1933).
Posted by Steve under Films: Comedy/Musicals , Films: Drama/Romance , Reviews[7] Comments
THE KEYHOLE. Warner Brothers, 1933. Kay Francis, George Brent, Glenda Farrell, Allen Jenkins, Henry Kolker, Monroe Owsley, Helen Ware. Screenplay by Robert Presnell Sr., based on the story “Adventuress” by Alice D. G. Miller. Director: Michael Curtiz.
Even though George Brent plays at being a private detective in this one, the society kind, with Allen Jenkins as his dopey partner, I’ve categorized this movie as a comedy/romance all the way. While there is a crime involved (blackmail), any detection is minimal (that is to say, none).
It’s not even Brent’s job to nab the blackmailer, though in the end he does, in a way. He’s hired instead to keep an eye on the blackmailee (Kay Francis) on behalf of her husband (Henry Kolker), who does not know about the blackmail but thinks funny business is going on when Kay Francis (a) begins to act strangely, and (b) heads for Cuba alone, and under her maiden name.
It’s all part of a plot on her part to rid herself of the blackmailer (Monroe Owsley) to whom she was once married and who has since reneged on following through with a divorce.
Brent’s usual game is getting the goods on married women who want to stray (I did mention he was the society kind of PI), so he’s a little confused, but naturally, as the cruise goes on, he begins to, well, you know, fall in love with her?
Unfortunately, as an actor, George Brent has always seemed too bland for me, so it was up to Kay Francis to make this picture work for me, and she was never lovelier.
She has a huge wardrobe along with her aboard ship, and each is what you might call spectacular, with many of them backless (this was a pre-Code movie) and cut low in front as well, but not nearly as far as in the back.
She makes the romance between George Brent and herself believable, and even sizzle here and there, in totally entertaining fashion.
But Allen Jenkins I could easily have done without altogether. He plays dopey to the hilt in this movie, and does a bang up job of it. A subplot involving him in a romance with con woman Glenda Farrell doesn’t go very far (both of them believe the other to be rich), but at least Glenda Farrell is easy on the eyes. She always was.
March 25th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Kay Francis was my grandfather’s favorite actress (because she looked like my grandmother)and did a number of adult roles in the pre code days as strong and liberated women. She and Norma Shearer did some racy films through that whole period.
Brent was fairly bland on screen, which was probably a strength since he could play a masculine but non threatening male presence against the likes of Francis or Bette Davis. He was also a hero of the Irish Revolution, albeit at age sixteen. Maybe when you peak that early you can afford to be bland later.
I’ve seen this one and though it is a comedy it has a few things in common with PRIVATE DETECTIVE 62 in that in that one William Powell also plays a private eye who always gets his woman. It interesting to see the familiar stereotypes of the private eye developing in early films like these.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:03 am
William Powell could do no wrong as an actor as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure I taped PRIVATE DETECTIVE 62 when it was shown on TCM some time back, but I never watched it. I’ll have to see if I can’t find it.
I see from IMDB that Michael Curtiz was the director of that one also, but what’s intriguing (and something I didn’t know before) is that PD62 is based on a story by pulp writer Raoul Whitfield. Now it’s definitely a must.
Here’s something else I’ve just learned. Michael Curtiz did a sort of a remake of THE KEYHOLE called ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS in 1948. I say “sort of” since the later picture is officially based on a different story, but there’s a PI (Jack Carson) who’s been hired a suspicious husband (Don DeFore) to keep an eye on his wife (Janis Paige) while she’s alone on a cruise.
There are a couple of twists that take the two movies in different directions from there, but the initial setups are awfully close.
Doris Day’s in this second film as well, one of her earlier movies — her first one, in fact — but I’ve never seen it, either. It’s on my To Be Watched list now.
Re: Kay Francis. Your grandfather was a lucky guy, if you don’t mind me saying so.
Until KEYHOLE I’d seen her only in later films. She shows herself to far better advantage in this one, and giving myself some good advice, I think I’ll find some of her other early 1930s movies and put them in the queue.
March 26th, 2010 at 7:09 am
You definitely need to watch Kay’s early 1930s films. She shines in the pre-Code era movies like Trouble in Paradise, where she could play women who were fully sexual. That was something you couldn’t do after 1934, so her later films don’t showcase her talents to their fullest extent.
March 26th, 2010 at 9:32 am
I hadn’t thought about in quite that way, but I think you’re right about Kay Francis, Craig, pre-Code vs. afterward.
But could there have been other factors involved as well? A few actresses — taking Barbara Stanwyck as an example — seemed to thrive after the Code came in as well as before, so maybe there’s more about what happened to Kay Francis than I have any idea about.
— Steve
PS. Your blog on the movies Kay Francis made and other old movies of the 1930s is great. Everyone should go there!
http://kayfrancisfest.blogspot.com
March 26th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Craig
Yes, TROUBLE IN PARADISE — a great film, and one of Ernst Lubitsch best. One of those films that just sparkle.
Steve
ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS is fun with Doris Day playing a stripper (of all things) though pretty much a fairly tame version of one, something she also did in APRIL IN PARIS. Not a great film, but good music, nice technicolor, solid cast, and great songs plus you get to see Jack Carson in one of his rare leading man roles.
I’ve never been able to determine, is PRIVATE DETECTIVE 62 based on a published story by Whitfield or an original screen story? I think the latter may be the case, but I’m not sure.
The Kay Francis and Norma Shearer pre code films relied on elements that couldn’t be tackled after the code came in where Stanwyck and others did tough roles but also a bit more traditional soap opera. And age played a difference too. As the code came in both Francis and Shearer were near the end of their leading lady careers where Stanwyck and Davis were just getting started.
The kind of strong independent sexual women Francis and Shearer played in the pre code era could only be played for comedy of the TAMING OF THE SHREW mode after the code or as femme fatales who met a bad end. Only in that brief pre-code era could they be sexually adventurous, strong, and end the film retaining those characteristics. Women as strong and independent as theirs are still rare in films today.
Re Stanwyck, she always told the story that when she did BABY FACE director William Wellman told her she could play the ingenue for a few films and then see her career fade or she could play the tough broad for the rest of her life. She wisely chose the latter. But she and Davis were just starting when the code began and their career paths were yet to be set in stone. Francis and Shearer still had a good decade ahead of them but their type of role and movie just couldn’t be made anymore.
Myrna Loy is another who made a dramatic change with the coming of the code. She went from the exotic bad girl of MASK OF FU MANCHU and 13 WOMEN to the smart feisty girlfriend (TOO HOT TO HANDLE, MANHATTAN MELODRAMA, LIBELED LADY)and then morphed into everybody’s sexiest wife with THE THIN MAN and later films.
But for whatever reason the public didn’t care for Francis and Shearer much in their post code roles and they both faded in the background.
March 26th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Steve,
Kay Francis is one of my favorites as well. Two movies immediately come to mind, both with William Powell, and are NOT to be missed: “Jewel Robbery” 1932 and “One Way Passage” 1932, both of which show up on TCM occasionally. Jewel Robbery is a hoot. Powell is a debonaire jewel heist artist with a gang of well dressed henchmen. This all takes place in Paris. After each heist, Powell makes the victim smoke a special “cigarette” (pot) to relax them after the heist.The outcome is hilarious.
“One Way Passage” has some good charachter actors that add a lot to the movie. Best might be the “Countess” (beer house? Betty)
another shyster making her way among the marks. Catch the beginning of the movie which takes place in a saloon, with the singing waiters. Just great! Also have to mention this: Anyone ever notice that poor Kay can’t pronounce the letter “R”? If I remember correctly, it comes out as a “W”?
I’m sure someone will correct me on the last point if I mixed up the letters. Still, she’s terrific!
March 26th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Kay did have a bit of a lisp of sorts.
Paul mentions two great movies too. JEWEL ROBBERY and ONE WAY PASSAGE (which won an Oscar for best story). The latter was remade as TIL WE MEET AGAIN with Merle Oberon, George Brent, and Pat O’Brien. Not a bad film, but in no way equal to the original.