Seven Keys to Baldpate (1929 film)

Seven Keys to Baldpate is a 1929 sound film[3] produced and distributed through RKO Pictures. It was the first sound film based on the 1913 Earl Derr Biggers novel/ George M. Cohan play Seven Keys to Baldpate, following three different silent film versions (1916, 1917 and 1925).[3][4][5] The film had its premiere on Christmas Day, 1929 in New York City, and its official release was the following month.[6]

Seven Keys to Baldpate
Promotional poster for film
Directed byReginald Barker
Produced byLouis Sarecky
Written byJane Murfin
Based onplay by George M. Cohan
adapted from novel by Earl Derr Biggers
StarringRichard Dix
CinematographyEdward Cronjager
Distributed byRKO Pictures
Release date
  • December 25, 1929 (1929-12-25) ( Premiere-New York City)
  • January 12, 1930 (1930-01-12) (U.S.)[1]
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$251,000[2]
Box office$517,000[2]

Plot

In a New York City club, famous novelist William Halliwell "Mac" Magee makes a $5,000 bet with a wealthy friend, Hal Bentley, that he can write a 10,000-word story within 24 hours at the "lonesomest spot on Earth": a summer resort in the winter. Hal owns the resort, the Baldpate Inn, on a mountaintop 6 hours away by train.

Hal asks Mac to write something more thoughtful than his usual melodramatic thriller. If nothing else, Hal wants him to avoid the cliche of love at first sight between hero and heroine. Mac says he doesn't really believe in that, "but it makes swell fiction". Before he leaves, Hal introduces a Mrs. Rhodes and a lovely young reporter named Mary Norton—and Mac falls in love at first sight. Now he wants to delay the bet, but Hal insists he must go that night, and write the story between midnight and the following midnight.

Mac is let into the Baldpate Inn by the people with the only key: Elijah Quimby, the caretaker, and his wife. Hal has arranged for the electricity and telephone to work, and the Quimbys light fires in the fireplaces and prepare a room. They mention that the only other time someone was there in the winter it was crooked politicians who broke in so they could hide a graft payment in the office safe. They also mention a local hermit, Peters, who likes to scare people by pretending to be a ghost. The Quimbys now give Mac the key and leave. They will return the following midnight for his manuscript.

Mac locks himself in and begins work. But soon he is surprised when a man unlocks the inn and lets himself in. His name is Bland. Mac overhears him phoning someone and saying that he is going to put the money into the hotel safe and Mayor Cargan, who knows the combination, can collect it. Bland also says he has the only key to the inn. Mac confronts Bland, who pulls a gun. Eventually Mac manages to trick Bland and lock him up, but Bland escapes through a window.

Now Mary arrives, also with a key, and with Mrs. Rhodes—who is Mayor Cargan's fiancée. Mary says she is there to report on the $5,000 bet, and Mac is happy for her to stay. Mary also believes that Cargan has been accepting graft relating to a transit franchise, and would like to report on that. Peters is the next to arrive with a key, followed by the transit company owner, Cargan, and other crooked types. Mac is amused at how much the situation resembles the sort of melodrama he writes. As he has Bland's gun, he is able to control the situation for a while, but eventually the crooks get it from him, and a woman is shot dead. When the local police chief arrives, the others present Mac as the criminal.

The graft payment of $200,000, which Mrs. Norton stole, is recovered—but the police chief decides to steal it himself and flee with his family to Montreal. In a scuffle, Peters grabs the money and throws it in the fire.

At this point the ghost of the dead woman walks along an upstairs hall. Then two gunshots are heard outside. Hal arrives and lets himself in with yet another key. He says policemen tried to keep him from entering, so he shot them.

Then he says that none of the crimes have been real. He releases Mac from the bet and explains that everyone else is an actor (and Mary is actually Bland's wife): Hal was just trying to show Mac how unrealistic a melodramatic story is.

Back in Mac's room at the inn, a clock strikes midnight as he completes his story. As he looks it over, the Quimbys arrive back. Mac lets them in and hands over the manuscript. Just as planned, he has been alone for 24 hours and written the story—which is what the viewer has been seeing.

Then Hal arrives, with Mary, who is not married. Hal accepts the manuscript, and Mac resumes his romance with Mary.

Cast

Reception

In The New York Times, Mordaunt Hall wrote "...it is far more effective than it was as Douglas MacLean's silent picture of three years ago. It is one of those fanciful flights that compels one to withhold criticism until the dénouement. In fact, it is an adventure which virtually defies derogatory comments...those who did not see the play will find this audible film quite exciting, with a fair fund of merriment."[7] while more recently, critic Leonard Maltin gave the film three out of four stars, noting, "Early talkie moves briskly through its serpentine plot; Dix was never more buoyant."[8]

The film made a profit of $100,000.[2] The play was filmed several times by RKO.[9]

gollark: Aeons... aeons everywhere.
gollark: I only hunt at the :x0 and :x5 things anyway.
gollark: Why does that last part matter much?
gollark: I think fish said something about 3am-10am?
gollark: It would be interesting to get a better view of what's in them *without* writing down it by hand every 5 minutes, but would be somewhat cheaty/TJ09-annoying.

References
  1. "Seven Keys to Baldpate: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  2. Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p56
  3. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 345. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
  4. "Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List". www.silentera.com.
  5. League, The Broadway. "Seven Keys to Baldpate – Broadway Show – Play - IBDB". ibdb.com.
  6. Jewell, Richard B.; Harbin, Vernon (1982). The RKO Story. New York: Arlington House. p. 24. ISBN 0-517-546566.
  7. "THE SCREEN; The Haunted House". www.nytimes.com.
  8. "Seven Keys to Baldpate (1930) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  9. "Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935) - Willaim Hamilton, Edward Killy - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
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