It was about 2AM in the morning and I was watching late night TV, flicking aimlessly. Then I stumbled across the 1947 mystery/thriller Seven Keys to Baldpate. I was dead tired and expected to lose interest within a minute and doze off, but there was something about the setup to this film that was simply absorbing cinema, waking me up as if it was 2 pm in the afternoon. Granted it loses momentum half way through, tailing off considerably towards the end, perhaps due to not fleshing out the premise, which essentially is seven strangers mysteriously brought together in a dark, creaky old Mansion one stormy night. But the mood it creates in it's first half hour is 30 minutes of mystery/thriller cinema I rank as high as any in the genre. Perhaps it was the films ambiance, the darkness, the balance on interior and exterior, the set, the storm, the random characters appearing from no where, the less is more mentality which is so essential in setting up a mystery/thriller film. All those elements created mood that was so cinematic it took me from the depressing late night channel flicking into the mysterious happenings of the Baldpate mansion. I was mesmerized at one point, moving in close to the TV, hanging off each characters every word, wanting to know why. The why you find out later, and it doesn't live up, but I give the film 6/10, because the feeling of wanting to know more in the first 30 minutes was so engaging, they could've faded to black and never fade back in...still I would give it 6/10.
19 Reviews
Seventh Screen Version is a Good One
boblipton17 June 2017
The seventh lensed version of the Earl Der Biggers/George M. Cohan comedy-scarer is a very pleasant affair under the direction of Lew Landers. We're alerted to its comedy as soon as lead Phillip Terry shows up in glasses and wearing a bow tie, and the fine cast of supporting actors lets us know we're in for a good time.
Terry is a writer who has bet Jason Robards Sr. that he can write a novel in 24 hours at a closed hotel. Robards send his secretary, Jacqueline White, to gum up the works, but she and Terry are distracted by the assortment of thieves and madmen who come wandering through the doors.
The handling of the subject runs more clearly towards laughs than earlier versions, and it looks to me like the pacing and camera work by Jack MacKenzie was influenced by Frank Capra's version of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. If you get a chance to see the beautiful copy that Turner Classic Movies ran this morning, take it.
Terry is a writer who has bet Jason Robards Sr. that he can write a novel in 24 hours at a closed hotel. Robards send his secretary, Jacqueline White, to gum up the works, but she and Terry are distracted by the assortment of thieves and madmen who come wandering through the doors.
The handling of the subject runs more clearly towards laughs than earlier versions, and it looks to me like the pacing and camera work by Jack MacKenzie was influenced by Frank Capra's version of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. If you get a chance to see the beautiful copy that Turner Classic Movies ran this morning, take it.
Worth seeing if only for the attractive Jacqueline White's witty performance
Ed-Shullivan22 November 2023
Yes this is the fourth version of the film and I am quite sure that the theatrical live play version of this mystery/story would have been quite entertaining as well. Having watched this 1947 film for the first time some seventy six (76) years subsequent to its initial release date I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this quirky mystery/crime/romance/comedy film.
Of course the on screen chemistry between two of the main characters author Kenneth Magee (Phillip Terry) and office secretary Mary Jordan (Jacqueline White) was very natural and amusing. The hectic pace between the other five (5) key holders residing at Baldplate only added to the mystery and comedy of the film. I only wish I could have seen them play their respective roles in a live theatre version performance of Seven keys To Baldplate. I am very fond of Ms. White's natural atlent in all of her films as well as with her natural beauty. An added bonus is Ms. White's acting career was fulfilled without any on screen or off screen scandals, not so typical of todays social media crazies.
I enjoyed the film considerably and as such I have rated it a deserving 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.
Of course the on screen chemistry between two of the main characters author Kenneth Magee (Phillip Terry) and office secretary Mary Jordan (Jacqueline White) was very natural and amusing. The hectic pace between the other five (5) key holders residing at Baldplate only added to the mystery and comedy of the film. I only wish I could have seen them play their respective roles in a live theatre version performance of Seven keys To Baldplate. I am very fond of Ms. White's natural atlent in all of her films as well as with her natural beauty. An added bonus is Ms. White's acting career was fulfilled without any on screen or off screen scandals, not so typical of todays social media crazies.
I enjoyed the film considerably and as such I have rated it a deserving 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.
Weaker Version of the Play
Michael_Elliott25 October 2016
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1947)
** (out of 4)
The George M. Cohan play gets yet another version from RKO. This time out it's Phillip Terry playing author Kenneth Magee who agree to take a bet that he can write a novel in 24-hours. The only catch is that he must do it in the Baldpate Inn.
This here was the fourth sound version of the Cohan play and the third one made for the big screen. This one here certainly doesn't measure up with the 1917 silent version and I'd argue that it's weaker than both the 1929 and 1935 versions. There are some interesting changes done here by director Lew Landers (THE RAVEN) including the fact that they've slowed down the material.
The previous movies all had a bunch of fast dialogue and the action and comedy was done at a pretty fast pace. That's not the case here as it almost seems like the filmmakers thought viewers in 1947 wouldn't understand the material so they slowed everything down and the simplest plot points in earlier versions are fully explained here. I'm not sure why they did this but it certainly doesn't help things.
Terry is pretty bland in the lead role and he has zero chemistry with Jacqueline White who plays the love interest. Jimmy Conlin is decent in the role of the hermit but he's not given too much to work with. Margaret Lindsay appears in a small role as well. This version of SEVEN KEYS OF BALDPATE is for those who just want to say they've seen all the film versions.
** (out of 4)
The George M. Cohan play gets yet another version from RKO. This time out it's Phillip Terry playing author Kenneth Magee who agree to take a bet that he can write a novel in 24-hours. The only catch is that he must do it in the Baldpate Inn.
This here was the fourth sound version of the Cohan play and the third one made for the big screen. This one here certainly doesn't measure up with the 1917 silent version and I'd argue that it's weaker than both the 1929 and 1935 versions. There are some interesting changes done here by director Lew Landers (THE RAVEN) including the fact that they've slowed down the material.
The previous movies all had a bunch of fast dialogue and the action and comedy was done at a pretty fast pace. That's not the case here as it almost seems like the filmmakers thought viewers in 1947 wouldn't understand the material so they slowed everything down and the simplest plot points in earlier versions are fully explained here. I'm not sure why they did this but it certainly doesn't help things.
Terry is pretty bland in the lead role and he has zero chemistry with Jacqueline White who plays the love interest. Jimmy Conlin is decent in the role of the hermit but he's not given too much to work with. Margaret Lindsay appears in a small role as well. This version of SEVEN KEYS OF BALDPATE is for those who just want to say they've seen all the film versions.
The photographer and to a lesser degree, the director, save the day!
JohnHowardReid5 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Quite rightly, this one is generally regarded as the wettest version, although it does have some appeal when it is uneasily - and none too competently - played for laughs instead of thrills on- screen. Of course, there are still some thrills to be had in the movie scenario, but even these are undercut by the obvious stage origins of the screenplay which is apparently based on the stage dramatization by George M. Cohan rather than the Earl Derr Biggers novel itself. In fact, this is so evident that even viewers unacquainted with the novel will realize they are watching a filmed stage play.
Another problem is that Philip Terry does not make a particularly personable hero. And the rest of the players are no more than adequate at best - with the one exception of Eduardo Ciannelli who registers as the chief villain.
Fortunately, director Lew Landers has contrived a few effective moments and even more importantly, Jack MacKenzie's wonderfully glossy, low- key photography makes up for a lot of the movie's shortcomings.
Another problem is that Philip Terry does not make a particularly personable hero. And the rest of the players are no more than adequate at best - with the one exception of Eduardo Ciannelli who registers as the chief villain.
Fortunately, director Lew Landers has contrived a few effective moments and even more importantly, Jack MacKenzie's wonderfully glossy, low- key photography makes up for a lot of the movie's shortcomings.
Great atmosphere for a low-budget filler
mikeolliffe18 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The lead actor needed better direction. I would have preferred the script to reveal that he wasn't as dumb as he seemed. Although that may have been an in-joke - writers in Hollywood being regarded as low men on the totem pole (no sexism/racism intended with that remark). A further in-joke may have been having the dumb writer getting the hottest chick at the Baldpate lodge.
Speaking of which, is there another meaning to that name (Baldpate) similar to the notorious 'Rosebud' in Citizen Kane? The production got a lot of bang for the ten bucks it spent - full winter storm effects, superior sound effects, and the director whisked numerous characters on and off stage with practiced ease.
In general, this is worth seeing as an example of its time. And especially if you like old, scary mansions as settings.
Speaking of which, is there another meaning to that name (Baldpate) similar to the notorious 'Rosebud' in Citizen Kane? The production got a lot of bang for the ten bucks it spent - full winter storm effects, superior sound effects, and the director whisked numerous characters on and off stage with practiced ease.
In general, this is worth seeing as an example of its time. And especially if you like old, scary mansions as settings.
The seventh Seven Keys to Baldpate: Another midnight special
darkdayforanime20 May 2004
You wouldn't be seeing this film at any other time other than the midnight to dawn schedule. A relatively effective start leads to a runaround that could very nearly have been farce. Its length denotes its depth: fairly clichéd characters stuck together in a remote country hotel, dying one by one in ways that surely must have been groansome even in 1947.... But at the time of the day I was watching it, my brain wasn't exactly working on all cylinders, so it amused me.
Of particular note is Phillip Terry, whose acting is nothing short of woeful: he is clearly not suited to the type of character he is playing here. The fact that he is playing the main character makes it stand out terribly, and it isn't improved when the tone of the film (and the role) changes as the film goes on.
Of particular note is Phillip Terry, whose acting is nothing short of woeful: he is clearly not suited to the type of character he is playing here. The fact that he is playing the main character makes it stand out terribly, and it isn't improved when the tone of the film (and the role) changes as the film goes on.
A minor identity crisis
gridoon202422 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
"Seven Keys To Baldpate" (1947) offers a near-constant flow of surprises, especially in its first half, to all those (like me) who haven't seen or don't remember any of the other (numerous) film versions of this story, but it suffers from a minor identity crisis: things like the flippant attitude of the male lead, or the comic-relief character of a nutty hermit, clash with two cold-blooded killings; sometimes it seems like the actors are playing in two different films. The production is well put together. Jacqueline White is a babe, and quite sexy in an understated way; Margaret Lindsay, towards the end of her career, is cast against type in a secondary role. **1/2 out of 4.
From the brain that brought you Charlie Chan...
bmacv18 April 2002
Another perennial "classic" of crime from the brain of Earl Derr Biggers, who gave birth to the aphoristic sleuth Charlie Chan, Seven Keys to Baldpate endures in multiple screen versions. The 1947 model was an odd programmer to come out of RKO at a time when it was busy churning out film noir, because Seven Keys to Baldpate harks back to an older style, a cozy, old-fashioned Mystery of no great originality or complexity.
One dark and stormy night mystery writer Phillip Terry arrives at a supposedly deserted-for-the-season lodge called Baldpate somewhere in the Catskills or Adirondacks. He's there to win a big bet that he can complete a story within 24 hours only to find that he's not, as expected, alone since he was assured he possesses the only key. There's a creepy `caretaker' (Eduardo Ciannelli) installed, and as the night passes a succession of other suspicious key-holders gain access to the lodge: Jacqueline White, Jason Robards Sr., Margaret Lindsay et al. Seems there's nasty business afoot concerning a jewel theft, a payoff, and Heaven knows what else.
Despite a promisingly spooky start (sliding panels to secret passages, a black cat, a howling storm), the movie can't sustain its thread of suspense and opts for an `antic' mood, always the Kiss of Death. Unfortunately Terry, barely acceptable playing it straight, fails abominably at the light comedy required of him. And so the strong beginning degenerates into the mechanical fire-drill typical of the Charlie Chan vehicles lights go out, shots ring out, a body hits the floor. Not having been privy to any of the earlier incarnations of this story (the first appeared in 1917), I can't account for its longevity. But if its last half lived up to its first, it wouldn't be a bad little movie.
One dark and stormy night mystery writer Phillip Terry arrives at a supposedly deserted-for-the-season lodge called Baldpate somewhere in the Catskills or Adirondacks. He's there to win a big bet that he can complete a story within 24 hours only to find that he's not, as expected, alone since he was assured he possesses the only key. There's a creepy `caretaker' (Eduardo Ciannelli) installed, and as the night passes a succession of other suspicious key-holders gain access to the lodge: Jacqueline White, Jason Robards Sr., Margaret Lindsay et al. Seems there's nasty business afoot concerning a jewel theft, a payoff, and Heaven knows what else.
Despite a promisingly spooky start (sliding panels to secret passages, a black cat, a howling storm), the movie can't sustain its thread of suspense and opts for an `antic' mood, always the Kiss of Death. Unfortunately Terry, barely acceptable playing it straight, fails abominably at the light comedy required of him. And so the strong beginning degenerates into the mechanical fire-drill typical of the Charlie Chan vehicles lights go out, shots ring out, a body hits the floor. Not having been privy to any of the earlier incarnations of this story (the first appeared in 1917), I can't account for its longevity. But if its last half lived up to its first, it wouldn't be a bad little movie.
1917 play adapted to 1947 ... and dated even then
joepm2826 June 2021
I caught "Seven Keys to Baldpate" on TCM and found it ok if somewhat dated, similar to the likes of "Arsenic and Old Lace". The film is based on a stage play by the famed George M Cohan and has been filmed quite a few times prior. The movie is your basic mystery-comedy where a writer, Kenneth Magee (Terry), must go to the secluded Baldpate Inn to churn out a story in 24 hours in order to win a $5,000 bet (1947 dollars, so about $60,000 today). Well, a series of unusual circumstances and various menacing, comic and romantic characters step in to put a wrench in Magee's plans. Not great but enjoyable.
Old hat by 1947, it was still a fun chapeau!
mark.waltz29 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Melodrama never gets old, and one of the most popular was George M. Cohan's old chestnut which had at least seven versions by the time this was done, including one done for T.V. the previous year.
Mixing the spooky plot with comedy, this isn't anything new, but it is still a lot of fun and technically superior to the first two sound versions that I have seen. Yet, the melodrama was much more effective in the earlier sound versions, particularly the creaky 1929 version.
A cast of B leads and popular character performers make this an acceptable variation, particularly Jimmy Conlin as the hermit and Eduardo Cianelli as a villainous looking intruder. Philip Terry, a B leading actor once married to Jian Crawford and Jacqueline White are perfectly acceptable leads, while former Warner Brothers leading lady Margaret Linday makes an interesting femme fatale.
Mixing the spooky plot with comedy, this isn't anything new, but it is still a lot of fun and technically superior to the first two sound versions that I have seen. Yet, the melodrama was much more effective in the earlier sound versions, particularly the creaky 1929 version.
A cast of B leads and popular character performers make this an acceptable variation, particularly Jimmy Conlin as the hermit and Eduardo Cianelli as a villainous looking intruder. Philip Terry, a B leading actor once married to Jian Crawford and Jacqueline White are perfectly acceptable leads, while former Warner Brothers leading lady Margaret Linday makes an interesting femme fatale.
I liked it in 1947. I still enjoyed it in 2018.
essers19 October 2018
Not the best version
garethere-8304725 January 2020
I'm aware of three versions of this film (1929, 1935 and this one from 1947). In my opinion, the best of the lot is the first version from 1929 with Richard Dix. This one contains more silly comedy and less mystery than the first.
Jokey tone makes this a film thats going to play better if you haven't seen the story before
dbborroughs25 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Sixth or seven go round for the "classic" tale from the pen of the creator of Charlie Chan about a writer who goes to a deserted inn to write a story in 24 hours (on a bet) only to have interruption after interruption as people show up, guns are fired, secret doors open and bodies fall. It was a creaky tale (George M Cohan was doing a stage version in 1913) when this film was made which may explain the slightly jokey tone, personified by the leads knowing nod and a wink way of acting. I like the story and I've seen a couple of other versions of the tale, and I find that when its done right you forget that you know what's going on and lose yourself in the telling. Unfortunately here the ability to lose myself was diminished by direction that didn't seem to want to really play up the mystery elements, despite great sets and a lead that signaled he knew what was going on. There was no way I was going to forget I knew how this was all coming out. Its not a bad film, but unless you've never seen any version of the story before you're more than likely to be extremely unimpressed. Worth a look, more so for those who don't know the tale (if you know it wait until you're in a high tolerance mood)
Why a remake?!?
planktonrules28 June 2021
"Seven Keys to Baldpate" as originally a story by Earl Derr Biggers--the same guy who created Charlie Chan back in 1913. Soon after, it was a play starring George M. Cohen. Then, it was made seven times for the big screen as well as several times for radio. So, this results in two things...it's been done many times already AND it's an old story with old fashioned writing and characters. AND, after seeing this 1947 version as well as a couple others, I was left wondering WHY....why make this film in the first place as it's NOT a very good story. It's contrived and silly, to say the least.
Kenneth McGee made a bet which makes no sense....that he can write an entire story over the weekend at a spooky old empty house called Baldpate. Who would make such a bet in the first place?! Any way, the guy who made the bet with him sends all sorts of things Kenneth's way to distract him....and a few other things come up quite unexpectedly. None of this is really interesting nor makes much sense....and it never seems like it could happen in real life.
The cast here is B-movie quality as is the rest of the film. So, we have a cheap version of an overused script that is already dated. I was never so bored in my life by a movie....and have no idea why I bothered!
Kenneth McGee made a bet which makes no sense....that he can write an entire story over the weekend at a spooky old empty house called Baldpate. Who would make such a bet in the first place?! Any way, the guy who made the bet with him sends all sorts of things Kenneth's way to distract him....and a few other things come up quite unexpectedly. None of this is really interesting nor makes much sense....and it never seems like it could happen in real life.
The cast here is B-movie quality as is the rest of the film. So, we have a cheap version of an overused script that is already dated. I was never so bored in my life by a movie....and have no idea why I bothered!
A thorough mess for an innocent idiot to cope with
clanciai16 December 2018
This is a criminal comedy the intrigue of which constantly gets more complicated as it keeps tying itself up in knots all the time. There are some reminiscences of "The Shining", it's the same kind of desert lonely hotel with a gloomy mystery hanging over it, but fortunately there is no horror here without laughter. As the characters keep turning up more and more to complicate the plot, there are also more and more ludicrous and deliciously surprising twists and turns to the tale, and some idiots add to the stew, especially the main character, the writer who arrives there to be able to write in peace which is the last thing he will find here, and who commits the greatest blunder of all. There are some crooks also, this is very fishy business, and a lot of money constantly changing hands, but also a beautiful secretary. You will not be disappointed but thoroughly entertained, as long as it lasts.
Disappointed by Weak Mystery
Hitchcoc15 November 2018
This is one of those titles I'd heard of my whole life. I never got around to watching it. It makes me wonder if Earl Derr Biggers (of Charlie Chan fame) had not written the book, if it would not have been ignored. Baldpate is a hotel where a writer has come to compose a story. As he works, a series of people parade into the off season hotel. They are up to something, but the subterfuge by the owner and a young woman sent to scare him off, get things into a boil. Soon there are bodies and diversions. Whatever they did doesn't work. it's dull and silly. Pretty typical for the genre of the period.
lost
SnoopyStyle25 June 2021
Mystery writer Kenneth Magee is having a tough time. Someone keeps stealing and interrupting his work. He arrives at a closed inn to do his writing in isolation. Only more and more people keeps showing up.
This has an interesting start but the story loses me along the way. It runs around and around. I wonder if this would work better as a screwball comedy. I certainly couldn't keep track of the characters and I don't care enough about them to do it.
This has an interesting start but the story loses me along the way. It runs around and around. I wonder if this would work better as a screwball comedy. I certainly couldn't keep track of the characters and I don't care enough about them to do it.
A very entertaining crime thriller starring Jacqueline White!
bestfriends-890344 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This 1947 screen version is the third or fourth screen adaptation I believe of the novel by the same name, and although I haven't seen any of the other versions, I want to very much after seeing this one, starring Phillip Terry, Jacqueline White, and Eduardo Ciannelli.
The film is about an author, played by Terry, who makes a bet with an innkeeper that he can write an entire novel in 24 hours in the isolation and remoteness of Baldpate Inn, a place closed in the wintertime. Determined to win the bet, he goes to Baldpate, but not before being warned by a beautiful woman about the place and the dangers it possesses. This woman, in reality, is the innkeeper's secretary, who was sent by the innkeeper to try and scare Terry off from following through with the bet and leaving the inn before he's supposed to. But, when this Secretary begins to realize that she and Terry really ARE both in danger, things get good as she and Terry desperately attempt to get out of the inn, but with no success. Will they be able to escape? Or will the strange men lurking around the place see to it that they go nowhere for a very, very long time?
A common complaint about this film is the fact that it loses momentum and suspense after the first thirty minutes. Although everybody is entitled to their own opinion, I tend to disagree with that statement. In my opinion, the entire film is fast-paced and suspenseful enough to keep you at the edge of your seat for the entire sixty-four minutes it runs for.
One highlight about the film, however, is Jacqueline White. She was in another RKO film noir that year, one that would become a classic, Crossfire. Her performance in that film really attracted my attention and I decided to look further into her career and what it was like. It seems that she signed a contract with MGM in the early 1940's and was wasted in mostly uncredited parts, with the exception of her leading female role in the Laurel and Hardy comedy Air Raid Wardens. Eventually, in 1947, her contract was bought out by RKO, and she found more success there, starring in films such as this one and Crossfire, with some other hidden gems such as Mystery in Mexico and one that I'm sure everybody knows about... The Narrow Margin. After 1952, however, she focused on her family, and raising her two little children that were to be followed by three more. In this film, I find Jacqueline's performance to be pretty good for a standard role with no major surprises (except when we find out that she's the innkeeper's secretary) or depth. Since Jacqueline hasn't been brought up as much in other reviews, I thought it'd be nice to point her out and the contribution she made to this film, and the entire industry. Of course, she never reached star status, but she did have some good roles in some even better "B" pictures at RKO in the late 1940's, and I think her talent shouldn't pass by without being mentioned. She's still alive today at the ripe age of 96, living in Houston, Texas with her family.
Along with White, Phillip Terry, another RKO star in the 1940's, was the leading man. I'd known him from previous films he was in, such as Beat The Band and Born To Kill, both released in the same year as this one, 1947. I like him as an actor, and I think his performance was fine in this one, contrary to popular opinion. I think he handles the comedy aspects of it well and the other things, too.
Eduardo Ciannelli was obviously the perfect choice for this role. He really sends chills down your spine and the minute you see his face pop up on the screen for the first time, you know something is going to go down.
Margaret Lindsay was the second female lead, and makes a pretty good femme fatale. This was during the latter years of her career, after she'd been a successful star at Warner Bros. in the 1930's.
So, all in all, a great film, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, suspense, and just a quick little movie to enjoy on a rainy or snowy night when there isn't anything else to do :)
The film is about an author, played by Terry, who makes a bet with an innkeeper that he can write an entire novel in 24 hours in the isolation and remoteness of Baldpate Inn, a place closed in the wintertime. Determined to win the bet, he goes to Baldpate, but not before being warned by a beautiful woman about the place and the dangers it possesses. This woman, in reality, is the innkeeper's secretary, who was sent by the innkeeper to try and scare Terry off from following through with the bet and leaving the inn before he's supposed to. But, when this Secretary begins to realize that she and Terry really ARE both in danger, things get good as she and Terry desperately attempt to get out of the inn, but with no success. Will they be able to escape? Or will the strange men lurking around the place see to it that they go nowhere for a very, very long time?
A common complaint about this film is the fact that it loses momentum and suspense after the first thirty minutes. Although everybody is entitled to their own opinion, I tend to disagree with that statement. In my opinion, the entire film is fast-paced and suspenseful enough to keep you at the edge of your seat for the entire sixty-four minutes it runs for.
One highlight about the film, however, is Jacqueline White. She was in another RKO film noir that year, one that would become a classic, Crossfire. Her performance in that film really attracted my attention and I decided to look further into her career and what it was like. It seems that she signed a contract with MGM in the early 1940's and was wasted in mostly uncredited parts, with the exception of her leading female role in the Laurel and Hardy comedy Air Raid Wardens. Eventually, in 1947, her contract was bought out by RKO, and she found more success there, starring in films such as this one and Crossfire, with some other hidden gems such as Mystery in Mexico and one that I'm sure everybody knows about... The Narrow Margin. After 1952, however, she focused on her family, and raising her two little children that were to be followed by three more. In this film, I find Jacqueline's performance to be pretty good for a standard role with no major surprises (except when we find out that she's the innkeeper's secretary) or depth. Since Jacqueline hasn't been brought up as much in other reviews, I thought it'd be nice to point her out and the contribution she made to this film, and the entire industry. Of course, she never reached star status, but she did have some good roles in some even better "B" pictures at RKO in the late 1940's, and I think her talent shouldn't pass by without being mentioned. She's still alive today at the ripe age of 96, living in Houston, Texas with her family.
Along with White, Phillip Terry, another RKO star in the 1940's, was the leading man. I'd known him from previous films he was in, such as Beat The Band and Born To Kill, both released in the same year as this one, 1947. I like him as an actor, and I think his performance was fine in this one, contrary to popular opinion. I think he handles the comedy aspects of it well and the other things, too.
Eduardo Ciannelli was obviously the perfect choice for this role. He really sends chills down your spine and the minute you see his face pop up on the screen for the first time, you know something is going to go down.
Margaret Lindsay was the second female lead, and makes a pretty good femme fatale. This was during the latter years of her career, after she'd been a successful star at Warner Bros. in the 1930's.
So, all in all, a great film, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, suspense, and just a quick little movie to enjoy on a rainy or snowy night when there isn't anything else to do :)
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