While not a major role for Boris Karloff, this film shows that he could have played nicer guys in his career, if he had never been shown the road to cinematic fame. He plays David Mallory, a kindly, hard working inventor who has perfected one of the first complete security systems of modern times (the 1930s version of those systems that are used in films like MISSION IMPOSSIBLE). Mallory lives with his daughter Joan (Jean Rogers) and hopes that it's marketing will give them the financial security that they have always deserved. But he has been cheated by his partner, Steven Ranger (Samuel S. Hinds) with the assistance of his lawyer Kreuger (Edwin Maxwell). Mallory is torn between seeking legal redress and getting vengeance (a typical Karloff situation, but usually his ego pushes it towards vengeance). Instead, he is befriended by a small time thief (Hobart Cavanaugh) whom he helps by defusing his alarm system in a robbery. Unfortunately this comes to the attention of a major criminal (Alan Baxter) who forces Karloff to do this to all the businesses that are using his system (the "Night Key" of the title).
The story is unique in that Karloff is not a villain at all in this (his actions in aiding criminals are forced on him, except when he helps the fairly decent Cavanaugh). But it's not the only switch in the casting. The real villain in here (except for Baxter) is Samuel S. Hinds.
Hinds normally was cast as a decent man - the father or grandfather of the hero or heroine. He is Katherine Hepburn's father in STAGEDOOR, who arranges her being hired by Adolphe Menjou so she can be "cured" of her acting bug. He is best recalled as the unfortunate father of Jimmy Stewart in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, who founds the savings and loan, battles Potter, but drops dead from a heart attack before Stewart can leave Bedford Falls. Occasionally he played rogues - he is the crooked judge in the film DESTRY RIDES AGAIN. But he goes really full blown here. Also, in the Bing Crosby film DOUBLE, OR NOTHING! Hinds is the sneaky father of a family of would-be heirs, out to sabotage the opposition by any underhanded trick they can come up with. In NIGHT KEY when the system is tested on the night it is installed it catches a small time crook. Hinds is upset by that: "Why can't you be a big time crook?", he shouts at the poor thief. It is an odd switch of the two actor's position from their normal roles.
Karloff was such a good actor (as was Hinds) that their switch in characterizations is carried off well. Not a great film, NIGHT KEY is a very well made minor product: a filler for the movie house program besides the grade "A" productions, the short subjects, cartoons, travelogues, etc. As such it is worth viewing in order to see what Karloff might have ended up doing more of had he had less luck.
The story is unique in that Karloff is not a villain at all in this (his actions in aiding criminals are forced on him, except when he helps the fairly decent Cavanaugh). But it's not the only switch in the casting. The real villain in here (except for Baxter) is Samuel S. Hinds.
Hinds normally was cast as a decent man - the father or grandfather of the hero or heroine. He is Katherine Hepburn's father in STAGEDOOR, who arranges her being hired by Adolphe Menjou so she can be "cured" of her acting bug. He is best recalled as the unfortunate father of Jimmy Stewart in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, who founds the savings and loan, battles Potter, but drops dead from a heart attack before Stewart can leave Bedford Falls. Occasionally he played rogues - he is the crooked judge in the film DESTRY RIDES AGAIN. But he goes really full blown here. Also, in the Bing Crosby film DOUBLE, OR NOTHING! Hinds is the sneaky father of a family of would-be heirs, out to sabotage the opposition by any underhanded trick they can come up with. In NIGHT KEY when the system is tested on the night it is installed it catches a small time crook. Hinds is upset by that: "Why can't you be a big time crook?", he shouts at the poor thief. It is an odd switch of the two actor's position from their normal roles.
Karloff was such a good actor (as was Hinds) that their switch in characterizations is carried off well. Not a great film, NIGHT KEY is a very well made minor product: a filler for the movie house program besides the grade "A" productions, the short subjects, cartoons, travelogues, etc. As such it is worth viewing in order to see what Karloff might have ended up doing more of had he had less luck.