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Night Key is directed by Lloyd Corrigan and adapted to screenplay by Jack Moffitt & Tristam Tupper from a story by William A. Pierce. It stars Boris Karloff, Jean Rogers, Warren Hull and Samuel S. Hinds. Music is by Louis Forbes and cinematography by George Robinson. Plot sees Karloff as aging inventor David Mallory, who once again finds himself cheated by security business boss Stephen Ranger (Hinds). With his eyesight failing and a daughter (Rogers) he wants to set up before he passes on, Mallory decides to teach the scheming Ranger a lesson. However, the criminal element headed by The Kid (Alan Baxter) have designs on using Mallory and his "Night Key" device for their own ill gotten gains.

Well Louis! We are in.

Out of Universal Pictures, Night Key was knocked out in under a month and budgeted, unsurprisingly, on the cheap. Yet the film belies these matters to be a good old fashioned yarn for entertainment. Melodrama mixes with a touch of sci-fi as the story unfolds as an interesting character piece, the veins of which are mostly pumped by an honest versus dishonest theme. Within there's a burgeoning romance etched in to the narrative, but this is handled well by the director as it aids the flow and reason of plotting, while the odd bit of action here and there stops the film from being too staid. The effects from John P. Fulton, too, are good fun and leave a favourable mark late in the story.

Picture gets most of its strength from Karloff's performance. An undervalued talent at the best of times, Night Key gives viewers the chance to see just what he could do away from the horror iconography that defined his career. Here as the sombre and fragile David Mallory, Karloff isn't just looking the part because of make-up, he is able to match his body to the aged state of the character, simultaneously garnering great empathy from the viewers. It's a character, courtesy of performance, that firmly has us rooting for against the baddies. Around Karloff are effective turns from Rogers (bright), Hinds (weasel like), Hobart Cavanaugh (fun as the comedy side-kick, Petty Louis) and Ward Bond, who as henchman thug is an imposing presence.

It's all very daft and goes where we expect, and want, it to go, but with Karloff leading the way this is a comfortably recommended time filler. 7/10

1937's "Night Key" came during Hollywood horror's lean period, proving that even at his home studio, Universal had no more idea what to do with 'horror star' Boris Karloff than did their counterparts over at Warners, who (after "The Walking Dead") cast him as a comic Oriental in "West of Shanghai," a milquetoast red herring in "The Invisible Menace," a railroaded doctor ala Samuel Mudd in "Devil's Island," and a master spy in "British Intelligence." At least Boris gets a starring vehicle to finish his one picture contract extension from "The Invisible Ray," unlike co-star Bela Lugosi, whose contract was thrown away on a minibudgeted programmer, "Postal Inspector," loaded with stock disaster footage, receiving a meager fourth billing as a nightclub owner gone bad. Previously billed at Universal only as 'Karloff' (beginning with "The Black Cat"), Boris does wind up somewhat diminished in this entertaining little 'B,' as elderly electronics wizard David Mallory, who foolishly signs away the rights to his latest burglar alarm system to the same unscrupulous partner who had swindled him 20 years before, Steven Ranger, ironically played by perennial nice guy Samuel S. Hinds ("The Raven," "It's a Wonderful Life"). Now faced with an uncertain future for himself and devoted daughter Joan (Jean Rogers), the nearly blind Mallory resorts to petty mischief, with the aid of a small-time crook appropriately named 'Petty Louie' (Hobart Cavanaugh), gleefully breaking and entering (but careful not to steal) using his own device to foil Ranger's security system. Trouble really starts when a criminal gang headed by 'The Kid' (Alan Baxter) decide to use Mallory's invention to commit real robberies, purposely leaving clues to incriminate their unwilling accomplice. Lovely Jean Rogers, Flash Gordon's Dale Arden, is ably supported by J. Warren Hull, Karloff's former co-star in "The Walking Dead," continuing his crime fighting ways by starring in "The Spider's Web," "The Spider Returns," "Mandrake the Magician," and "The Green Hornet Strikes Again." Interesting to see dependable Frank Reicher and Ward Bond in major villain roles, while Edwin Maxwell ("Mystery of the Wax Museum") is perfectly in character as Mallory's shady lawyer, selling him down the river. Director Lloyd Corrigan only had one further feature before switching to full time acting by 1939, gracing such future Universals as "Dark Streets of Cairo," "North to the Klondike," "Mystery of Marie Roget," "Eyes of the Underworld," "Captive Wild Woman," and "She-Wolf of London." Despite its inclusion in Universal's popular SHOCK! television package of the late 50s, "Night Key" has predictably remained under the radar ever since, even among Karloff fans. Classics like "Frankenstein" and "The Mummy" had already aired multiple times on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater before they finally got around to this one (twice)- Sept 18 1976 (preceding 1934's "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head") and June 24 1978 (following 1946's "She-Wolf of London").

Typecast as "Boris Karloff" the monster, William Henry Pratt (his real name) was cast almost exclusively as monsters and mad scientists. He shows glimmers of real humanity in most of these roles, but rarely got to play a hero.

Here is the exception. A kindly old scientist steps over the line only slightly in order to compel a ruthless businessman who has twice cheated him to do the right thing. In the end, he proves himself loyal, kind, honest, and courageous, in spite of being elderly and nearly blind.

A movie like this (though definitely a "B" movie) demonstrates that this did not have to be the case. Karloff/Pratt could easily have played many a kindly grandfather or filled many other likable roles. What a pity he so rarely got the chance!

Hadn't heard much about this film before. I knew Karloff was in it, and that was just about it.

Had such a fun time watching it.

Boris was so great here, and the actress playing his daughter was also great. They actually felt like a realistic portrayal of a father and daughter's relationship. I also think the lead mobster guy was fantastic! There were moments where he didn't have to say anything, and yet his performance was very strong.

I highly recommend the movie to anyone whom hasn't seen it before-especially to Karloff fans. He steals the show, here.

NIGHT KEY (Universal, 1937), directed by Lloyd Corrigan, stars horror film icon Boris Karloff in a sort of change-of-pace project from his then current trend. Not exactly playing a night watchman with a skeleton key to get into every room in a warehouse where he works, but a kindly-old inventor with a device known as "The Night Key." Having recently played a scientist whose invention has him going on a murderous rampage in THE INVISIBLE RAY (1935), for NIGHT KEY, Karloff brings a new dimension to inventor/scientist, which, up to that time, typically one who becomes insane through the use of one of his own experiments. Here he's a middle-aged father figure, frail in appearance but strong in his actions which marked a new beginning for Karloff with similar roles to follow. Now back to NIGHT KEY.

In an original story by William Pierce set in New York City, the plot introduces Stephen (or Steven) Ranger (Samuel S. Hinds), president of the Ranger Protective Agency, celebrating his twenty years of successful business serving alarm systems for banks and businesses. Dave Mallory (Boris Karloff), his former partner who actually invented these devises years ago, has never received credit nor royalties for his work. Now living in a tenement apartment with his adult daughter, Joan (Jean Rogers), a cashier for Coast to Coast Restaurant, Dave, having worked fifteen years on his latest security system, is slowly going blind. Fearing the new and improved invention might put him out of business, Ranger agrees to talk financial terms with Dave and market the product. Willing to forget Ranger's past misdeeds, Dave entrusts him with the invention in exchange with $500 advance royalty. Once the contracts are signed, Dave soon learns he's been tricked again, with Ranger having no intention of marketing the product after all. After Dave releases the soon to be arrested thief,"Petty Louie" (Hobart Cavanaugh), from Ranger's detention room with his night key, the two men team together through a series of break-ins to ruin Ranger's business, all leaving a note signed by "Night Key" that reads, "What I create, I can destroy." All goes well as planned until mobsters headed by The Kid (Alan Baxter) force Dave and Louie to join in their crime wave. As Dave's daughter awaits to hear from her father and his undisclosed whereabouts, she finds herself being trailed by Jimmy Travers (Warren Hull), one of Ranger's security guards who takes a special interest in this case.

Often classified as a horror film due to the Karloff name and stock music lifted from Universal's own "Werewolf of London" (1935) on certain occasions, NIGHT KEY had formerly been linked along other Universal horror titles ("Dracula," "Frankenstein," "The Mummy," "The Wolf Man") whenever shown on broadcast television on Fright Night or Shock Theater festivals back in the sixties and seventies, and briefly on New York City's "Cinema 13 Horror" in 1981. Regardless, NIGHT KEY is actually a quaint little "from science fiction to crime thriller" stories that offers Karloff the opportunity of becoming more than a creepy character or man of evil tendencies as indicated in THE BLACK CAT (1934). In NIGHT KEY, Karloff's performance of the frail, white haired old man with bushy mustache, helpless without his glasses, is quite believable. Aside from the secondary performances by the blonde Jean Rogers (in a physical manner of fellow blonde actress, Mary Carlisle) and Warren Hull (billed as J. Warren Hull), honorable mention goes to the long forgotten Alan Baxter whose distinctive voice and mannerism best suited for gangster leader, the same type he enacted in his debut film, MARY BURNS, FUGITIVE (Paramount, 1935) starring Sylvia Sidney. Interestingly, in spite of Baxter's unique personality, he never ranked among Hollywood's legendary tough guy types of James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart or even Alan Ladd. While Hobart Cavanaugh often appeared in minor bits, NIGHT KEY is one of those rare cases next to I COVER THE WATERFRONT (United Artists, 1933) where he's gets the most out of his supporting stature. Others featured in the cast are: David Oliver (Mike); Ward Bond ("Fingers'); Frank Reicher (Carl); and Edwin Maxwell (Lawyer Kruger). Henry Armetta and Nina Campini as an Italian couple offer some amusing moments.

Though some might find NIGHT KEY disappointing for lack of horror content, it's actually quite good for its standard, fast-paced second feature material. It's become available on DVD double featured along with Karloff's medieval feature, "Tower of London" (1939), though prints provided happen to be taken from 1940s reissue from Real-Art Pictures. Because of its science fiction theme, NIGHT KEY would be best suited as a double-bill with Karloff's THE INVISIBLE RAY (1935) on the flip side instead. (**1/2 keys)