Horrorfest 2018: Night Key

Boris Karloff returns in NIGHT KEY, the 1937 thriller directed by Lloyd Corrigan. This time Karloff stars as an inventor who has created a revolutionary new security device that renders old security devices worthless. An ex-pal turned competitor of Karloff’s (Samuel Hinds) offers to purchase the device, but he’s ripped Karloff off once before and now plans to do so again with a faulty contract and no intention to ever put the device into use (therefore, no royalties for Karloff!).

Meanwhile Karloff’s running out of time because he’s quickly going blind and won’t have any other way to support his daughter (Jean Rogers) or himself. One thing leads to another and Karloff begins using his new invention to neutralize all of the properties protected by his competitor, in an effort to frighten him into using Karloff’s device. This catches the eyes of the local gangsters, led by Alan Baxter, who realize they can use the device to rob places at will.

This movie is a prime example of how good these flicks can be when they’re snappily edited and get right to the point. Most of these movies are short, between one hour and 90 minutes, but some seem eternal and others are over before you know it. This one is edited in a way that seems a little ahead of its time, with scenes playing out only enough to get the point across and then quickly moving on to new characters and new locations.

It’s nice to see Karloff in the hero role (even if he does get into some shenanigans with his device), and he’s great at playing a vulnerable old man who is going blind. It’s a wonder he became known as a monster actor when he excels so much at being kindly and gentle. Of special note also is his sidekick in this film, Hobart Cavanaugh, a petty (but loyal) criminal who provides comic relief but also poignancy and pathos as Karloff grows truly fond of him.