Key Witness

Mechanical genius.......or just an eccentric oddball, who might attempt to cross a turkey with a banjo in the hope of producing a bird capable of plucking itself? Sullen supervisor (Harry Hayden) clearly thinks the latter of docile draughtsman, John Beal's fanciful ideas, having no time for his talking clock or innovative interactive light switch. Beal's stock falls even further, when he damages a gift bought for the company boss. Without complaint, the compliant Beal shells out for a replacement.

Domestic life paints a similar picture. Despite a loving wife (Barbara Read), his noble ambitions have fallen foul of the 'too young, too old, wrong time, wrong place' mindset. He's little more than Mr. Mop.....with his talking clock! During his wife's absence, he is initially hesitant about a day at the races (the track meeting, not the movie!), as he has promised to clean up at home. In the event, he cleans up at the track, but celebrations are short lived when he becomes the chief suspect (despite tenuous evidence) in the murder of a female acquaintance. Once again Beal turns out to be the dripping tap, rather than the water cannon, choosing to run away and exist as a hobo. Stealing the documents and adopting the identity of a dead drifter becomes a life changing experience of mammoth proportions, but will his wacky, quirky gadgets be the making or the breaking of him?

Devoid of both a big budget and a big name, 'Key Witness' succeeds by virtue of a big heart. Well acted and consistently satisfying, unconventionally bouncy, buoyant and frothy, but tempered by a pervading dark, forbidding undercurrent and an unnerving twist. An enlightened curiosity, a rare bird......a novelty noir.