La chiave misteriosa

Initially, I had scoffed at this title's inclusion in Universal's "The Boris Karloff Collection" Set - but it turned out to be a 'B' film with plenty of interest: a fast-moving crime drama which leaves room for characterization, featuring a very good atypical performance by Karloff (playing an inventor far older than his current age).

The film (which demonstrates a novel obsession with gadgetry) could easily have seen the star turned into a criminal mastermind or another mad scientist-type - but he remains a victim, a pawn in the hands of unscrupulous manufacturer Samuel S. Hinds and baby-faced racketeer Alan Baxter. Romantic leads Jean Rogers and Warren Hull are actually quite appealing and the supporting cast includes Edwin Maxwell as Karloff's double-crossing lawyer, Ward Bond as one of Baxter's henchman and Hobart Cavanaugh - who actually steals the film - as a small-time hood who finds himself an unlikely partner to Karloff (his character, nicknamed "Petty Louie", has a penchant for slang with "Are we in?" and "It's in the bag!" as his favorite phrases).