An enjoyable B feature which races along for its 70 or so minutes, The Steel Key has all the requisite ingredients with Terence Morgan at his most dashing and quick-witted as the confidence trickster hero Johnny O'Flynn. Throughout the film, he is able to keep at least two steps ahead of the usual clay-footed police headed up by Insp Forsythe (Raymond Lovell) and at the same time outwit the gang of double dealers behind the plot to steal a rare chemical formula.
Colin Tapley is suaveness personified as the villainous boss but seems far too nice and polite to be truly evil; Arthur Cosgrove, however, is a completely different kettle of fish - no one did nasty, weasly unpleasantness better than him and he crops up in quite a few films of the time in much the same role, although remains a relatively little-known name.
With twist, double twist and counter twist, the narrative does become over confusing if scrutinised too closely; better to sit back and enjoy the fun ride.
