The Steel Key

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.

I can see the point being made by the other reviewers.This is a Saint film in all but name.Terence Morgan is constantly evading the police whilst looking for the professor and his formula.The cast is quite interesting.Edmond Knight who was blinded in the sea battle with the Bismark,playing the professor.Michael Balfour is a sailor.Sam Judd with a moustache plays a henchman.Same Cannon is a rather dotty patient in the doctors waiting room.The film was made on the south coast and I am wondering if it used Brighton studios which was one of the oldest studios,closing in the sixties.The script isn't marvellous,but it provides some action.

"The Steel Key" looks like an early try-out for "The Saint" TV series.

Terence Morgan plays an attractive rogue that police forces around the world would love to catch red-handed; and yet he is happily focused on bringing real criminals to justice.

The "steel key" is a military secret - a "Macguffin" that matters not one jot. The baddies want it - Terence Morgan's character (who uses three different names during the film) gets involved by pretending to have it.

Forsythe, the policeman, is Chief Inspector Teal by another name. And Joan Rice is absolutely charming in the love interest role.

Good fun - with nice views of Fifties Newhaven.

Terence Morgan has a bit of a glint in his eye here as "Johnny", a bit of an opportunist who finds himself embroiled in a plot to abduct a professor (Esmond Knight) and pinch his formula for hardened steel that could revolutionise production and durability. Together with his charming - and quite wily - girlfriend "Doreen" (Joan Rice) they have to thwart these would be thieves and save the boffin whilst convincing Scotland Yard's finest "Insp. Forsythe" (Raymond Lovell) that they are on the level too! It's quite a lively affair and the sort of roguish, but honourable, antics of the star really did remind me of a "Simon Templar" type of character. It's all pretty predicable fayre, but there are a few fun cameos from amongst the supporting cast and it whizzes along fine for an hour. You'll never remember it afterwards, but it's perfectly watchable on a wet afternoon.

Robert S. Baker directs a good action script by the ever dependable John Gilling, and the result is a charming 69-minute film with handsome male lead Terence Morgan in fine form, the precursor of the Saint that Roger Moore would immortalize on TV in the 1960s. As pointed out by other viewers, Director Baker would be actively involved in THE SAINT series.

Always stylish and with a quirky sense of humor, Morgan rapidly puts Inspector Forsythe - whom he calls Basil - in his place, hunts down the much sought after "steel key" formula that hardens metals, and deals with a gang of fairly smooth villains led by Ross and Tapley, with sidekick evil-eyed Lovegrove playing nurse Gilchrist, who is definitely not good for anybody's health.

Curvaceous Dianne Foster provides the most curious character of all: she is clearly a scheming criminal intent on capitalizing on her hubby's "steel key" formula, and she thinks nothing of having Ross as her lover, French-kissing Morgan, and still keeping hubby Professor Newman out of sight in gaol-like tenements. The latter is understandbly less than chuffed.

Cinematography is better than I would expect of a B pic from Tempean films, the unobtrusive score is pleasant enough, and the ending is something to savor.

Definitely worth watching!