THE KEYHOLE
US, 1933, 70 minutes, Black and white.
Kay Francis, George Brent, Allen Jenkins, Glenda Farrell.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
Coming from Hungary, and never quite mastering the English language (Bring on the Empty Horses), Curtiz nevertheless had a very strong thirty-year career in Hollywood. He worked for Warner Bros at first, making small-budget films and improving with such films as Stolen Holiday. He then moved on to Errol Flynn epics and action adventures during the 1940s. He also made a number of musicals with Doris Day and varied his films during the 1950s and 60s with such films as White Christmas and Francis of Assisi. He won the Academy Award for directing Casablanca.
The Keyhole is a film of the 30s, fidelity and infidelity, private investigators, wealthy New York businessmen, Americans going for holidays to Cuba. The film highlights the keyhole at the beginning and end of the film, the audience being somewhat prurient in looking at these episodes. Kay Francis was very popular at the time as a star at Warner Bros. George Brent was at the beginning of his career – not a particularly striking actor but a good foil for strong actresses, especially Bette Davis (Dark Victory).
1.A 1930s melodrama? Style, content, moral perspective?
2.Black and white photography, the studios? The initial keyhole sequence? New York, Cuba and nightclubs? The popular location for films during the Depression?
3.Ann, her relationship with Maurice, dancing? Giving him money? Breaking up the act? His reaction? The collage of their dancing?
4.Ann and her marriage to Brooks, wealthy? His suspicions? Her being blackmailed by Maurice? The issue of the money? Her going to Cuba, the boat, the encounter with Neil, the attraction? Her faithfulness to Brooks? Her telling Neil the truth? Brooks coming, the confrontation, her leaving him? A future with Neil?
5.Brooks, wealth, the trophy wife, suspicions, hiring the private detective, the telegrams, coming to Cuba, the confrontation, losing his wife?
6.Neil, the private eye, his assistant and his flirtations? His mistakes? The attraction to Ann, trying to trick her, romance her? Falling in love? His attempts to remedy the situation? Maurice and the confrontation, his death – and the ironic use of the suicide note?
7.The comedy with the assistant, his girlfriend, wealth, crass and comic manner?
8.Maurice, the final confrontation, his death – the suicide note?
9.The popularity of this kind of romantic melodrama in the 30s – now?
