Even for a long-time crime and mystery fan who thinks he's seen about everything, this movie certainly is absolutely STUNNING! It's the second of five adaptations altogether of the famous and marvelous book by Earl Derr Biggers (the creator of one of the most beloved fictional detectives of all times, 'Charlie Chan') - and, considering the time it was made - back in 1917! - it's really a MARVEL, one of the greatest gems of 1910s' Hollywood movies, and certainly one of the VERY first crime feature movies; and it manages JUST fine to explain all the complicated plot which is typical for Biggers' novels in a way that we can all keep pace with the pretty sudden and astonishing developments!
Another GREAT issue about this adaptation of "Seven Keys to Baldpate" is, of course, its star: the great Broadway 'alround genius' George M. Cohan, who was a director, producer, songwriter, scriptwriter - and a first-class actor as well! The cool way he handles all the 'surprises' that await him in that supposedly secluded place called Baldpate, where he's trying to find peace and quiet in order to write a novel in only 24 hours after a bet he made, and to which virtually everybody seems to have an entrance key, is just hilariously funny, and his acting style is wonderfully natural and quite modern for the time.
And yet another feature that makes this movie quite special: in the year 1917, we meet a FEMALE reporter there - most certainly one of the VERY earliest 'specimen' of her kind in movies!! Generally, "Seven Keys to Baldpate" is so incredibly innovative, wonderfully entertaining, and remains ageless and timeless and fresh until this day, that I wonder why it isn't ranked higher among the GREAT classics of the VERY early era of Hollywood movies...
Another GREAT issue about this adaptation of "Seven Keys to Baldpate" is, of course, its star: the great Broadway 'alround genius' George M. Cohan, who was a director, producer, songwriter, scriptwriter - and a first-class actor as well! The cool way he handles all the 'surprises' that await him in that supposedly secluded place called Baldpate, where he's trying to find peace and quiet in order to write a novel in only 24 hours after a bet he made, and to which virtually everybody seems to have an entrance key, is just hilariously funny, and his acting style is wonderfully natural and quite modern for the time.
And yet another feature that makes this movie quite special: in the year 1917, we meet a FEMALE reporter there - most certainly one of the VERY earliest 'specimen' of her kind in movies!! Generally, "Seven Keys to Baldpate" is so incredibly innovative, wonderfully entertaining, and remains ageless and timeless and fresh until this day, that I wonder why it isn't ranked higher among the GREAT classics of the VERY early era of Hollywood movies...