The second film I've seen in two weeks made at Republic in the mid-40s starring Kane Richmond and Adele Mara is nowhere near as good as TIGER WOMAN (see my review). In this one, Richmond is some kind of advertising man who comes up with a concept for a women's clothing campaign (I think, based on the drawings we see) called THE THREE SPRINGS. Soon, various eccentric gangster types and crooked businessmen start expressing an interest in the campaign, feeling as though Richmond is actually making a reference to something else with the title and they are trying to cover that up. I won't give away the plot and say WHAT they think he's referring to with the ad campaign because that is the device that puts the plot, such as it is, in motion. Studios needed to churn out a certain number of b-movies per season, and often a project that might have sounded good on paper gets locked into the production schedule and it gets made even though it doesn't fully gel. That's what the problem is here. Each scene, on its own, is entertaining. Richmond--a kind of square-jawed, self-deprecating leading man who probably best resembles George Clooney among today's stars--is always a pleasure to watch. The top-billed star here Stephanie Bachelor--who was in films for a brief six year period, and who seemed to get leading roles mostly at Republic--as Richmond's girlfriend. She looks great and delivers the arguing-couple romantic banter well, but there's not much depth to her character. As for Adele Mara, she's given a thankless role here as a kind of femme-fatale, but we're not really sure how deep is her involvement with the bad guys, and the way the film disposes of her character cannot be excused. Unless my copy of the film is cut (and it's the Hollywood Television Service print, so it may be), I can't believe this script made it past ANY editor. My wife and I looked at each other as the "End" credit appeared, and asked, "What about Adele Mara"? We know what happens to her, but it is never resolved. WHAT??????? On the good side, this film is entertaining in pieces--the supporting cast (with such fine performers as Gerald Mohr and Gregory Gay) is colorful, there's a lot of witty romantic banter between Richmond and Bachelor AND Richmond and Mara. It's just that the plot doesn't hold together, the events in themselves don't command attention, and there's a rushed feel to many scenes as though the attitude was "let's get this in the can quickly." Some of the fights are the most phony I've seen in a Republic film--a studio known for its excellent stunt-men. Richmond and the bad guys seem as though they were just instructed to pull the punches because the stunt men couldn't make it today. Still, it was not an unpleasant way to kill 60 minutes and b-movie and Richmond fans will enjoy it. Bachelor and Mara are both wonderfully attractive and witty leading ladies. Just don't expend much energy or cost in trying to find a copy.
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gordonl5613 December 2014PASSKEY TO DANGER – 1946
Republic Pictures cranked out low budget programmers by the hundreds. These include, westerns, comedies, crime, film noir and adventure films all for the bottom of the double bill. These quickies were a hit or miss business with the miss column the normal winner.
This one is a comic-mystery film starring Kane Richmond, Stephanie Bachelor, Gregory Gaye, Gerald Mohr and Adele Mara.
Richmond is an advertising man who has put out a new line of ads promoting "The Three Springs". The ads do not say what the "Springs" are, but that info will be coming in ads down the road. Next thing you know Richmond is being paid visits by various people. These persons, John Eldredge, George Lewis, Gregory Gaye and others offer him cash, or a beating to disclose what the "Springs" are.
The gag here, is that the ads are really for a yet to be released series of dresses designed by his girlfriend, Stephanie Bachelor. Richmond is at a loss as to why all these folks are interested in his ads.
A cop finally fills him in on the details. There were three Spring brothers who had pulled a 3 million dollar heist 20 years before. The Police are still looking for the trio, as well as the cash. It seems that the Spring Brothers believe that Richmond has tumbled to their new identities. They are sure he plans on blackmailing them.
As silly as it might sound, it does move right along with only a quick 58 minute runtime. By no means is this a top drawer bit of entertainment, but if you are a fan of these low rent films, it will pass the time on a rainy afternoon. It also never hurts to take in the gorgeous Adele Mara! Too bad she only has a few minutes of screen time here.
The film was helmed by low budget specialist, Lesley Selander. Between 1936 and 1968 Selander directed over 140 different films and TV series. His most well-known film is most likely the 1951 Sci-Fi film, FLIGHT TO MARS. -
Mysterious ad campaign promoting "The Three Springs" gets the adman who created it in trouble as various people try to get him to tell all he knows. They think he's going to reveal their sinister plans when in fact its a new clothing line.
Odd ball comedy mystery has Kane Richmond fighting off people who he thinks want the goods on his campaign. Of course as things get complicated he realizes that they think he means something else. Its a good film but one you have to be willing to go with since its clear that for a good chunk of the film everyone is talking at cross purposes. In a strange way its a film that reduces Hitchcock's idea about a macguffin being the thing that sets events in motion to its most basic. The only thing you could be even simpler is never say what the macguffin really is. If you are willing to just go with it you'll have a good time, if not you're going to be annoyed by the silliness.
Worth a look in the right mood. -
planktonrules27 December 2016The star of "Passkey to Danger" is Kane Richmond, an actor who made a lot of B-movies as well as movie serials (such as "Spy Smasher"). Because of this, many folks won't recognize him and the same can be said for most of the cast. Considering this is a cheap B (clocking in at only about 57 minutes), none of these casting decisions are unusual. And, as far as the story goes, it's also pretty much what you'd expect from a low budget film of the era.
Richmond plays Tex Hanlon, an advertising man who comes up with an advertising campaign about the Three Strings...and it turns out this churns up interest in an unsolved crime from two decades ago. He has no idea what it's all about...but the baddies all think he knows a lot...and they are willing to do just about anything to get him to talk. Well, it turns out that the String Brothers...crooks who were presumed to have died after a huge hold-up. And, if they are alive, they are worth millions and don't want anyone digging into the case.
Like many Bs, this one features some uneven acting, a bad accent and plot holes. As a result, it's mildly interesting but not much more. If you love Bs, by all means watch it. If you don't, this one won't change your mind! -
mark.waltz5 April 2019Sometimes, screenwriters try too hard to be clever, and in the case of this comic mystery, the obvious witticisms aren't enough to hide the fact that this is an insipid plot where nothing is really revealed of consequence until 40 minutes into the movie. Once again, Kane Richmond finds himself involved in a complex case, revealed so far into the movie that it is an amazing feat if you've made it in that far. With fiance Stephanie Bachelor at his side, Richmond becomes involved in a 30 year old case involving stolen money and two creepy foreigners (Gerald Mohr and John Eldredge) who keeps showing up with guns in their hand, one of them only cackling madly and the other one talking as if he was a Nazi officer out to decipher secret plans.
Then there is Adele Mara in another one of her femme fatale roles, getting into strangely sarcastic battles with Bachelor over odd situations that Mara is caught in with Richmond. One scene has Richmond knocked out unconscious, discovered by Mara and then Bachelor all of a sudden walking in and estranged exchange of dialogue between the two women involving a race. It is bizarre and convoluted and nonsensical, and when everything comes together, it becomes a complete letdown. I found the title fascinating, and thought I would be getting an intriguing film War but what I found inside whatever this passkey opened was a downright disappointment.