Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

'THE CRIMSON KEY' ROUTINE WHODUNIT DRAGS Rates • for lower slot in naborhood 20th Century-Fox 76 minutes Kent Taylor, Doris Dowling, Dennis Hoey, Louise Currie, Ivan Treisault, Arthur Space, Vera Marshe, Edwin Rand, Bernadene Hayes. Victoria Home, Doug Evans, Ann Doran, Victor Sen Yung, Chester Clute, Ralf Harolde, Milton Parsons, Jimmy Magill, Marietta Canty, Stanley Mann. Directed by Eugene Forde. Weak in names, story and entertainment, this run-of-the-mill programmer is destined for the lower slot in naborhood and action houses. Audiences will find it rather dull fare, and from it exhibitors may expect indifferent returns. Irving Elman's original screenplay follov/s the usual formula of private-eye melodramas, but tells it with tedium and telegraphs its few plot twists. Under Eugene Forde's direction the littleknown players do their best to breathe life into the artificial characters written into the script. Editing is choppy, production quality nominal, photography and recording satisfactory. and action spots EXPLOITATION: For throwaways, keys cut out of red cardboard and marked: " 'The Crimson Key' Will Unlock the Secret that Cost Three Lives — See 'The Crimson Key' at the Blank Theatre." In lobby play a concealed spot on a public locker captioned: "Murder, Blackmail and a Woman's Past are in This Box — Only 'The Crimson Key' Can Unlock It." Private-eye Kent Taylor is hired by Bernadene Hayes to follow her husband, Dr. Doug Evans. Before Kent can start on the case, Evans is found murdered. Kent learns from the dead doctor's secretary of his concern for a key to a public locker he's 'PIONEER JUSTICE' ROUTINE OATER WITH 'LASH' LA RUE Rates in western spots PRC 56 minutes "Lash" La Rue. Al St. John, Jeimifer Holt, William Fawcett, Jack Ingram, Dee Cooper, Lane Bradford, Henry Hall, Steve Drake, Bob Woodward. Directed by Ray Taylor. This formula western has occasional novelty, fairly-well sustained suspense, mystery and plenty of action, some of it repetitious. Adrian Page's original screenplay tells of La Rue and St. John's successful fight to rout a gang led by a land-grabbing maniac. The film has sufficient combat and pursuit to satisfy juveniles, yet is mature enough in its characterizations to appeal to adult horse opera devotees. As a second feature in western spots it should register nominal grosses. Ray Taylor's direction is merely adequate. "Lash" La Rue and Al St. John befriended Jennifer Holt whose young brother has just been shot down before her eyes in a gambling dispute provoked by Jack Ingram. Sheriff Henry Hall's refusal to arrest Ingram confirms La Rue's suspicions the pair are in cahoots, part of a gang dominated by a secret leader. Later La Rue and Knight capture Ingram and three henchmen as they're about to burn Jennifer's cabin, one of the few remaining undestroyed. La Rue turns his captives over to Sheriff Hall. As anticipated, Hall releases the prisoners, whereupon La Rue trails them to their hideout. There he rounds up the gang and unmasks the real leader, William Fawcett, ostensibly Jennifer's ranch hand but actually a psychopathic case... a would-be Emperor of the West. temporarily mislaid. Kent goes to check with Bernadene about the key, arrives to find her slain. Searching for the key, Kent is waylaid and tortured by gangsters apparently employed by a phony psychic, Milton Parsons. Kent confronts Parsons, learns he is workking for Doris Dowling, dipsomaniac wife of Dennis Hoey. That night Parsons is slain in Doris' apartment. Kent discovers the key is for a public locker, the latter containing evidence Doris had poisoned her first husband. Evans and Parsons, blackmailers both, and Bernadene had been killed by Doris when she could no longer meet their demands. At end, Kent turns her over to the police. JULY 7 , 1947 23