Plot
Russell is a convict who is bequeathed a set of seven keys by a fellow prisoner. After discovering that the deceased was an embezzler who stole £20,000 that was never recovered, on his release Russell sets out to find the cash. However, he must first solve the mystery of which locks the keys fit, and run the gauntlet of the police and a number of gangsters who are after him and the money. He enlists the reluctant assistance of the embezzler's former secretary, and uncovers a blackmail scheme that explains where the money went.
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The mechanically contrived plot gets an understated and sometimes wryly humorous treatment from director Pat Jackson. The suspense is mild at best, but the adroit playing of Alan Dobie and Jeannie Carson gives the film an air of casual nonchalance that is rather refreshing." [3]
Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture, similar in substance and technique to the popular Edgar Wallace thrillers, tells a plausible and punchy tale. Alan Dobie thoroughly convinces as the determined and reformed Russell, Jeannie Carson and Delphi Lawrence are shrewdly cast as the matter of fact! Shirley and the conniving Natalie, and the minor players, too, register. The colourful story threads are tightly plaited against realistic backgrounds, and the love interest logically develops without unduly cushioning the rough stuff. And the ending is definitely showmanlike" [4]
TV Guide described it as a "well-worn crime picture ...A tame entry directed by former World War II documentarian Jackson, whose later works failed to make any impact on audiences". [5]
Britmovie wrote: "Pat Jackson, who made his name with such wartime documentaries as Western Approaches [1944], intelligently directed this ingenious low-budget crime drama." [6]
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