The French Key

Last updated
The French Key
The French Key poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Walter Colmes
Screenplay by Frank Gruber
Produced byWalter Colmes
Starring Albert Dekker
Mike Mazurki
Evelyn Ankers
John Eldredge
Frank Fenton
Selmer Jackson
CinematographyJockey Arthur Feindel
Edited byRobert Jahns
Music by Alexander Laszlo
Production
company
Distributed byRepublic Pictures
Release date
  • May 18, 1946 (1946-05-18)
Running time
64 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The French Key is a 1946 American mystery film directed by Walter Colmes and written by Frank Gruber. The film stars Albert Dekker, Mike Mazurki, Evelyn Ankers, John Eldredge, Frank Fenton and Selmer Jackson. The film was released on May 18, 1946, by Republic Pictures. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

The French Key is an adaptation of Gruber's novel of the same title, one of more than a dozen in a series featuring detective Johnny Fletcher. [4] In this film Fletcher and his partner return to their hotel room and find a corpse clutching a gold coin. Attempting to solve the case, they deal with coin collectors and a pool room fight in addition to spending a night in jail. [5]

Cast

Related Research Articles

Richard Denning American actor (1914–1998)

Richard Denning was an American actor who starred in science fiction films of the 1950s, including Unknown Island (1948), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Target Earth (1954), Day the World Ended (1955), Creature with the Atom Brain (1955), and The Black Scorpion (1957). Denning also appeared in the film An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant and on radio with Lucille Ball in My Favorite Husband (1948–1951), the forerunner of television's I Love Lucy.

Mike Mazurki American actor and professional wrestler

Mike Mazurki was a Ukrainian-American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in more than 142 films. His 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) presence and face had him typecast as often brainless athletes, tough guys, thugs, and gangsters. His roles included Splitface in Dick Tracy (1945), Yusuf in Sinbad the Sailor (1947), and Clon in It's About Time (1966-1967).

Frank Albertson American actor (1919–1996)

Francis Healey Albertson was an American actor who had supporting roles in films such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Psycho (1960).

Frank Fenton (actor) American actor (1906–1957)

Frank Fenton Moran, known as Frank Fenton, was an American stage, film and television actor.

Evelyn Ankers British-American actress

Evelyn Felisa Ankers was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably The Wolf Man (1941) opposite Lon Chaney Jr., a frequent screen partner.

<i>The Pretender</i> (film) 1947 film by W. Lee Wilder

The Pretender is a 1947 crime drama film noir directed by W. Lee Wilder starring Albert Dekker, Catherine Craig, Charles Drake and Alan Carney.

George Eldredge American actor (1898–1977)

George Edwin Eldredge was an American actor who appeared in over 180 movies during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He also had a prolific television career during the 1950s. He was the older brother of actor John Dornin Eldredge.

Selmer Jackson American actor (1888–1971)

Selmer Adolf Jackson was an American stage film and television actor. He appeared in nearly 400 films between 1921 and 1963. His name was sometimes spelled Selmar Jackson.

<i>The Lawless</i> 1950 film

The Lawless is a 1950 American film noir directed by Joseph Losey and features Macdonald Carey, Gail Russell and Johnny Sands.

Walter Sande American actor (1906–1971)

Walter Sande was an American character actor, known for numerous supporting film and television roles.

<i>Bowery to Broadway</i> 1944 film by Charles Lamont

Bowery to Broadway is a 1944 American film starring Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, and Susanna Foster. Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan also had a small specialty act, and it was the only film they were in together where they didn't have a name or character.

<i>His Butlers Sister</i> 1943 film

His Butler's Sister is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Deanna Durbin. The supporting cast includes Franchot Tone, Pat O'Brien, Akim Tamiroff, Evelyn Ankers and Hans Conried. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Recording.

<i>Going Crooked</i> 1926 film

Going Crooked is a 1926 American silent crime film produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by George Melford and stars Bessie Love.

<i>The Star Maker</i> (1939 film) 1939 film by Roy Del Ruth

The Star Maker is a 1939 American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth, written by Frank Butler, Don Hartman and Arthur Caesar, and starring Bing Crosby, Louise Campbell, Linda Ware, Ned Sparks, Laura Hope Crews, Janet Waldo and Walter Damrosch. Filming started in Hollywood on April 17, 1939 and was finished in June. The film was released on August 25, 1939, by Paramount Pictures, and had its New York premiere on August 30, 1939. It was the only film in which Crosby played a happily married man.

<i>Confidence Girl</i> 1952 film by Andrew L. Stone

Confidence Girl is a 1952 American crime film written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. The film stars Tom Conway, Hillary Brooke, Eddie Marr, John Gallaudet, Jack Kruschen, Dan Riss and Walter Kingsford. It was released on June 20, 1952 by United Artists.

<i>Nancy Drew... Detective</i> 1938 film

Nancy Drew... Detective is a 1938 American comedy film directed by William Clemens and written by Kenneth Garnet. The film stars Bonita Granville, John Litel, James Stephenson, Frankie Thomas, Frank Orth and Helena Phillips Evans. The film was released by Warner Bros. on November 19, 1938.

Frank Gruber American novelist

Frank Gruber was an American writer. He was a writer of stories for pulp fiction magazines. He also wrote dozens of novels, mostly Westerns and detective stories. Gruber wrote many scripts for Hollywood movies and television shows and was the creator of three TV series. He sometimes wrote under the pen names Stephen Acre, Charles K. Boston and John K. Vedder.

<i>Calling All Marines</i> 1939 film by John H. Auer

Calling All Marines is a 1939 American action film directed by John H. Auer and written by Earl Felton. The film stars Don "Red" Barry, Helen Mack, Warren Hymer, Robert Kent, Cy Kendall and Leon Ames. The film was released on September 20, 1939, by Republic Pictures.

Mark of the Gorilla is 1950 Jungle Jim film starring Johnny Weissmuller. It was the third in the series.

Johnny Fletcher is a fictional character created by Frank Gruber. Fletcher is a con-man and reluctant amateur detective. The character was the protagonist of several mystery novels published between 1940 and 1964. Additionally, he was featured in a feature film adaptation scripted by Gruber, and a short lived radio series.

References

  1. "The French Key (1946) - Overview". TCM.com. 1995-12-06. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  2. Hal Erickson (2015). "The-French-Key - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  3. "The French Key". Afi.com. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  4. "Frank Gruber's The Adventures of Johnny Fletcher". The Digital Deli Too. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  5. "Princess Theater". The Tennessean. Tennessee, Nashville. September 15, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved September 1, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg