In the mid-1930s, the female fans of Kay Francis expected a certain formula from her films, with sophisticated sexual intrigue, an attractive leading man and an endless parade of smart fashions. Not for nothing was the actress (who had a bit of trouble with her "r's") known around the studio as "the wavishing Kay Fwancis."

Warner Bros.' The Keyhole (1933) did not disappoint, providing Francis with a plot that flirts with adultery, a sexy new costar in George Brent and 15 or so costume changes courtesy of the studio's star designer, Orry-Kelly.

In this romantic drama with comedic overtones, Francis plays Ann Brooks, who is married to a wealthy older man (Henry Kolker) and heads to Cuba to obtain a quickie divorce from a scheming ex-husband (Monroe Owsley). Ann sets sail on the same ship as her oily ex, who claims their marriage was never legally severed and threatens blackmail. Also aboard is the suave private detective her suspicious current husband has hired to trail her (Brent, in the first of several teamings with Francis).

As Ann plots to have the ex barred from re-entry to the U.S. (where he is not a citizen), the gumshoe tries to seduce her and then falls genuinely in love. Meanwhile, back at home, Ann's sympathetic sister-in-law (Helen Ware) explains all to the jealous husband, who decides to fly to Cuba in an attempt to straighten things out.

Providing amusing support are Allen Jenkins as Brent's obtuse sidekick, Glenda Farrell as a brassy gold-digger with designs on Jenkins, Ferdinand Gottschalk as a diminutive lawyer and Clarence Wilson as the dour head of the detective agency.

Robert Presnell, Sr. adapted his screenplay from a story by Alice D.G. Miller called The Adventuress. The Keyhole, shot in only 25 days on a budget of a mere $167,000 (belied by some extravagant sets), benefits from Michael Curtiz's snappy direction and Barney McGill's fluid cinematography. Some plot elements of the film were reworked for the Warner Bros. musical Romance on the High Seas (1948), which marked Doris Day's movie debut and also was directed by Curtiz.

William Powell, another of Francis's most compatible leading men, was to have starred opposite her in The Keyhole before last-minute complications led to the casting of Warners newcomer Brent. James Robert Parish in Hollywood's Great Love Teams writes that, "In their day, Francis & Brent were Warner Bros.' melodramatic equivalent of MGM's droll Myrna Loy and William Powell, and were regarded by the bulk of steady filmgoers as the height of refined, upper-class romantics; personified, sartorial elegance."

It was around this time, according to Francis biographers Lynn Kear and John Rossman, that the actress learned to control a sometimes overactive face and "developed an acting trick in which she simply stared, expressionless, into the camera -- similar to the Garbo mask. It's effective, and she used and perfected it..."

The Keyhole was a successful film that confirmed Francis's position as a leading light at Warner Bros. A review of the day called it "Light entertainment saved by the grace of Kay Francis' charming personality. Miss Francis is gorgeous and makes the film entertaining through sheer personality." Some consider it one of the most enjoyable of the Francis "women's pictures" of the time, along with One Way Passage (1932) and I Found Stella Parish (1935).

Director: Michael Curtiz
Screenplay: Robert Presnell (screenplay); Alice D.G. Miller (story)
Cinematography: Barney McGill
Art Direction: Anton Grot
Film Editing: Ray Curtiss
Cast: Kay Francis (Ann Brooks), George Brent (Mr. Neil Davis), Glenda Farrell (Dot), Monroe Owsley (Maurice Le Brun), Allen Jenkins (Hank Wales), Helen Ware (Portia Brooks), Henry Kolker (Schuyler Brooks), Ferdinand Gottschalk (Brooks' Lawyer)
BW-70m.

by Roger Fristoe