ianlouisiana
27 when he made "The Glass Key",Mr Morgan was transformed into posh arm - candy despite having quite serious aspirations at the start of his career.
He was certainly a handsome devil and played men with an eye for ladies,men of uncertain provenance as often as not,men,in fact very like Johnny O'Flynn,an adventurer/playboy,possibly a public school man with impeccable manners, a military background and somewhere,perhaps,well - hidden,a tragic episode in his past.
The sort of chap Dornford Yates wrote about 20years earlier.
Or John Buchan maybe.
O'Flynn has charm and charisma to spare as he works to catch a gang plotting against the British Scientific Establishment.
He smokes heroically,drives an Armstrong - Siddeley and fights like a gentleman.Women are putty in his hands - even some blokes appear to go a bit weak at the knees under his gaze.
A few years down the line he played a pimp in "The Shakedown" with rather less conviction but gave it a game go.
I suspect he lived near Brighton because the premiere of "The Shakedown" was held at "The Regent" and several scenes of "The Steel Key" were filmed in its environs.
I remember him striding imperiously through "Boots" trailing smoke and Old Spice accompanied by sighs from the staff - and not only the girls.
Some blokes,I thought,have all the luck.
Leofwine_draca
THE STEEL KEY is another low budget British crime film from Tempean Films, directed by Robert S. Baker (of the Berman/Baker) team and with a script by John Gilling. As other reviewers have noted, the plot is very similar to one of the Saint books by Leslie Charteris, albeit with the character names changed. It's no surprise that Berman and Baker would later go on to make THE SAINT TV series in the 1960s.This film offers the rare chance to see movie bad guy Terence Morgan playing the hero for once. Morgan is a playboy-style hero, ever suffering from having the police at his heels, who adopts the identity of a research scientist in order to bring some real crooks to book. The tale is about the hunt for a scientific formula for hardened steel which is a classic MacGuffin in the Hitchcock mould and doesn't really have much in the way of relevance.Basically, THE STEEL KEY consists of characters chasing each other around and attempting to outwit each other. Morgan is excellent and really shines as the likable hero and Joan Rice is a fine choice as the plucky nurse who helps him. Raymond Lovell adds humour as the exasperated detective while there are minor roles for the familiar faces of Sam Kydd, Michael Balfour, Esma Cannon, and Esmond Knight. Dianne Foster has a similar femme fatale character to the one she had in Tempean's THE QUIET WOMAN. Once again the south coast (this time, Newhaven) provides a good backdrop for the action. Watch out for Morgan's stuntman, who has different coloured hair to the actor!
malcolmgsw
I can see the point being made by the other reviewers.This is a Saint film in all but name.Terence Morgan is constantly evading the police whilst looking for the professor and his formula.The cast is quite interesting.Edmond Knight who was blinded in the sea battle with the Bismark,playing the professor.Michael Balfour is a sailor.Sam Judd with a moustache plays a henchman.Same Cannon is a rather dotty patient in the doctors waiting room.The film was made on the south coast and I am wondering if it used Brighton studios which was one of the oldest studios,closing in the sixties.The script isn't marvellous,but it provides some action.
dave-blake
"The Steel Key" looks like an early try-out for "The Saint" TV series.Terence Morgan plays an attractive rogue that police forces around the world would love to catch red-handed; and yet he is happily focused on bringing real criminals to justice.The "steel key" is a military secret - a "Macguffin" that matters not one jot. The baddies want it - Terence Morgan's character (who uses three different names during the film) gets involved by pretending to have it.Forsythe, the policeman, is Chief Inspector Teal by another name. And Joan Rice is absolutely charming in the love interest role.Good fun - with nice views of Fifties Newhaven.
AD
