A woman (Kay Francis) with two husbands (Monroe Owsley, Henry Kolker) tries to divorce one of them by heading down to Havana where things get more complicated.A woman (Kay Francis) with two husbands (Monroe Owsley, Henry Kolker) tries to divorce one of them by heading down to Havana where things get more complicated.A woman (Kay Francis) with two husbands (Monroe Owsley, Henry Kolker) tries to divorce one of them by heading down to Havana where things get more complicated.
Irving Bacon
- Grover - Brooks' Chauffeur
- (uncredited)
Maurice Black
- Cuban Jewelry Salesman
- (uncredited)
George Chandler
- Joe - Desk Clerk
- (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin
- Mr. Smith - Man Exiting Room 410
- (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
- Gino - Hotel Metropole Waiter #2
- (uncredited)
Bill Elliott
- Partygoer
- (uncredited)
George Humbert
- Hotel Metropole Waiter #1
- (uncredited)
John Sheehan
- Ship Bartender
- (uncredited)
Leo White
- Porter in Cuba
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to a contemporary article in Film Daily William Powell was announced for the role that went to George Brent, and that Monroe Owsley replaced Antonio Moreno for the role of Maurice.
- GoofsIn the restaurant of the Hotel Metropole in Havana, the supposedly Cuban waiters (one of whom is referred to as "Pedro") speak to each other in Italian rather than Spanish. The actors playing these roles, George Humbert and Gino Corrado, were both born in Florence, Italy.
- Quotes
Ann Brooks: [to Maurice] And the next time you try to kill yourself, let me know; I'd love to help you.
- ConnectionsRemade as Romance on the High Seas (1948)
Featured review
"The Key Hole" is one of those "If you've seen one, you've seen them all" type films, though it's certainly not bad. Francis plays Ann Brooks, married to a wealthy man (Henry Kolker).
Ann was married before, to Maurice (Monroe Owsley) who never got the divorce he promised her and is now blackmailing her because of it. She works out a scheme with her sister-in-law Portia (Helen Ware) to lure him out of the country, and then Portia would use her influence to have his visa taken away.
As part of the plan, Ann heads for Havana by ship, with Maurice following. Her suspicious husband has hired a detective, Neil Davis (George Brent) to try and seduce her, and along with Brent comes his spy, Hank Wales (Allen Jenkins). Wales meets Dot (Glenda Farrell), and these two provide the film's humor.
Well, you can guess what happens.
Kay Francis wears many fabulous gowns. I used to think the kind of lifestyle her character lived was just in the movies until I saw a 1930s Vogue magazine. What a formal time that was, with people dressing to the nines for lunch and to do any kind of traveling.
Almost all the ads in Vogue were for trips on ocean liners. We've come a long way, and I'm not sure that's a good thing.
Anyway, the film is predictable, but Francis is good, as are Jenkins and Farrell. Brent is very smooth and charming.
Kay Francis made these films by the truckload, and I have to admit I watch them when they appear on TCM. She really epitomizes that early '30s era for me - an era that has not one vestige of it visible today.
Ann was married before, to Maurice (Monroe Owsley) who never got the divorce he promised her and is now blackmailing her because of it. She works out a scheme with her sister-in-law Portia (Helen Ware) to lure him out of the country, and then Portia would use her influence to have his visa taken away.
As part of the plan, Ann heads for Havana by ship, with Maurice following. Her suspicious husband has hired a detective, Neil Davis (George Brent) to try and seduce her, and along with Brent comes his spy, Hank Wales (Allen Jenkins). Wales meets Dot (Glenda Farrell), and these two provide the film's humor.
Well, you can guess what happens.
Kay Francis wears many fabulous gowns. I used to think the kind of lifestyle her character lived was just in the movies until I saw a 1930s Vogue magazine. What a formal time that was, with people dressing to the nines for lunch and to do any kind of traveling.
Almost all the ads in Vogue were for trips on ocean liners. We've come a long way, and I'm not sure that's a good thing.
Anyway, the film is predictable, but Francis is good, as are Jenkins and Farrell. Brent is very smooth and charming.
Kay Francis made these films by the truckload, and I have to admit I watch them when they appear on TCM. She really epitomizes that early '30s era for me - an era that has not one vestige of it visible today.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $169,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 9 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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