''Passkey to Danger'' is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by

Lesley Selander Lesley Selander (May 26, 1900 – December 5, 1979) was an American film director of Westerns and adventure movies. His career as director, spanning 127 feature films and dozens of TV episodes, lasted from 1936 to 1968. Before that, Selander was ...

and written by O'Leta Rhinehart and William Hagens. The film stars

Kane Richmond Kane Richmond (born Frederick William Bowditch, December 23, 1906 – March 22, 1973) was an American film actor of the 1930s and 1940s, mostly appearing in cliffhangers and serials. He is best known today for his portrayal of the character L ...

Stephanie Bachelor Stephanie Bachelor (May 23, 1912 – November 22, 1996) was an American film actress. During the 1940s, Bachelor briefly achieved leading status in supporting features such as Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held unde ...

Adele Mara Adele Mara (born Adelaida Delgado; April 28, 1923 – May 7, 2010) was an American actress, singer, and dancer, who appeared in films during the 1940s and 1950s and on television in the 1950s and 1960s. Early years Mara was born in Highland P ...

Gregory Gaye Gregory Gaye (born Grigoriy Grigoryevich Ge; October 10, 1900 – August 23, 1993) was a Russian-American character actor. The son of an actor, he was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the uncle of actor George Gaynes. He was a cade ...

Gerald Mohr Gerald Mohr (June 11, 1914 – November 9, 1968) was an American radio, film, and television character actor and frequent leading man, who appeared in more than 500 radio plays, 73 films, and over 100 television shows. Early years Mohr wa ...

and

John Eldredge John Eldredge (born June 6, 1960 in Los Angeles) is an American author, counselor, and lecturer on Christianity. He is known for his best-selling book '' Wild at Heart''. Life and work Eldregde received his undergraduate degree in theater from ...

. It was released on May 11, 1946 by Republic Pictures.

Plot

Tex Hanlon is in charge of a wildly successful and mysterious advertising campaign for the Three Springs. People everywhere are curious what the ads are selling, and even Malcolm Tauber, the head of the Hanlon's company, is in the dark. Tauber's assistant (and Hanlon's girlfriend) Gwen Hughes has created some secret women's fashion sketches for Tex that will be used in the final Three Springs ad. Attracted by the attention given the campaign, Renee Beauchamps asks for a chance to work with Hanlon. He agrees, but begins to receive threatening notes related to the Three Springs. A passing motorist, Julian Leighton, picks him up and offers him $20,000 to spill the secret. Another wealthy man, Alexander Cardovsky, also asks for information. He is later pressured by two thugs, Mr. Warren and Bert, to reveal everything. He buys a toy puppet from a poor woman, Jenny, and finds a note in the toy asking him to meet her. When he does, he discovers that Jenny has been murdered, and he has been set up to take the blame. However, Gwen can vouch for Hanlon's whereabouts at the time of the murder. The next day, Tauber is eager to run the final Three Springs ad. He becomes upset when Hanlon balks, but is grateful that Hanlon did not mention the campaign to the police. Hanlon tells Gwen that they need to delay because he needs answers to force the criminals out in the open. Gwen convinces him otherwise and arranges to have the final proofs rushed from the printers that evening. Hanlon discovers that Renee has been writing the threatening notes, and she claims that she hoped to frighten him into working with her. Renee says that she is being followed and must speak with him later. Gwen sees Renee kiss Hanlon goodbye and is furious. Immediately afterward, Special Detective Bates explains to Hanlon that the three Spring brothers, criminals who made off with millions 20 years ago and disappeared, likely believe that Hanlon is about to expose them. Hanlon agrees to work with Bates. Later, Gwen has forgiven Hanlon and is waiting for him at his apartment with Warren and Bert, not realizing who they really are. Warren and Bert threaten to pin another murder on Hanlon if he refuses to divulge his information, and Hanlon discovers that they have already murdered Renee and hidden her body in the room. When Hanlon refuses to give in, Bert violently beats him. Gwen must promise to reveal the proofs of the Three Springs campaign later that evening to save Hanlon. At Hanlon's office, it is revealed that Cardovsky and Leighton are two of the Spring brothers. Hanlon believes that the third brother is Warren, but at gunpoint, he discovers that it is Tauber. Warren had helped two of brothers escape from prison. Gwen and Bates arrive with the police to arrest all five criminals, but Bates allows Hanlon to have one last fistfight with Bert before taking Bert and his cohorts to jail.

Cast

as Tex Hanlon *

as Gwen Hughes *

as Renee Beauchamps *

as Mr. Warren *

as Malcolm Tauber *

as Alexander Cardovsky * George J. Lewis as Julian Leighton * Fred Graham as Bert *

Tom London Tom London (born Leonard T. Clapman; August 24, 1889 – December 5, 1963) was an American actor who played frequently in B-Westerns. According to ''The Guinness Book of Movie Records'', London is credited with appearing in the most films in ...

as Gerald Bates *Donia Bussey as Jenny *Charles Williams as Mr. Williams * Charles C. Wilson as Police Sergeant

References

External links

* {{Lesley Selander 1946 films 1940s English-language films American crime films 1946 crime films Republic Pictures films Films directed by Lesley Selander American black-and-white films 1940s American films