The Key (1958 film)
Encyclopedia
The Key is a 1958
war film
set in 1940 during the World War II
Battle of the Atlantic. It was based on the novel Stella by Jan de Hartog
.
), a sergeant in the Canadian army, is hastily promoted and assigned to command one of the Royal Navy
's slow, poorly-armed tugboat
s, which bring in freighter
s crippled near England by German attacks. The main danger is from U-boat
s and aircraft.
David is pleased to be reunited with an old friend, Captain Chris Ford (Trevor Howard
). Chris takes him out on a mission, then brings him home to his flat to meet his lover Stella (Sophia Loren
). She had been engaged to Philip, another tugboat captain, but he was killed the day before their wedding. Knowing the extreme danger of his job, Philip had given a copy of his key to the flat to another officer, Van Barger (Carl Möhner
), so that Stella would be taken care of no matter what. Van Barger moved in. Then, continuing the tradition, he gave a key to Chris. When Chris chooses David to be the next in line, David tries to refuse, but his friend is insistent.
Stella accepts Chris's marriage proposal. However, she has a premonition that he won't be coming back from his next mission. She is proved correct.
At first, David refuses to move in, but eventually does so. To his surprise, she does not share his bed immediately, but as time goes by, Stella falls in love with him, unlike the others. She puts away her photograph of Philip, gets rid of the uniforms of David's predecessors, and takes off her wedding ring. She also leaves her flat for the first time since Philip was killed. Finally, she asks David to marry her and he gladly accepts.
With the U.S. entry into the war, an American freighter becomes David's next assignment. The inexperienced crew sends out a continuous S.O.S.
, contrary to sealed orders, revealing the ship's position to the enemy. When David finds out the situation, he tries unsuccessfully to refuse what amounts to a suicide mission. Just as he is about to depart, another tugboat returns. Knowing his chances, he gives his key to its captain, Kane (Kieron Moore
).
David's tug is attacked by a U-boat and set afire. He orders the crew to abandon ship, then rams the submarine. After being rescued, David hurries back to the flat, but Kane is already there, having told Stella that David was killed. When she sees him alive, she screams at him to get out, hurt to the core by his betrayal in passing on the key.
Later, Kane finds David drinking his sorrows away and informs him that Stella is leaving for London on the train. There were two endings filmed; in one, David gets aboard, while in the other, he just misses catching it, but insists he will search for and find her. The latter was done to satisfy the Production Code
by showing that David and Stella pay for their sexual relationship.
1958 in film
The year 1958 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 16- "In the Money" by William Beaudine is released on this date. It would be the last installment of The Bowery Boys series which began back in 1946....
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
set in 1940 during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Battle of the Atlantic. It was based on the novel Stella by Jan de Hartog
Jan de Hartog
Jan de Hartog was a Dutch playwright, novelist and occasional social critic who moved to the United States in the early 1960s and became a Quaker.- Early years :...
.
Plot
American David Ross (William HoldenWilliam Holden
William Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
), a sergeant in the Canadian army, is hastily promoted and assigned to command one of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's slow, poorly-armed tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s, which bring in freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
s crippled near England by German attacks. The main danger is from U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s and aircraft.
David is pleased to be reunited with an old friend, Captain Chris Ford (Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
). Chris takes him out on a mission, then brings him home to his flat to meet his lover Stella (Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
). She had been engaged to Philip, another tugboat captain, but he was killed the day before their wedding. Knowing the extreme danger of his job, Philip had given a copy of his key to the flat to another officer, Van Barger (Carl Möhner
Carl Möhner
Carl Möhner was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in over 40 films between 1949 and 1976. He was born in Vienna, Austria, and died in McAllen, Texas from Parkinson's disease.-Selected filmography:...
), so that Stella would be taken care of no matter what. Van Barger moved in. Then, continuing the tradition, he gave a key to Chris. When Chris chooses David to be the next in line, David tries to refuse, but his friend is insistent.
Stella accepts Chris's marriage proposal. However, she has a premonition that he won't be coming back from his next mission. She is proved correct.
At first, David refuses to move in, but eventually does so. To his surprise, she does not share his bed immediately, but as time goes by, Stella falls in love with him, unlike the others. She puts away her photograph of Philip, gets rid of the uniforms of David's predecessors, and takes off her wedding ring. She also leaves her flat for the first time since Philip was killed. Finally, she asks David to marry her and he gladly accepts.
With the U.S. entry into the war, an American freighter becomes David's next assignment. The inexperienced crew sends out a continuous S.O.S.
SOS
SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
, contrary to sealed orders, revealing the ship's position to the enemy. When David finds out the situation, he tries unsuccessfully to refuse what amounts to a suicide mission. Just as he is about to depart, another tugboat returns. Knowing his chances, he gives his key to its captain, Kane (Kieron Moore
Kieron Moore
Kieron Moore was an Irish film and television actor whose career was at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s...
).
David's tug is attacked by a U-boat and set afire. He orders the crew to abandon ship, then rams the submarine. After being rescued, David hurries back to the flat, but Kane is already there, having told Stella that David was killed. When she sees him alive, she screams at him to get out, hurt to the core by his betrayal in passing on the key.
Later, Kane finds David drinking his sorrows away and informs him that Stella is leaving for London on the train. There were two endings filmed; in one, David gets aboard, while in the other, he just misses catching it, but insists he will search for and find her. The latter was done to satisfy the Production Code
Production Code
The Motion Picture Production Code was the set of industry moral censorship guidelines that governed the production of the vast majority of United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the Hays Code, after Hollywood's chief censor of the...
by showing that David and Stella pay for their sexual relationship.
Cast
- William HoldenWilliam HoldenWilliam Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
as David Ross - Sophia LorenSophia LorenSophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
as Stella - Trevor HowardTrevor HowardTrevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
as Chris Ford - Oskar Homolka as Captain Van Dam, who alternates command of the tug with David
- Kieron MooreKieron MooreKieron Moore was an Irish film and television actor whose career was at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s...
as Kane - Bernard LeeBernard LeeJohn Bernard Lee was an English actor, best known for his role as M in the first eleven James Bond films.-Life and career:...
as Wadlow, the head of the salvage unit - Beatrix LehmannBeatrix LehmannBeatrix Alice Lehmann was a British actress, theatre director and author.She trained at the RADA and made her stage debut as Peggy in a 1924 production The Way of the World at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. As well as her extensive theatrical career she appeared in films and on television...
as Housekeeper - Noel PurcellNoel Purcell (actor)Noel Purcell was an Irish film and television actor.-Career:Purcell began his show business career at the age of 12 in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. Later, he toured Ireland in a vaudeville act with Jimmy O'Dea....
as Hotel Porter - Bryan ForbesBryan ForbesBryan Forbes, CBE is an English film director, actor and writer.-Career:Bryan Forbes was born John Theobald Clarke on 22 July 1926 in Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, West Ham, Essex , and grew up at 43 Cranmer Road, Forest Gate, West Ham, Essex .Forbes trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of...
as Weaver - Sidney Vivian as Grogan
- Rupert DaviesRupert DaviesRupert Davies was a British actor. He remains best known for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of Maigret, based on the Maigret novels written by Georges Simenon....
as Baker - Russell WatersRussell WatersRussell Waters was a Scottish film actor.Waters was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, Glasgow and the University of Glasgow. He began acting with the Old English Comedy and Shakespeare Company then appeared in repertory theatre, at the Old Vic and in the West End. On screen Waters generally...
as Sparks - Irene HandlIrene Handl-Life:Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the daughter of an Austrian banker father and French mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike...
as Clerk - John CrawfordJohn Crawford (actor)John Crawford was an American actor.Crawford was born Cleve Allen Richardson in Colfax, Washington. In films from the 1940s, Crawford appeared in bit parts for many years before playing leads in several films in the UK in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
as American Captain - Jameson ClarkJameson ClarkJameson Clark was a Scottish character actor who appeared in 22 films and made many appearances on television.-Career:...
as English Captain