Seven Keys to Baldpate (1917) is a public domain silent mystery-comedy film, adapted from Earl Derr Biggers’ famous novel. Produced and distributed by Artcraft Pictures, this early classic blends suspense, crime, and humor inside a secluded mountain hotel filled with secrets.
🎬 Plot:
Writer George Washington Magee makes a $5,000 bet that he can write a bestselling novel in just 24 hours. He checks into an empty hotel with the only key—but one by one, strangers arrive, each carrying their own keys. Soon, a fortune is hidden in the hotel safe, a shooting shocks the night, and the mystery deepens as Magee faces criminals, unexpected twists, and the challenge of finishing his story.
🎭 Cast:
George M. Cohan – George Washington Magee
Anna Q. Nilsson – Mary Norton
Elda Furry (Hedda Hopper) – Myra Thornhill
Corene Uzzell – Mrs. Rhodes
Joseph W. Smiley – Mayor Cargan
Armand Cortes – Lou Max
C. Warren Cook – Thomas Hayden
Purnell Pratt – John Bland
Frank Losee – Hall Bentley
Eric Hudson – Peter the Hermit
Carleton Macy – Police Chief Kennedy
Paul Everton – Langdon
Russell Bassett – Quimby
Robert Dudley – Clerk
This silent-era classic remains one of the most intriguing early mystery thrillers and is a valuable piece of cinema history.
📌 Disclaimer
This film is in the public domain in the United States. It is uploaded for educational, cultural, and preservation purposes.
