Passkey to Danger

Passkey to Danger is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by Lesley Selander and written by O'Leta Rhinehart and William Hagens.  The film stars Kane Richmond, Stephanie Bachelor, Adele Mara, Gregory Gaye, Gerald Mohr and John Eldredge.  The film was released on May 11, 1946, by Republic Pictures. 

Plot
Tex Hanlon (Kane Richmond) is in charge of a wildly successful and mysterious advertising campaign for "The Three Springs".   People everywhere are curious what the ads refer to, and even Malcolm Tauber (Gerald Mohr) the head of the company Hanlon works for, is in the dark.  It's revealed that Tauber's assistant (and Hanlon's girlfriend) Gwen Hughes (Stephanie Bachelor) has created some secret sketches of women's fashion for Tex that will be used in the final Three Springs ad.  

However, other forces are at work.  Attracted by the attention given the campaign, Renee Beauchamps (Adele Mara) asks for a chance to begin work with Hanlon.  He agrees, but begins to receive threatening notes related to The Three Springs.  A passing motorist, Julian Leighton (George J. Lewis), picks him up and offers him twenty-thousand dollars to spill the secret.  Another wealthy man, Alexander Cardovsky (John Eldredge), also asks for information.  He's later pressured by two thugs, Mr. Warren (Gregory Gaye) and Bert (Fred Graham) to reveal everything.  He buys a toy puppet from a poor woman, Jenny (Donia Bussey), and finds another note in the toy, asking him to meet her.  When he does, he discovers Jenny has been murdered, and he's 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 anxious to run the final Three Springs ad.  He's upset when Hanlon balks, but grateful Hanlon kept The Three Springs campaign out of his conversation with the police.  Hanlon tells Gwen 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.  Then Hanlon discovers that Renee has been writing the threatening notes, and she claims she'd hope to frighten him into working with her.  Renee says she's being followed and must speak with him later.  Gwen sees Renee kiss Hanlon goodbye and is furious.  

Immediately afterward, Special Detective Bates (Tom London) explains to Hanlon that the three Spring brothers, criminals who made off with millions twenty years ago and disappeared likely believe 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 Hanlon's "friends" Warren and Bert, not realizing who they really are.  Warren and Bert threaten to pin another murder on Hanlon if he doesn't hand over his information, and Hanlon discovers they've 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's revealed that Cardovsky and Leighton are two of the Spring brothers.  Hanlon believes the third brother is Warren, but at gunpoint, discovers it's 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  
Kane Richmond as Tex Hanlon
Stephanie Bachelor as Gwen Hughes
Adele Mara as Renee Beauchamps
Gregory Gaye as Mr. Warren 
Gerald Mohr as Malcolm Tauber
John Eldredge as Alexander Cardovsky
George J. Lewis as Julian Leighton
Fred Graham as Bert
Tom London as Gerald Bates
Donia Bussey as Jenny
Charles Williams as Mr. Williams
Charles C. Wilson as Police Sergeant

References

External links 
 

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