Review of Key to the City (1950) by Rick R — 11 Jan 2010

Key to the City (1950).

This isn't exactly a laugh riot, but it's not a bad little Clark Gable and Loretta Young romantic comedy either. The movie starts out with upright New England Mayor Clarissa Standish (Young) arriving at a San Francisco hotel for a mayors convention. She meets up with rough neck longshoreman and Puget City Mayor, Steve Fisk (Gable) and the sparks fly.

Although Clarissa isn't exactly a prude, she might be a little more conscientious about her straight-laced constituents back home, where Steve wants to have some fun too. Despite the best of intentions, they seem to get themselves sent to jail a few times to the frustration of Police Sergeant Hogan (James Gleason), who tries to hide the mayors from the pesky newspaper reporters.

Although both mayors are falling in love with each other, they're very much dedicated to their people back home. Steve is worried about a political adversary left up in Puget City who he has tossed into the city fountain on past occasions. The adversary's henchman, and fellow longshoreman, Les Taggert (Raymond Burr, the only guy in Hollywood who can look down at Gable) comes down to try to slip a much needed home-building project through, but with some graft tucked away inside.

This film has got a lot of familiar faces from MGM's stable of character actors, including Frank Morgan who plays Fire Chief Duggan, Steve's trusty side-kick, and Lewis Stone, who plays Judge Silas Standish, Clarissa's loving Uncle. This is a very good movie to enjoy.