The Master Key

#serial #cliffhanger #action
Nazi spies, led by the mysterious "Master Key", kidnap Professor Henderson in order to acquire his "Orotron machine" which is capable of extracting gold from sea water. FBI agent Tom Brant, aided by reporter Janet Lowe and Detective Lt. Jack Ryan, attempt to rescue him and crack the Nazi spy ring.
1. Trapped by Flames
2. Death Turns the Wheel
3. Ticket to Disaster
4. Drawbridge Danger
5. Runaway Car
6. Shot Down
7. Death on the Dial
8. Bullet Serenade
9. On Stage for Murder
10. Fatal Masquerade
11. Crash Curve
12. Lightning Underground
13. The Last Key

[@craigkdillon]

Well written, well acted, and well directed for a low budget serial. Never saw Milburn Stone play an action lead before. He did very well.

[@robertwalker5521]

.....DOC...

[@candacegladden5313]

I love serial cliffhangers can't get better this this beets the stuff they play in t.v today thanks for taking the time to post for us too enjoy

[@olasylvia1]

I love it that professor's fancy lab looks like any garage these days.

[@mikepasko7493]

Excellent serial ... can't get over how clear the film was and great detail.....love all those cars...they had style back then

[@leelarson107]

The film was CLEAR??? It's one big smudge. As I Commented above, a colorized print of that would improve the video portion.

[@SantiagoBernebeu]

This was the best serial I have seen thus far as it was most gripping and compelling with each chapter. It was highly noticeable that in chapter 12 when the Professor was in his hospital bed under sedation, secretary Dorothy broke her pencil when the name Hoffman was mentioned and how Tom told her to go and get some change from a dollar bill in Chief O'Brien's office which was a giveaway. All in all, it was a wonderful watch and many thanks for posting.

[@RRW1982]

Similar quality is with GANG BUSTERS serial. Definitely filled with diabolical characters and criminals of all kinds, many of whom are able to be very natty dressers along the way!

[@froybetterbrands]

Excellent 👍🏾

[@RetiredSchoolCook]

😃Thank you 👍Good serial 🥰Nice to see many favorite players in the good cast . ❤ Dec . 6 , 2023

[@roberthess2762]

Chapter 3 had Ernie Adams, 4 had Edmund Cobb! Who's coming up next? Find out next week at this theater!

[@RetiredSchoolCook]

@@roberthess2762 2 Favorite players from the old western movies . 🤠🐴🥰👍

[@misterruggles9736]

as a baby boomer, saturdays we'd go to the movies and for maybe 25 cents watch one episode of a serial, 25 cartoons -- looney tunes -- a western or some other film appealing to kids, and have some live action -- a duncan yo-yo contest, or a visit from a 'celebrity' -- oscar meyer and the weinermobile. kids screaming and chasing each other up and down the ailes. just a fun time.

[@colinfarmer5757]

Zywo tt 😢y ttzts

[@kiasax2]

You too? Gosh, I do miss the old days, not only great movies, but please and thank you, yes ma'am, no sir. MANNERS meant something. Great comment!

[@stanthology]

This is so good that you have to watch it many times before you see how good it really is! They even quote Admiral Yamamoto "The industrial might of the United States (is awesome)" Sure it's corn ball, but it is still a great serial. You can see how things were in the old days too.

[@jjamo5]

Thanks very much I love this era,its just fabulous

[@normayoung1681]

Even thou thee are old movies there is bad against good simple plots don’t have to cover grand kids eyes or fast forward

[@johnsheehy2268]

Loop

[@michaelpage7691]

Love the oldies. The only thing that always bugs me is the reporter, who is nearly always a lady, is at the front of all the danger. 🤣😁👍🏻🇦🇺

[@leelarson107]

Well, this IS 'entertainment', and accuracy isn't a high priority. Note that this was at a time when the 'feminist' nonsense got going.

[@robertdominiczak6523]

Plus they are not big chested and full of makeup, but still beautiful?

[@Hypsan]

For those who are interested, The Master Key came out in 1945 and is one of Universal's better cliffhangers. If you didn't know otherwise, you might think it was a Republic production. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[@marikalathem813]

Thank you for that information. Interesting!

[@eifeljoong8468]

It never came to my mind to think, that was an republic serial. No furniture smashed at oponents durig fights, no shooting with more bullets than a revolver has ammo...

[@spacey118]

I disagree… I believe direct imitation is lack of imagination coupled with an inflated sense of self importance. There are no more cliffhangers. The doors are open

[@Hispandinavian]

I love these old black and white flicks. It´s like a window back in time.

[@TrevorAnnDouglas]

Excellent. Good lead for Milburn Stone and terrific supporting cast.

[@roberthess2762]

Extra support from John Merton and Forrest Taylor!

[@raymondcancel7011]

The future Lash Larue in this one! Lo! The cowboy with the wippy!

[@donnienicholson6062]

Newspapers, gum, fresh fruit, combs.......Aggies is a variety store with a variety of goods. I'm not an engineer but if the voltage increase blew up a machine it would have burned out the light bulbs.

[@claycoates5056]

this is another wonder of movie making

[@WJack97224]

So like these old movies, especially the character of the cars and trucks. Thanks for posting. Good on ya mate.

[@jameslaiola4976]

Yes. This is very much appreciated. Thank you so much

[@jamesmiller4184]

BOY! This thing is really creepy and neat! Technically complicated too! It's a serialized masterpiece of sus- pense and drama!

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Glad you enjoyed it. It was quite a surprise to me also.

[@danwesley5826]

The most realistic of all the serials...period...nice post.

[@KennethJDeVries]

I'm here for Maris Wrixon. I don't know how many times I have watched White Pongo, The Face of Marble, and The Ape just to gaze upon her.

[@stanthology]

What a doll! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maris_Wrixon#Selected_filmography Chief of police was in "The Bank Dick" starring W.C. Fields as a salesman for Beefsteak Mines. Also in "Charlie Chan in Shanghai" as a fake "government agent". kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3rcXnaBq62ig80

[@mickeybitsko1676]

That orotron is now the size of a flea, with intel inside

[@n.emilioaviles]

Chapter 12: Motorcycle cop sequence reminds me of a similar sequence in Godard’s BREATHLESS when a French motorcycle cop was going after Jean-Paul Belmondo on a country road. Belmondo shot the cop & the cop ran off the road & crashed. Godard had said the film was a hommage to Hollywood gangster movies.

[@THEFORBIDDENMAN-lk7of]

THIS WAS WELL WORTH WATCHING, EVEN IF SOME OF THE DIALOG WAS DUMB BUT THE STORY LINE WAS GOOD

[@donnienicholson6062]

Glad they stopped filming during daylight through a welder's mask pretending it's dark.

[@ErrolConner-p8p]

Is there a 4K restoration planned for " The Master Key "? I had contacted VPI Video a few years back, and they said at the time that it was in the works. I know that for some of these Universal serials, they have actually had to go to Sony and get permission to check their vaults. Universal released a lot of titles via " Screen Gems " in the 50s. This has always been one of my favorite Universal serials. It deserves a great restoration like " The Mysterious Mr. M ", and " Lost City in the Jungle ". Maybe it is in the works. Keep up the great work. Love these Cliff Hangers.

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Not that I'm aware of but if anybody would be able to get a new print from Universal it would be VCI.

[@ErrolConner-p8p]

@@AtomicAgePictures oops my mistake. I meant VCI. They sounded pretty excited Ike it was around the corner.Thanks for the quick reply.

[@AtomicAgePictures]

​@@ErrolConner-p8p I hope so, I'd love to gave a really good copy.

[@snackcakeman]

Hope that guy that drove into and off the bridge didn't have plans to open a driving school.

[@bostonfrank6739]

I love those antique cars

[@cozmcwillie7897]

These actors were all really watchable and convincing.

[@redblade8160]

It seems that Aldous Huxley was privy to a lot of inside information. Even though this is only a film based on his book "Brave New World," maybe this was his way of giving us food for thought on what could be achieved or already has!

[@jamesmiller4184]

Yes ! Yes !! Yes !!! The Orotron machine plus on top of that . . . it's a Commonwealth picture !! When just a kid in the Forties I saw this sucker in all its parts long ago at matinees at the Grand Lake Theater, in Oakland CA! (It's really neat being really, really old . . . IF one can but remember the things that happened. I recommend it.) @AtomicAgePictures? How could anyone who's right-of-mind resist? >> SUBSCRIBED !!!

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Thanks for subscribing!

[@allenwatkins4972]

I like Milburn Stone in anything I've seen him in.

[@bianchikat]

ha! I remember seeing this serialised at Saturday Morning Pictures in the late 1950's/early 1960's..can't remember anything except the title...

[@michaeljohnson4204]

The Army and anybody trained by DC knows to stay low in a fire. Stone must have watched the Three Stooges for his training.

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Stark air conditioned while reading the paper. Same as bugsy suegal

[@candacegladden5313]

What a great cast I have seen Milburn Stone and another serial

[@leelarson107]

'The Great Alaskan Mystery', 1944.

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Didn’t know the Bowery boys would show up

[@stevenbrown1798]

Ol Doc Adams was a scrapper when he was young

[@stephaniehand503]

Thank you

[@stephaniehand503]

Great movie

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

The commercial war of the tube tv .

[@howardkerr8174]

Something happened at the end of Chapter 9 / beginning of Chapter 10...but what was it? "We" were at the theatre, sandbags were falling, but where did they land and how did the action suddenly jump to a completely different "location"? Was there a glitch in the order of the Chapters? CHAPTER 10 IS MISSING.

[@IAmJimRetzer]

I WANT MY MONEY BACK! LOL

[@jerryjohnson8485]

We will refund time spent watching chapter ten as per request

[@RRW1982]

@@IAmJimRetzer A local theater here in Denton, TX, used to offer a 'Ticket-Back Guarantee'. If you did not like the movie, express your displeasure to The Manager and you get a refund. When the town got beyond a certain size (I suppose that is the reason), that practice came to a quiet end.

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Gosh, Polly Benedict’s father was not what judge James k hardy believed him to be

[@stephaniehand503]

Thrilling series

[@stevenbrown1798]

I think police chief secretary is the master key

[@snackcakeman]

Young Milburn Stone aka Doc Adams from Gunsmoke

[@bostonfrank6739]

I like those hats that they wear

[@johnscott2852]

Hey, so Doc Stone was knocked out in a one on one fight with a nazi? He might have to call on Matt and Miss Kitty lol.

[@dewood9463]

Doc, from “Gun Smoke” is the star.

[@leelarson107]

No, the real star is Jan Wiley, about whom I have had many a lecherous daydream.

[@teedup8995]

​@@leelarson107 ❤

[@SS-cr7hj]

Thanks!

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying these classic serials!

[@terrymccoy8950]

Hard to find the first chapter, with them not being in order as you usually have posted. I think this is the first non- Gunsmoke episodes I've seen of Milburn "just a Country Doctor " Stone, I have to research him more !!

[@howardkerr8174]

He is in a few of these serials and I have seen him as the villain a few times in older (older than Gunsmoke) westerns. This is the first time that I have seen him with top billing. Usually he is about 3rd billing in these serials. Also, never had the moustache, apparently, until tv.

[@dttruman]

I think Miburn Stone was in some circus movie also.

[@johnsimpson6181]

No understand in the laws of scarcely, gold is valuable because it so scarce. If you can find a way to make it plentiful it loses its value.

[@michaellovelace3844]

It is estimated that there is about 10 trillion dollars worth of gold currently possessed by the people of the world. Increasing that by a couple per cent wouldn't make much difference in its price, but is still a lot of money. However, even if you're selling enough to lower its price, the critical factor is that you can produce gold at a lower price than you are selling it at. If you accept the movie's premise, the Nazis have no reason to stop selling gold until it costs less than their cost of extracting it. As the price dropped, it would have the additional effect of undermining the economies of their enemies.

[@patriciapiper6294]

What's an oritron, and where can I get one?

[@AtomicAgePictures]

The answer to that is, yes!

[@karenblackwood5883]

Enjoyed this

[@mickeybitsko1676]

I think there was a tv show spin off here, 7 keys

[@josephfinnegan151]

News Note 1: Maris Wrixon was the Secretary to the Police Chief O'Brien who was secretly The Master Key. She Attempted to escape at the end in an Aeroplane, However while it was in the air and in flight it blew up killing her and the other occupant. News Note 2: Unusual for 1940s Serials that there were 3 Main Women Actresses . Usually There is only 1 Top Woman in most serials and 2 in a few more . Maris Wrixon Bad Woman in this Movie Serial.

[@danwesley5826]

Love Doc from Gunsmoke.

[@johnthomascross6986]

I don't understand the explosion on the airplane. How it happened that there was a bomb on the plane?

[@l337pwnage]

The idea is that the "N"'s were always double crossing each other, as Americans can related to that. Earlier one of the "N"'s overheard the two planning to abandon the rest of them, but he knew their escape plan and who to call, so he called the person who was responsible for the plane, told him 2 "traitors" were escaping, and to implement plan (insert fancy codename) under the authority of "the master key". The presumption is that plan was to boobytrap the plane to eliminate the "traitors".

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

Warning this is just a jocke about nostalgia. The world in black and white was better, I hope one day will came back

[@leelarson107]

@@MzuMzu-nx1em That stands for 'Negroes Are Always Causing Problems'.

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

@Lee Larson just kidding about the nostalgia and noticing that the black and white movies are relaxing. Sorry I am European, I am not aware of slang

[@davidnorth9390]

Did this series spur development of transistors? ;-)

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

Bet on commercial tvs and radios were based on tube technology

[@howardkerr8174]

As someone who worked in the Navy on systems that had tubes, and the replacements that had transistors and then solid state circuits, this was mostly a case of "evolution". Tubes were big, got hot (which affected their performance), and military uses required better and better accuracy. Even transistors had to have a stable (reasonably cool) environment or their operations would be seriously affected. As an example: the 1st military airborne radar systems that I worked on were either as big as a large wine cask, if the receiver and transmitter were one unit, or as big as 2 beer kegs if the units were separate. The transistor generation saw the 2 beer kegs housed in 1 unit as big as a large tv set. And every other electronic unit in an aircraft got smaller and lighter and less temperature sensitive.

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Jack Ryan,? Then and now!

[@monfrig6959]

Milburn Stone is Doc from Gunsmoke

[@IAmJimRetzer]

Main Titles are lifted from "House of Frankenstein."

[@RRW1982]

I thought so, too. There are several passages that are from that score, thanks to the genius of the great Hans Salter. Universal controlled (I suppose) the use of the music that composers wrote, so they could 'lift' and use them in other settings. But nothing was 'lifted' and forever identified with one masked man, as was Rossini's William Tell Overture.

[@joestrike8537]

looks like they were setting up that bunch of teenagers in the theater for a serial of their own; anybody know if they ever actually made one?

[@bostonfrank6739]

They are suppsed to be the Dead End Kids

[@leelarson107]

The print is so dark that you can't make out half of the picture. A colorized print would be a great improvement. I said 'print', not the master copy.

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately this is the best source available.

[@cieranthane1]

Chapter 10 seems to be missing. We go from On Stage for Murder to Crash Curve.

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Thanks for spotting this. I'll see of I can correct it.

[@cieranthane1]

@@AtomicAgePictures No worries. Although other channels that have this particular serial are also missing the same chapter.

[@danwesley5826]

And one last...instead of 5 minute fights where no one loses their hats and one point two million gunshots from two feet people actually get hit!!!!!!!!! amazing.

[@joestrike8537]

i'm about halfway through the serial and so far they've stolen the theme music from Hitchocks" "Saboteur" and at the end of chapter 6, the still-amazing plane crash into the ocean his "Foreign Correspondent;" I wonder when they'll get around to "Psycho"'s shower scene.

[@jerryjohnson8485]

In a little bit

[@AtomicAgePictures]

The theme from Saboteur was also used in Secret Agent X-9.

[@RRW1982]

@@AtomicAgePictures Which 'X-9' serial, as there were two different ones?

[@AtomicAgePictures]

@@RRW1982 the 1945 version with Lloyd Bridges.

[@AtomicAgePictures]

@@RRW1982 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pX2ZXph5bLyhe7s

[@APRAPR-nq2wn]

you gotta love it

[@leelarson107]

I don't like nuthin' or nobody.

[@jerryjohnson8485]

I'm so crabby I don't like me !!😡😠☹️💩💩😈👺👹👿☠️

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

I got tube like those on my amp

[@leelarson107]

I've got tubes like those in my Pace-Maker.

[@paulj0557tonehead]

Doc from Gun Smoke.

[@BAM-jc7uy]

young milburn stone FBI agent...."Doc" from the TV series Gunsmoke.

[@josephfinnegan151]

173,996 View's So Far: Movie Serial (1945) Master Key. 13 Chapters. (53rd Available Film Serial of the1940s). Stars: Sarah Padden, Jan Wiley and Maris Wrixon. Saturday, April 22 - 2023. Chapters 1 to 5. End: 1:33:25. Sunday, April 23 - 2023. Chapters 6 to 13. End: 3:30:32.

[@mickeybitsko1676]

I don’t trust the chiefs secretary

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Me thinks some of this gold showed up on ricks coin and tv show

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Lash larue

[@Davidbirdman101]

far out man!

[@elianedosantos9998]

Tous a l air genial.mais en francais ce serais Super.ou vost....je ne comprends pas tout.

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Sorry I don't have access to foreign language subtitles.

[@AlfredJohnsson]

Maris Wrixon playing Dorothy Newton alias the Master Key looked a lot like Lenie Riefenstahl.

[@blackmagic3880]

I would not mind you guys show me some Japanese anime or classical science fiction animation

[@leelarson107]

Japanese movies? They're almost as bad as the French and Italian movies from the early 1950's.

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Unfortunately there is very little Japanese Anime that is in the public domain.

[@gilbertchavez2819]

Stupid they got her from the car before Faust went off the bridge.

[@AlonsoBrewer]

Can you Dig it

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Yes I can!

[@vernwallen4246]

Did i spy"lash"Larue at1:24:40?

[@NYC1927]

Yup! This was his first film appearance!

[@howardkerr8174]

If you scan the opening credits he is listed as Alfred La Rue.

[@leelarson107]

He was also married and divorced 10 times.

[@RRW1982]

@@leelarson107 John Ritter once said on a talk show that his dad was a famous old-time cowboy actor...Lash La Rue! I would have guessed Tex Ritter.

[@leelarson107]

@@RRW1982 You're joking, right? Tex Ritter is well known as the father of John Ritter. *At least the two of them always thought so.

[@michaellefebvre793]

MICHAEL

[@WillieSnow-nm4hy]

I think it's 55

[@dahby2724]

Always a scam.... good serial

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Everything looks good in this suboptimal trash except Stone , too milk toasty

[@spacey118]

Hidden in plain site or plane site

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Gold from sea water.,eh? How’ii dat effect climate change

[@mickeybitsko1676]

M5, m7, m squad

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Beats any diniro trash Hollywood puts out nowadays. Wasn’t he supposed to leave the USA after trump was elected

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Wa happen to chat 11

[@AtomicAgePictures]

???

[@davethomasatemyhamster]

Just once I would love the master key to end his message with good luck angels lol

[@AtomicAgePictures]

Now THATS funny!