Seven Keys To Baldpate (1947)

A mystery writer (Phillip Terry) makes a $5,000 bet that he can write a story in one night and to do so, he will spend the night at a summer hotel that is closed for the winter. But when he gets there, he finds a man (Eduardo Ciannelli) who claims to be the caretaker. It isn't long before a string of mysterious visitors show up at the hotel ..... and dead bodies begin piling up. Based on the novel by Earl Derr Biggers (creator of Charlie Chan) by way of the Broadway adaptation by George M. Cohan and directed by Lew Landers (RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE). The sixth film adaptation of the book and play and the third sound version. I've seen the first two sound versions (there's a fourth which I haven't seen yet) and of the three I've seen, this is the one I liked best but that's not saying much. It's still a weak contrived "old dark house" thriller and the film's leading man (Phillip Terrry) is inadequate (I'm being nice). But despite retaining the humor of its predecessors, this one is more intense in its execution. With Jacqueline White, Margaret Lindsay, Arthur Shields and Jimmy Conlin.