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Catalog/Drama/The Key
The Key poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 67.0 / 100
1958·Drama / Romance / War·2h 14m

THE KEY

“He had the life expectancy of a match.”

In wartime England, circa 1941, poorly-armed tugs are sent into "U-Boat Alley" to rescue damaged Allied ships. An American named David Ross arrives to captain one of these tugs. He's given a key by a fellow tugboat-man -- a key to an apartment and its pretty female resident. Should something happen to the friend, Ross can use the key.

Above the Line
Carol Reed·DirectorCarl Foreman·WriterJan de Hartog·NovelOswald Morris·Director of PhotographyMalcolm Arnold·Original Music ComposerBert Bates·Editor
Cast
William Holden·Capt. David RossSophia Loren·StellaTrevor Howard·Capt. Chris FordBernard Lee·Cmdr. WadlowOskar Homolka·Van DamKieron Moore·KaneNoel Purcell·Hotel ClerkBryan Forbes·WeaverBeatrix Lehmann·HousekeeperRupert Davies·Baker
Full Crew
(12 credits)
Directing· 1
Carol Reed·Director
Writing· 2
Carl Foreman·WriterJan de Hartog·Novel
Camera· 1
Oswald Morris·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Bert Bates·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Malcolm Arnold·Original Music Composer
Art & Design· 3
Wilfred Shingleton·Production DesignGeoffrey Drake·Art DirectionBeatrice Dawson·Costume Design
Production· 2
Carl Foreman·ProducerAubrey Baring·Associate Producer
Other Departments· 1
Peter Peake·Technical Advisor
By the Numbers
67.0
OF 100
Master Score
6.7
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Key's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#0F3162
#FFFFFF
#A3643D
Mood
Romantic, Dramatic
Composition
Layered
Era
1950s
Visual Style
Painted

“The movie poster features a large, white, distressed key shape dominating the left side, with a rectangular frame on the upper right showing a man and a woman k”

romancedrama
Key Elements
Key ShapeBoatBags
Atmosphere
Stormy, Warm
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Ocean
Design Score
7/10
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
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Era
DEC
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