Some scenes from Seven Keys to Baldpate (The Mystery Farce), written by the American playwright George M. Cohan (1878 – 1942), and performed at the Apollo Theatre, London, in 1914.
Seven Keys to Baldpate is a 1913 play by George M. Cohan based on a novel by Earl Derr Biggers. The dramatization was one of Cohan's most innovative plays. It baffled some audiences and critics but became a hit, running for nearly a year in New York, another year in Chicago and receiving later revivals; Cohan starred in the 1935 revival.
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, October 10th, 1914, "Seven Keys to Baldpate." The "Mystery Farce," at the Apollo Theatre.
1- Lou Max (a thief) covers Peter the Hermit of Baldpate (a lunatic and a thief) with his revolver when Peters attempts to get the 200,000 dollars out of the safe. Meantime Magee (a good man) covers Lou Max with another weapon. These are very customary attitudes of the persons of the play.
2- "Hands up!"- Myra Thornhill under fire from William Magee-an attitude struck by all the characters in turn.
3- "When thieves fall out."-Lou Max shoots Myra Thornhill for her treachery to him, although he was at least as bad as she. (Myra comes to life again later.)
4- William Magee lets go of his revolver and has to pay the penalty. Cargan and Max are his assailants.
5- The good girl of the play.- Miss Doris Lytton as Mary Norton, a journalist, who is beloved by William Magee.
6- William Magee blandly holds the six villains at bay while Mary Norton has time to travel to the nearest town with the 200,000 dollars the crooks all want to handle. The six sit like this through the night, passing the time by cursing each other's treachery, and Myra is here seen paying compliments to Lou Max.
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, October 3rd, 1914, "Our Captious Critic," showing a Review with Illustrations by Thomas Downey for "Seven Keys to Baldpate," at the Apollo.
The play premiered on Broadway on September 22, 1913 at the Astor Theatre and ran for 320 performances. The New York Times drama critic called it "melodrama of the good, old-fashioned sort".
