Key to the City
Two mayors meet and fall in love during a convention in San Francisco.
George Sidney
Steve Fisk
Loretta Young
Clarissa Standish
Marilyn Maxwell
Les Taggart
Key To The City (1950) -- (Movie Clip) This Magnificent Body
Key To The City (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Mayor Clarissa Standish
Key to the City - (Original Trailer)
Key To The City (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Hiawatha's Mother
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Loew's Inc.
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
While attending a convention of the nation's mayors in San Francisco, Mayor Clarissa Standish of Wenonah, Maine, a demure, Harvard-educated, devoted public servant, meets the rough-hewn, outspoken mayor of Puget City, Steve Fisk. A former longshoreman with a lust for life and beautiful women, Steve initially mistakes Clarissa for Sheila, his balloon dancer date for the evening, and inadvertently insults Clarissa. Clarissa forgives Steve's mistake, however, and eventually comes to admire his brazenness. Though concerned that his image might be tarnished if he were seen dating "important" women, Steve soon develops a close friendship with Clarissa. At the same time, Steve's friend, Puget City fire chief Duggan, warns Steve that Henshaw, a crooked Puget City council member, is waging a campaign to discredit him and that he should avoid any bad publicity while in San Francisco. One night, Steve holds an informal committee meeting with other mayors and their wives at the Blue Duck nightclub in Chinatown, but Clarissa objects to the partying and inadvertently insults the wives of the mayors. The festivities come to an abrupt end when Steve sets off a brawl. Clarissa tries to stop the fight by playing the piano and singing the song "San Francisco," but Steve cuts her song short and insists that she flee the club to save her reputation. The escape plan fails, however, and Steve and Clarissa are arrested in a police raid. Police sergeant Hogan, who is determined to keep the matter quiet, releases Clarissa and Steve, but, as Clarissa leaves the station, a photographer takes her picture in front of a "Sobriety Test" room. Though the picture results in a scandal in the conservative town of Wenonah, Clarissa's uncle, Judge Silas Standish, is pleased to see that his niece has finally shed her prudishness. A short time later, Clarissa and Steve are arrested again while standing on a street corner dressed as children for a costume party. Steve is charged with soliciting a minor, but Hogan quickly releases them again. While Steve and Clarissa ride back to the hotel in a taxi, the taxi swerves to avoid hitting some pedestrians, and the two are thrown into each other's arms. A romantic walk down the fog-shrouded streets of Telegraph Hill then sparks a romance between Clarissa and Steve, and they make plans to marry in Puget City. The engagement is called off, however, after Steve accuses Clarissa of being ashamed of his working class background. When Steve learns that Henshaw plans to hold a secret vote to override his veto of a pork barrel construction contract, Steve decides to leave the convention and return to Puget City. Clarissa is heartbroken when she sees Sheila enter Steve's room, as she is unaware that Steve is not interested in Sheila. Steve arrives in Puget City in time to ensure that his veto is not overridden, and then plans to fly to Wenonah to make amends with Clarissa. Confusion abounds when Silas, who has not been told of the cancellation of the wedding, arrives in Puget City to meet his future nephew-in-law. When Steve learns that Clarissa is on her way to Puget City to find her uncle, he quickly arranges a grand welcoming for her at the train station and plans to present her with the key to Puget City. Clarissa is still angry with Steve when she arrives, and will not permit him to explain why Sheila was in his room. Steve eventually gets his chance to set matters straight, however, and the two resume their marriage plans.
James Gleason
Sgt. Hogan
Lewis Stone
Judge Silas Standish
Raymond Walburn
Mayor Billy Butler
Pamela Britton
Miss Unconscious
Zamah Cunningham
Mrs. Butler
Clinton Sundberg
Marion Martin
Bert Freed
Emmy's husband
Emory Parnell
Council chairman
Clara Blandick
Richard Gaines
John Albright
Bellboy
Charles B. Smith
William Page Frambes
Assistant clerk
Dorothy Ford
Miss Construction
Bridget Carr
Miss Dream Girl
Phyllis Kennedy
Donald Kerr
Jimmy Fox
Sam Hayes
Paul Krueger
Longshoreman
Ethan Laidlaw
Pierre Watkin
Mayor Cabot
Nana Bryant
Mrs. Cabot
William Forrest
Mayor Anderson
Ruth Clifford
Mrs. Anderson
Victor Sen Yung
Chinese emcee
Maria Sen Yung
Ed Gargan
Tom Dillon
Ronald Hom
Chinese boy
William Tannen
Sgt. Foley
Eula Morgan
Police matron
Fletcher Chandler
Emerson Treacy
William Phipps
Ralph Montgomery
Charles Conrad
Charles Wagenheim
Ralph Dunn
Shirley Lew
Elevator operator
Alphonse Martel
Peter Brocco
Wheaton Chambers
Harry Harvey Sr.
Bill Cartledge
Page boy
Henry Sylvester
Jack Daley
Bert Moorhouse
Dick Wessel
William "bill" Phillips
Everett Glass
Elderly gentleman
Edward Clark
Elderly passerby
Gene Coogan
Byron Foulger
Walter Findon
Frank Ferguson
Alex Gerry
Edward Earle
Frank Wilcox
Edna Holland
Wilson Wood
Weighmaster
Mary Jo Ellis
Loudspeaker voice
Michael Kostrick
Buddy Roosevelt
Legionnaire
Helen Brown
Jack Aldworth
Albert Beich
Based on a Story by
Robert Riley Crutcher
Jack Dawn
Makeup created by
Cedric Gibbons
A. Arnold Gillespie
Z. Wayne Griffin
Edwin J. Hubbell
Women's Costume
Lloyd Isbell
Walter Jurman
Conrad P. Kahn
Bronislau Kaper
James E. Newcom
Hans Peters
George Rhein
Harold Rosson
Douglas Shearer
Recording Supervisor
Alfred E. Spencer
Associate (Sets)
Edwin B. Willis
Edward Woehler
Movie Clip
Key To The City (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Mayor Clarissa Standish In San Francisco for the convention of mayors, hotel manager (Clinton Sundberg) greets Texan Raymond Walburn, then star Loretta Young as Mainer "Clarissa Standish," who meets Marilyn Maxwell and Frank Morgan, selling fire trucks, opening Key To The City, 1950, co-starring Clark Gable.
Key To The City (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Hiawatha's Mother Maine Mayor Clarissa (Loretta Young) is surprised to find that she's been lured to a San Francisco dive by fellow convening mayor Steve (Clark Gable), Raymond Walburn as Mayor Butler among the partiers, in Key To The City, 1950.
Key To The City (1950) -- (Movie Clip) This Magnificent Body Just checked into her San Francisco hotel for the convention of mayors, honorable Clarissa Standish (Loretta Young) of Wenonah, Maine, undresses, then learns of a fellow attendee (Clark Gable as "Steve Fisk") on the telly, early in George Sidney's Key To The City, 1950.
Key to the City - (Original Trailer) Clark Gable and Loretta Young are two mayors who meet and fall in love during a convention in San Francisco in Key to the City (1950).
Key to the City (1950) is an uncomplicated and charming piece of fluff about a pair of opposites-attract small-town mayors, played by Clark Gable and Loretta Young, who meet and fall in love at a mayors' convention in San Francisco. Not only did the film have the considerable talents of the two leads, it also had the expert support of some of MGM's most reliable character actors (Frank Morgan, James Gleason, Lewis Stone), and some capable younger players (Raymond Burr, Marilyn Maxwell). The film may have been a lightweight comedy, but the production was fraught with drama, some of it going back 15 years.
Key to the City was Gable and Young's second and last film together. When they made their first, The Call of the Wild (1935), Young had been a 22-year-old contract player at Fox, on loan to MGM. And Gable, fresh from the success of It Happened One Night (1934), was fast becoming one of MGM's top stars. The Call of the Wild takes place in Alaska, and the company went on location to the state of Washington. There, snowed in for weeks, it's generally believed that Young and the married Gable embarked on an intense affair. When the film (and the affair) ended, Young pleaded a mysterious illness and disappeared for months. Two years later, the unmarried Young adopted a two-year-old girl she named Judy. Rumors had abounded for years that the child was, in fact, Young's own daughter, and the father was Gable. Neither Gable nor Young ever spoke publicly about the alleged affair. But Judy Lewis, Young's daughter, later recalled that when her mother was making Key to the City, she invited the adolescent Judy to visit her on the set to meet Gable. Judy refused, preferring to go to summer camp. A few years later, when Judy was 15, she finally met Gable. He came to Young's home, was introduced to Judy, and wanted to know everything about her life, which Judy thought was odd. Lewis says that her mother finally told her that Gable was her father when Judy was in her early 30s.
Whatever their past history, Gable and Young were cordial during the filming of Key to the City, and had nothing but complimentary things to say about each other. The producer, Z. Wayne Griffin, was a friend of Gable's, and Young's husband at the time, Tom Lewis, so it was a friendly, relaxed set. But by 1950, Gable's career had lost some of its luster, he was pushing 50, and talking about retiring. Yet he still clung to the perks of stardom, such as his five o'clock quitting time, which was promised in his latest contract.
The production proceeded smoothly, until Young collapsed on the set. She was rushed to the hospital, and it was discovered that she was three months pregnant. Production halted while she remained hospitalized for two weeks, as doctors tried to save her pregnancy. She eventually suffered a miscarriage, and took more time off to recuperate. When production finally wrapped, Young and her husband threw a "thank God it's over" party, attended by some members of the cast and crew. Halfway through the party, they learned that co-star Frank Morgan had died. Gable, who had made five films with Morgan, was a pallbearer at his funeral.
Reviews for Key to the City ranged from tepid (Variety: "on the whole amusing, but occasionally labored") to mildly enthusiastic (London Film Weekly: "Clark Gable does his he-man stuff pretty well and Loretta Young makes the most of the part of the mayoress."). Box-office, however, proved disappointing, as it did with many films at that time. The problem was the growing popularity of the new medium, television, which was keeping audiences away from movie theaters. In just a few years, Loretta Young would adopt an "if you can't beat them, join them" attitude, becoming one of the first film stars to make the move to TV. She would become one of the young medium's first and biggest stars.
Director: George Sidney
Producer: Z. Wayne Griffin
Screenplay: Robert Riley Crutcher, based on the story by Albert Beich
Cinematography: Harold Rosson
Editor: James E. Newcom
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Hans Peters
Costumes: Irene
Music: Bronislau Kaper
Principal Cast: Clark Gable (Steve Fisk), Loretta Young (Clarissa Standish), Frank Morgan (Fire Chief Duggan), Marilyn Maxwell (Sheila), Raymond Burr (Les Taggart), James Gleason (Sgt. Hogan), Lewis Stone (Judge Silas Standish).
BW-101m. Closed captioning.
by Margarita Landazuri
Key to the City (1950) is an uncomplicated and charming piece of fluff about a pair of opposites-attract small-town mayors, played by Clark Gable and Loretta Young, who meet and fall in love at a mayors' convention in San Francisco. Not only did the film have the considerable talents of the two leads, it also had the expert support of some of MGM's most reliable character actors (Frank Morgan, James Gleason, Lewis Stone), and some capable younger players (Raymond Burr, Marilyn Maxwell). The film may have been a lightweight comedy, but the production was fraught with drama, some of it going back 15 years. Key to the City was Gable and Young's second and last film together. When they made their first, The Call of the Wild (1935), Young had been a 22-year-old contract player at Fox, on loan to MGM. And Gable, fresh from the success of It Happened One Night (1934), was fast becoming one of MGM's top stars. The Call of the Wild takes place in Alaska, and the company went on location to the state of Washington. There, snowed in for weeks, it's generally believed that Young and the married Gable embarked on an intense affair. When the film (and the affair) ended, Young pleaded a mysterious illness and disappeared for months. Two years later, the unmarried Young adopted a two-year-old girl she named Judy. Rumors had abounded for years that the child was, in fact, Young's own daughter, and the father was Gable. Neither Gable nor Young ever spoke publicly about the alleged affair. But Judy Lewis, Young's daughter, later recalled that when her mother was making Key to the City, she invited the adolescent Judy to visit her on the set to meet Gable. Judy refused, preferring to go to summer camp. A few years later, when Judy was 15, she finally met Gable. He came to Young's home, was introduced to Judy, and wanted to know everything about her life, which Judy thought was odd. Lewis says that her mother finally told her that Gable was her father when Judy was in her early 30s. Whatever their past history, Gable and Young were cordial during the filming of Key to the City, and had nothing but complimentary things to say about each other. The producer, Z. Wayne Griffin, was a friend of Gable's, and Young's husband at the time, Tom Lewis, so it was a friendly, relaxed set. But by 1950, Gable's career had lost some of its luster, he was pushing 50, and talking about retiring. Yet he still clung to the perks of stardom, such as his five o'clock quitting time, which was promised in his latest contract. The production proceeded smoothly, until Young collapsed on the set. She was rushed to the hospital, and it was discovered that she was three months pregnant. Production halted while she remained hospitalized for two weeks, as doctors tried to save her pregnancy. She eventually suffered a miscarriage, and took more time off to recuperate. When production finally wrapped, Young and her husband threw a "thank God it's over" party, attended by some members of the cast and crew. Halfway through the party, they learned that co-star Frank Morgan had died. Gable, who had made five films with Morgan, was a pallbearer at his funeral. Reviews for Key to the City ranged from tepid (Variety: "on the whole amusing, but occasionally labored") to mildly enthusiastic (London Film Weekly: "Clark Gable does his he-man stuff pretty well and Loretta Young makes the most of the part of the mayoress."). Box-office, however, proved disappointing, as it did with many films at that time. The problem was the growing popularity of the new medium, television, which was keeping audiences away from movie theaters. In just a few years, Loretta Young would adopt an "if you can't beat them, join them" attitude, becoming one of the first film stars to make the move to TV. She would become one of the young medium's first and biggest stars. Director: George Sidney Producer: Z. Wayne Griffin Screenplay: Robert Riley Crutcher, based on the story by Albert Beich Cinematography: Harold Rosson Editor: James E. Newcom Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Hans Peters Costumes: Irene Music: Bronislau Kaper Principal Cast: Clark Gable (Steve Fisk), Loretta Young (Clarissa Standish), Frank Morgan (Fire Chief Duggan), Marilyn Maxwell (Sheila), Raymond Burr (Les Taggart), James Gleason (Sgt. Hogan), Lewis Stone (Judge Silas Standish). BW-101m. Closed captioning. by Margarita Landazuri
Production was briefly suspended when Loretta Young had a miscarriage.
According to a January 1949 Hollywood Reporter news item, M-G-M paid $200,000 for a package that included the services of freelance producer Z. Wayne Griffin, the rights to Albert Beich's original story and a completed screenplay by Robert Riley Crutcher. A March 1949 Hollywood Reporter news item indicates that Mervyn LeRoy was originally set to direct the picture. The film marked the final screen appearance of actor Frank Morgan, who died on September 18, 1949, shortly after completing his work on this film. Location shooting took place at Terminal Island, CA and background footage was filmed in San Francisco.
Director George Sidney had a brief appearance in the film, playing a taxi driver. This was the second and last film that co-starred Clark Gable and Loretta Young. Their first film was the 1935 Twentieth Century picture Call of the Wilde (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.0568).