Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935)

Directed by: William Hamilton, Edward Killy

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Writer William Magee (Gene Raymond) goes to a remote and supposedly empty inn to finish some work only to find the place busier than Grand Central Station.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): When Magee first arrives at the inn no one is around. He starts up the stairs only to see a black cat looking at him from the first landing.

Seven Keys to Baldpate - black cat on landing above William Magee Gene Raymond

Seven Keys to Baldpate - black cat on stair landing

Seven Keys to Baldpate - William Magee Gene Raymond reacts to black cat on landing animated gif

Magee takes great pains to call to the kitty and then push it down past him so it won’t cross his path.

Seven Keys to Baldpate - black cat on stairs with William Magee Gene Raymond

Seven Keys to Baldpate - black cat being nudged down stairs by William Magee Gene Raymond

In a great sight gag, moments later a second unseen cat runs down the one side of the stairs, crosses Magee’s path anyway, then runs back up the other side of the stairs.

Seven Keys to Baldpate - black cat running across stair landing in front of William Magee Gene Raymond

Seven Keys to Baldpate - William Magee Gene Raymond reacts to black cat crossing his path on stair animated gif

The only other black cat which appears (one of the previous two or another one? We’re not sure! This one has a small white patch on its breast) startles Magee and Mary (Margaret Callahan) while they are sneaking around in a secret passageway.