The Door with Seven Locks (1940 film)
A horror film based on Edgar Wallace's novel.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The 1940 British horror film *The Door with Seven Locks* was directed by Norman Lee, with Leslie Banks and Lili Palmer in the lead roles. The screenplay, credited to John Argyle, Gilbert Gunn, and Norman Lee, adapts Edgar Wallace’s 1926 novel of the same name. In the United States, Monogram Pictures released it as *Chamber of Horrors*; it was the third Wallace film adaptation to reach American audiences, after *The Terror* (released in the US as *The Living Dead*) and *The Dark Eyes of London* (released there as *The Human Monster*) starring Béla Lugosi. The film came out several years after the British Board of Film Censors relaxed its policies on horror and supernatural-themed films, though the BBFC never had a formal ban on all horror films.
The story follows a wealthy lord who dies and is buried with a valuable stash of jewels. Opening the tomb requires seven keys, but a string of strange events scatters them. As the heiress and her companions try to piece together what happened, they become caught up in fraud, deceit, torture, and murder. The family physician, Dr. Manetta, proves to be the villain. With help from a butler and a chauffeur who is a fugitive forger, Manetta plots to steal the treasure. When the rightful heiress, June Lansdowne, arrives, she is captured and locked inside the tomb before she can reveal herself. A pet monkey eventually frees her by stealing the key. Suspicion mounts when Manetta declares his admiration for Torquemada, the Spanish Inquisition’s chief torturer, and reveals a basement museum of torture devices. As authorities close in, Manetta gets trapped in an automatic spiked mummy case; police reluctantly rescue him. He confesses fully, then commits suicide by poison, proudly using a goblet once owned by Lucrezia Borgia. The treasure is found inside the tomb—the one place Manetta could not search, because he lacked the keys to open it.
The cast includes Leslie Banks as Dr. Manetta, Lilli Palmer as June Lansdowne, Romilly Lunge as Dick Martin, Gina Malo as Glenda Baker, David Horne as Edward Havelock, Richard Bird as Inspector Sneed, Cathleen Nesbitt as Ann Cody, J.H. Roberts as Luis Silva, Aubrey Mallalieu as Lord Charles Francis Selford, Harry Hutchinson as Bevan Cody, Ross Landon as John Selford, Phil Ray as Tom Cawler, and Robert Montgomery as Craig the butler.
Critical reception was mixed. *The Monthly Film Bulletin*
- Release year
- 1940
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Director
- Norman Lee
- Starring
- Leslie Banks, Lili Palmer
- Based on
- 1926 novel by Edgar Wallace
- US title
- Chamber of Horrors
- Genre
- Horror
Lore & Background
The plot follows a wealthy lord who dies and is entombed with a valuable deposit of jewels. Seven keys are required to unlock the tomb. A series of mysterious events scatters the keys, and the heiress and her companions become entangled in fraud, deceit, torture, and murder. The family physician, Dr. Manetta, is revealed as the untrustworthy person, assisted by the butler and a forger chauffeur. The heiress, June Lansdowne, is locked in the tomb but freed by a pet monkey that steals the key. Dr. Manetta, an admirer of Torquemada, keeps a museum of torture instruments. When authorities close in, Manetta is trapped in an automatic spiked mummy case, confesses, and commits suicide with a goblet once owned by Lucretia Borgia. The treasure is found inside the tomb, which Manetta was unable to open because he lacked the keys.
Reader's Guide
The Door with Seven Locks is notable as a British horror film released after the BBFC lifted its ban on the genre. Contemporary reviews were mixed: The Monthly Film Bulletin praised its suspense and humor, while Leslie Halliwell called it 'ineptly made.' David Quinlan rated it 'good,' describing it as 'robust blood and thunder, eerie and well-acted.' The film features Leslie Banks as a gruesome villain and Lili Palmer as a refreshing heroine. It was released in the US by Monogram Pictures as Chamber of Horrors. The film is one of several adaptations of Edgar Wallace's work and was followed by a 1962 version.
Did You Know?
- The film was released in the United States under the title Chamber of Horrors.
- It was the second Edgar Wallace film adaptation released in the US, after The Dark Eyes of London.
- The film was released shortly after the British Board of Film Censors lifted its mid-1930s ban on supernatural-themed and horror genre films.
- Dr. Manetta commits suicide using a goblet once owned by Lucretia Borgia.
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