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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1915 Vision of Richard Foster Baker
When we examine the cinematic landscape of United States, A Bunch of Keys emerges as a landmark work of the unique directorial voice that Richard Foster Baker brought to the screen. This film stands as a masterclass in visual storytelling, it demands to be seen by anyone who cares about the art of film.
In A Bunch of Keys, Richard Foster Baker pushes the boundaries of conventional narrative. The film's unique approach to its subject matter has sparked endless debates and interpretations among cinephiles and critics alike.
| Cinematography | Static |
| Soundtrack | Synth-Heavy |
| Editing | Disjunctive |
| Art Direction | Baroque |
Visualizing the convergence of Richard Foster Baker's style and the core cult narrative.
Three Keys girls quarrel over a hotel left by their uncle, each claiming the property. Rose and May are very prim and put on all the airs of country belles, while Teddy is a harem-scarem tomboy, full of mischief and fun. Snaggs, a designing old lawyer, has the will of the uncle, and he has just jilted Matilda Jenkins, a wealthy widow, because she lost her fortune, and now plots to win the hand of one of the Keys girls, and get the hotel. He tells the girls their uncle has left all his property to the one who shall be declared the homeliest by the first drummer who stops at the hotel. They all refuse to enter the contest, Snaggs therefore makes love to Teddy, trying to get her to consent to pose as the ugliest of the daughters. Grimes, Teddy's suitor, suspects Snaggs and urges the girls to get hold of the will. Rose and May disguise themselves as foreign women and go to the hotel in the hopes of discovering it. The widow is already there in man's attire, hoping to get a chance to get revenge on Snaggs. Teddy dresses as a drummer and also takes a room at the hotel, in order to put one over on Snaggs. Snaggs falls into her trap and bribes her to pick out the homeliest. In the meantime the two suitors of Rose and May have hired anarchists to blow up the safe and get the will. They put a bomb under the safe just when all the principals are arguing in the lobby. They get the will but Teddy grabs it and reads a clause which says the sisters can divide the property if they wish. Then ensues a battle in which all are more or less damaged, disguises are torn off and the identities of all revealed.
Decades after its release, A Bunch of Keys remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Richard Foster Baker's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.