History Main / HookingTheKeys

* In Webcomic/{{Curvy}}, while being held in prison in Candy World Anaiis reaches through the bars of her cell to grab keys while the guards are ...distracted. She then realizes her cell is easily escapable and busts out.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'': When Scratch and Grounder are arrested and thrown in jail, Scratch spots the keys to their cell hanging on a hook in the warden's office. Grounder then extends his arm to grab the keys.

SisterTrope to PetGetsTheKeys and ConvenientlyPlacedSharpThing.

* Played with in ''Film/TheGreatEscape''; Hilts is being led to "the cooler" (a solitary-confinement cell) by a guard, who closes Hilts' cell door and then opens it a second later because Hilts stole the guard's keys.

[[folder:Films - Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In "Knights of Knavery", a classic [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] story in ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' #25, ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/ThePenguin are locked up in the same jail cell. A guard unwisely gives them a broom to clean their cell. They unwind the wire holding the straw together and fashion it into a hook which they use to lift the keys off the guard's belt. The unlock the cell door, knock the guard unconscious with his own keys, and escape.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Lampshaded in ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle''. When Kumar helps spring Harold out of prison, he sees the keys hanging on a hook, saying "Sweet! I was hoping it would be one of these big ring of keys.".

* In "Knights of Knavery:, a classic [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] story in ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' #25, ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/ThePenguin are locked up in the same jail cell. A guard unwisely gives them a broom to clean their cell. They unwind the wire holding the straw together and fashion it into a hook which they use to lift the keys off the guard's belt. The unlock the cell door, knock the guard unconscious with his own keys, and escape.

* In ''Film/HerbieGoesBananas'' Herbie must retrieve the keys hanging on the wall hook to give to Paco so he can free himself. Since Herbie must use his antenna as a "hand", there's a certain amount of implied strain involved to bend the thing enough to hook the keys. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IZbsigk_rY Watch here]].
* ''Film/HotShotsPartDeux''. When Topper Harley has to rescue Colonel Walters from a jail cell, he uses a broom to lift the keys from a table next to the sleeping jailer. PlayedForLaughs when Topper falls short tossing the keys to Walters...and Walters steps ''completely out of his cell between the bars'', retrieves them, and slips back into his cell to let himself out.

SisterTrope to PetGetsTheKeys and ConveientlyPlacedSharpObject.

SisterTrope to PetGetsTheKeys and ConveientlyPlacedSharpThing.

SisterTrope to PetGetsTheKeys.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pajamasam_hookkey.png]]

* A variation shows up in the ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' episode "Missing". Tony [=DiNozzo=] ends up getting drugged, captured, and trapped in the same room by the same SerialKiller who kidnapped the missing marine NCIS is searching for. Tony uses [[CrazyPrepared a knife he had hidden in his belt]] and a piece of string to get the piece of wood bolting the cell door shut out of the way so they can escape.

* ''Film/HotShotsPartDeux''. When Topper Harlie has to rescue Colonel Walters from a jail cell, he uses a broom to lift the keys from a table next to the sleeping jailer.

When a character is locked up, traditionally his captors will place the keys to the cell hanging on a peg on the wall directly opposite the cell, and then leave. The keys will be just out of reach of the character who will have to [[MacGyvering fashion some way of reaching the keys (rod, wire, etc.) from the resources available in the cell]]. Alternatively, the character can lob things at the keys, hoping to knock them off the wall so the land in a reachable position.

When a character is locked up, traditionally his captors will placee the keys to the cell hanging on a peg on the wall directly opposite the cell, and then leave. The keys will be just out of reach of the character who will have to [[MacGyvering fashion some way of reaching the keys (rod, wire, etc.) from the resources available in the cell]]. Alternatively, the character can lob things at the keys, hoping to knock them off the wall so the land in a reachable position.

When a character is locked up, traditionally his captors will leave the keys to cell hanging on a peg on the wall directly opposite the cell, and then leave. The keys will be just out of reach of the character who will have to [[MacGyvering fashion some way of reaching the keys (rod, wire, etc.) from the resources available in the cell]]. Alternatively, the character can lob things at the keys, hoping to knock them off the wall so the land in a reachable position.

* A variation shows up in the ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' episode "Missing". Tony [=DiNozzo=] ends up getting drugged, captured, and trapped in the same room by the same SerialKiller who kidnapped the missing marine NCIS is searching for. Tony uses [[CrazyPrepared a knife he had hidden in his belt]] and a piece of string to get the piece of wood locking both of them in so they can escape.

Administrivia/SeenItAMillionTimes

[[AC:Comic Books]]

[[AC:Film - Animated]]

[[AC:Film -- Live Action]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': In "[[Recap/RugratsS3E12CuffedTheBlizzard Cuffed]]", Angelica swipes some toy handcuffs intended for donation and [[ChainedHeat handcuffs herself to Chuckie]] when the latter comes over to visit. Angelica loses the key to the handcuffs, so she has to find a key that will unlock them without Drew noticing. At one point, Angelica uses a broom handle to push some keys hanging on some hooks on the wall off them. None of the keys she uses fit the lock to the handcuffs.