Main Cast: Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Bonita Granville, William Bendix, Richard Denning
Release Year: 1942
Country: US
Run Time: 85 minutes
Plot
Dashiel Hammett's The Glass Key, a tale of big-city political corruption, was first filmed in 1935, with Edward Arnold as a duplicitous political boss and George Raft as his loyal lieutenant. This 1942 remake improves on the original, especially in replacing the stolid Raft with the charismatic Alan Ladd. Brian Donlevy essays the role of the boss, who is determined to back reform candidate Moroni Olsen, despite Ladd's gut feeling that this move is a mistake. Ladd knows that Donlevy is doing a political about-face merely to get in solid with Olsen's pretty daughter Veronica Lake. It is Ladd who is left to clean up the mess when crime lord Joseph Calleila murders Olsen's wastrel son Richard Denning and pins the rap on Donlevy. As Ladd struggles to clear Donlevy's name, he falls in love with Lake--when he's not being pummeled about by Calleila's psychopathic henchman William Bendix. Far less complex than the Dashiel Hammett original (and far less damning of the American political system), The Glass Key further increased the box-office pull of Paramount's new team of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Although the ending has been softened too much from its Dashiel Hammett source, the 1942 version of The Glass Key is still a gripping, invigorating noir thriller. Like the novel, the film gets a bit complicated in places, and some viewers may lose track of the plot at moments; but that shouldn't stop them from enjoying the ride along the way. Glass would also have been bettered served with some motivations made a bit more credible, but the fast pacing and the taut dialogue offers enough rewards that one is willing to overlook this. Besides, Glass features the second pairing of Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd, a pairing which brought out the best in both actors. There's just something about the way Lake and Ladd are when put together on screen that creates steam. His eyes can't seem to convince us they're not looking for her; her lips can't quite convince us they're satisfied being away from him -- and all this happens even before they've acknowledge any interest in each other, or any willingness to do the other in. Both of them can by icy, but we know that inside, they're willing to melt -- as long as the other melts with them. Glass also benefits from Ladd's low-key, almost unemotional playing, especially in contrast with Brian Donlevy's more outward turn. But the best performance comes from William Bendix, whose sado-masochistic beating scene is chillingly involving. Bendix is absolutely riveting, giving a disturbing performance that can't be beat. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
