The Glass Key (1942)

Load of rubbish!!

Admirable film.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The acting in this movie is really good.

On the heels of their hit pairing in the 1942 noir "This Gun For Hire", Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake were re-teamed for this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's popular crime novel (previously filmed in 1935 with George Raft), cementing their box-office status while giving the gritty genre a heavy dose of star appeal. Brian Donlevy is excellent as a jovial, two-fisted politician who shows no hesitation squashing underworld types and playing dirty pool with gangsters; Ladd is his henchman and babysitter to Donlevy's sister, whose murdered boyfriend was mixed up with racketeers about to bring down a major newspaper publisher; Lake is a politician's daughter romantically linked with Donlevy but now eyeballing Ladd. Complicated yet drolly confident, with lust and power seething under the stoic surface. All it needed was a bit more heart. ** from ****

Crooked political boss Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) tries to clean up his act when he falls for Janet Henry (Veronica Lake), the daughter of a reformist politician. When Janet's brother is killed, all signs point to Paul having done it. So his right-hand man Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd), who also has a thing for Janet (and vice-versa), must figure out who committed the crime to save his friend from a murder rap.The second pairing of Ladd and Lake is also the second film adaptation of the Dashiell Hammett novel The Glass Key. They have great chemistry, of course, but Ladd and Donlevy's bromance almost overshadows it. This is one of Ladd's best roles. Lake is sexy and fun. Whenever I see a Veronica Lake movie from this period I'm always anxious to see another. It's a shame she was so difficult to work with that her time in the spotlight was so brief. Brian Donlevy is very good in this playing a character not too far removed from his classic Preston Sturges movies. Really good supporting cast includes Bonita Granville, Joseph Calleia, Richard Denning, Donald MacBride, and even Dane Clark in a small part. William Bendix is a scene stealer as a sadistic bruiser that works for Calleia. Some say the ending is abrupt and the story confusing. Can't say that I agree with that. I thought the story was easy to follow and the resolution to the mystery made sense. This is an enjoyable film noir with lots of snappy patter and good characters. Also some solid stunt work and a first-rate makeup job on a battered Alan Ladd. Obviously a must-see for fans of Ladd, Lake, and Hammett but I think most people who like 1940s film noir and crime pictures will like it.

Good chance to catch Hollywood's greatest blond couple together in one of their best movies. My only question remains which of the two is prettier. Still, Lake wins out in the hair department, maybe for all time. The plot's pretty darn complicated but holds interest to the end, thanks to the expert casting.Those of us who remember Bill Bendix as the lovable Riley in radio & TV's Life of Riley boggle at his role here. As the sadistic thug Jeff, he's about as mean as they come. Actually, I'm surprised that the one particularly brutal beating passed the censors. In my book, it's the movie's most memorable scene. At the same time, it's good to know that Bendix and Ladd were such good friends off screen. Still, it's a rather shocking scene for the time.Sure, neither of the blonds was too good in the acting department. Yet each projected a strong, rather icy, presence that's hard to duplicate. Catch Ladd's mirthless grin more like a mask for his Beaumont character than an actual emotion. He's really very effective as a somewhat ruthless political operative. Then there's Lake who strikes effortlessly sultry poses, but with a cold heart underneath. The two are indeed a perfect match. The story's pretty convoluted, something about political influence entering into a murder mystery. Actually, it's a "buddy" picture as much as anything else, and one that sort of sneaks up on you. However, it's the characters, not the narrative that shines, including a dynamic Donlevy as the political boss and an oily Calleia as a mob kingpin. Together, they make life difficult for headliner Ladd. All in all, Paramount Pictures knew they had a winning two-some on screen, however difficult the screenplay.

"The Glass Key" (1942), directed by Stuart Heisler, stars Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and Brian Donlevy and is the more famous of the two "official" adaptations (the first was made in 1935 with George Raft) of Dashiell Hammett's seminal 1931 novel.The screenplay by Jonathan Latimer is true to the general plot line of the book, if not in spirit: crooked political boss Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) plans to back reform candidate Ralph Henry (Moroni Olsen) for governor after falling in love with Henry's daughter, Janet (Veronica Lake). However, Madvig's right hand man, Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd), believes that it's a bad idea and distrusts Janet's true motives even more so when her brother is found dead and Madvig is the chief suspect.A complete betrayal of its source, the film only works if you completely ignore its origins, and even then, it merely plays as a light-hearted thriller. Brian Donlevy completely overplays his hand, giving the impression of a jocular man-about-town rather than a powerful gangster with political aspirations. Ladd is fine, and along with William Bendix, the only characterisation that stays true to the novel. The scene between Ladd and Bendix after Ladd has had a marathon beating belongs to a much better motion picture than this. Veronica Lake doesn't seem suited to the dark pessimism of the film noir universe and looks like she would be more at home in a comedy or a musical. A missed opportunity then, but it is an improvement on Ladd and Lake's earlier "This Gun for Hire" (1942) to a certain extent.